JP2753923B2 - Press-connecting terminal and housing fixing method - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a pressure contact terminal to which an electric wire such as a wire harness is connected by pressure contact, and a housing fixing method for inserting the pressure contact terminal into a housing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when connecting an electric wire to a terminal of a connector, the electric wire is pressed into a slot formed in the terminal,
There is known a press contact terminal in which the coating is broken and the electric wire and the terminal are electrically connected to each other. Such a pressure contact terminal is used for forming a branch circuit in addition to a normal terminal. Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 36966/1986 discloses a branch connector using such a press contact terminal.

That is, as shown in FIG. 6, a joint box 51 is provided with a plurality of press contact terminals 53. The press contact terminal 53 includes a male terminal portion 53a and a press contact portion 53b having a wider width than the male terminal portion 53a, and a U-shaped slot 55 is formed in the press contact portion 53b. An electric wire 57 is pressed into the slot 55, whereby the electric wire 57 and the press contact terminal 53 are pressed.
Are connected.

Hereinafter, the press contact terminal 53 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. 7 shows a state before the electric wire 57 is pressed. In the joint box 51,
An accommodating portion 61 for accommodating the press contact portion 53b and an insertion hole 63 for inserting the male terminal portion 53a are formed. The accommodating portion 61 has a width (W61) slightly smaller than the width (W53) of the press contact portion 53b, and is for press-fitting and fixing the press contact portion 32b.

When inserting the press contact terminal 53 into the joint box 51, first, the male terminal portion 53a is inserted into the insertion hole 63 (the state shown by the solid line in the figure). After that, the pressing portion 53
b is press-fitted into the accommodating portion 61 (the state shown by the broken line in the figure).
As a result, the press contact portion 53b and the wall surface of the joint box 61 are in close contact with each other, and the press contact terminal 53 is press-fitted and fixed to the joint box 51.

Next, as shown in FIG. 8, the electric wire 57 is pressed against the U-shaped slot 55. At this time, the coating is broken and the conductive wire portion contacts the slot 55. Thus, the insulation displacement terminal 53 and the electric wire 57 can be conducted.

[0007]

However, when the press contact terminal 53 constructed as described above is press-fitted and fixed to the joint box 51, the following problems occur. First, since the press contact portion 53b is press-fitted while shaving the edge of the accommodating portion 61, there is a problem that the press-fit terminal 53 is not easily inserted. Further, since a considerably large force is applied to the press-contact portion 53b at the time of press-fitting, the press-contact portion 53b
Must be formed. As a result, there is a problem that the shape of the press contact portion 53b is increased and the interval between the press contact terminals is widened.

The housing 61 and the entire wall may be in close contact with each other.
A gap is generated due to a dimensional error at the time of the work forming 1 and a problem occurs that the press contact terminal 53 swings and shakes as shown by an arrow A in FIG. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems. The present invention has been made to improve the insertability of a press-connecting terminal, to reduce the size of the press-connecting terminal, and to reduce the interval between the press-connecting terminals, and a housing thereof. It is intended to provide a fixing method.

[0009]

According to the present invention, there is provided a press contact terminal provided with a press contact portion which is accommodated in a housing and has a slot into which an electric wire is press contacted, wherein the press contact portion is provided at both outer edges with the housing portion of the housing. And a width W11 of the press contact portion and a width W15 defined by the locking protrusion are W11 ≦ W with respect to the width W23 of the housing portion.
23 <W15, and the wire is pressed into the slot after being loosely inserted into the housing.
The press-contact portion is opened outward so that the locking projection bites into a wall surface of the housing portion.

[0010]

According to the above means, first, the press contact portion of the press contact terminal is accommodated in the housing accommodating portion while being deformed inward.
Then, the locking projection is temporarily locked to the wall of the housing by the restoring force of the press-contact portion. Next, when the wire is pressed against the slot, the pressed portion is deformed outward, and the locking projections bite into the wall of the housing portion. Thereby, the press contact terminal is fully locked to the housing.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention. The press contact terminal 11 includes a male terminal portion 11a and a press contact portion 11b having a wider width than the male terminal portion 11a. Pressing part 1
1b, a U-shaped slot 13 is formed along the insertion axis direction, and the pressing pieces 11c, 11c of the pressing portion 11b are formed.
The upper end of d is formed in a tapered shape. Further, the pressure contact portion 11b
Projections 15a and 15b are respectively formed on both outer edges of.

In FIG. 2, a housing 21 into which the press contact terminal 11 is inserted is provided with a housing portion 23 for housing the press contact portion 11b and an insertion hole 2 for inserting the male terminal portion 11a.
5 are formed. The width (W23) of the housing portion 23 is equal to or slightly wider than the width (W11) of the press contact portion 11b, and is slightly narrower than the width (W15) defined by the projections 15a and 15b. That is, W11 ≦ W23 <W15.
Both bottom portions of the housing portion 23 form stoppers 27a and 27b for determining the insertion position of the male terminal portion 11a,
The bottom portions 11e and 11f of the press contact portion 11b engage with each other.

Further, referring to FIG. 2 and FIG.
The method 1 for fixing the housing will be described. ID terminal 1
As a method of fixing 1 to the housing 21, first, the male terminal portion 11a is inserted into the insertion hole 25 (the state shown by a solid line in the figure). Next, the protrusions 15a and 15b provided on both outer edges of the press contact portion 11b are brought into contact with the wall surface 23a of the housing portion 23, and the press contact pieces 11c and 11d are respectively inclined inward to be deformed, and the bottom portion of the press contact portion 11b is formed. 11e and 11f until the press contact portions 11 are engaged with the stoppers 27a and 27b, respectively.
b is inserted into the accommodating portion 15 (the state shown by the broken line in the figure).
Thereby, the press contact terminal 11 is loosely inserted into the housing 21 with the male terminal portion 11a inserted into a predetermined position.
After the insertion, the press contact portion 11b has a force for restoring to the original shape.
It is temporarily locked to the wall surface 23a of the first housing portion 23.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3, the electric wire 57 is pressed into the slot 13. Then, the covering of the electric wire 57 is broken and the slot 13 is expanded outward. As a result, the projections 15a and 15b bite into the wall surface 23a of the housing portion 23 of the housing 21, and the press contact terminal 11 is firmly fixed to the housing portion 23 of the housing 21 (finally locked). The conductive portion of the conductive wire 57 whose coating has been broken comes into contact with the slot 13, whereby the press contact terminal 11 and the electric wire 57 can be conducted.

The width of the U-shaped groove of the slot 13 is such that the width of the
Is formed smaller than the diameter of the conducting wire portion. Further, at the holding position of the electric wire 57, the projections 15 a and 15 b are formed below the holding position of the electric wire 57 in the insertion direction so that the press contact portion 11 b is most firmly received and held in the housing portion. The section 11b is held.

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the protrusions 45a and 45b and the pressure contact portion 41b
Are integrally formed, for example, as shown in the figure. That is, both bottom portions of the press contact portion 45b are formed in a tapered shape, and the protrusion 45
a, 45b. Then, stoppers 47a and 47b are formed on both bottom portions of the housing portion 43 so as to engage with them. According to this embodiment,
Since the bottom of the storage portion is also provided by utilizing the shape of the projection, the processing and forming becomes easy.

In the above-described embodiment, the U-shaped slot 13 is formed in the press contact portion 11b. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, a V-shaped slot 73 in which a plurality of electric wires are sandwiched is formed in the press contact portion 71b. May be formed. FIG. 5 shows a case where only the press contact portion 71b is inserted into the housing portion 75. According to the embodiment described above, the press contact terminal is inserted in a state where the press contact piece is deformed inward, is temporarily fixed to the housing by the restoring force of the press contact piece, and presses the electric wire to the slot to press the wire against the housing. As a result, the insertability is improved as compared with the case where the insert is fixed by press-fitting. Further, since press-fitting is not performed, it is not necessary to form the press-contact portion firmly. Accordingly, the shape of the press contact portion can be reduced, and the interval between the press contact terminals can be reduced. In addition, since the projection bites into the wall of the housing portion, it is possible to prevent the press-contact terminal from wobbling due to a gap generated due to a dimensional error at the time of forming the press-contact portion and the housing portion.

[0018]

According to the invention described above, it is possible to improve the insertability of the press contact terminals, to reduce the size of the press contact terminals, and to narrow the interval between the press contact terminals. Further, the press contact terminal can be securely inserted.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a method of fixing the press contact terminal shown in FIG. 1 to the housing.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view for explaining a method of fixing the press contact terminal shown in FIG. 1 to the housing.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a joint box provided with a press contact terminal.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing a conventional press contact terminal.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing a conventional press contact terminal.

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference numeral 11: press contact terminal, 11b, 45b, 71b: press contact portion, 11a: male terminal portion, 11c, 11d: press contact piece 13, 73: slot, 15a, 15b, 45a, 45b, 77a, 77b: protrusion, 21: housing , 23, 43, 75 ... accommodation part, 25 ... insertion hole, 27a, 27b, 47a, 47b ... stopper.

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A press contact terminal provided with a press contact portion that is accommodated in a housing and has a slot into which an electric wire is press contacted, wherein the press contact portion has, on both outer edges, a projection for engaging with the housing portion of the housing. And the width W11 of the press contact portion and the width W15 defined by the locking projections are formed such that W11 ≦ W23 <W15 with respect to the width W23 of the housing portion. After the wire is inserted, the wire is pressed against the slot, whereby the press-contact portion is opened outward, and the locking projection is cut into the wall surface of the housing portion. ID terminal. 2. A press-contact portion having a slot for press-contacting an electric wire and housed in a housing, and locking projections formed on both outer edges of the press-contact portion for engaging with the housing portion of the housing. The pressure contact terminal having the pressure contact portion is temporarily locked on the wall surface of the housing portion in a state where the pressure contact portion is deformed inward of the slot, and the wire is pressed against the slot to move the pressure contact portion outward of the slot. A method of fixing the housing of the press contact terminal, wherein the press contact terminal is permanently locked to the housing by deforming the engagement protrusion into the wall surface of the housing portion.