Terminal with ribbed contact spring

A terminal with ribbed contact springs for receipt of a mating terminal therein, the receptacle terminal having a contact portion comprising:

• a bottom wall with contact sections extending from opposed sides of the bottom wall, the bottom wall having a raised rectangular platform which extends the length of the contact portion, the raised rectangular platform is configured to provide increased stiffness to the bottom wall and the contact portion, a spring arm provided on the bottom wall formed in the raised rectangular platform, a free end of the spring arm configured to move relative to the raised rectangular platform of the bottom wall;
• each of the contact sections having three resilient arms, the resilient arms of the contact sections extend from the bottom wall to mating terminal engagement members;
• the resilient arms having arcuate portions which extend from the bottom wall to the mating terminal engaging members, the three resilient arms of each of the contact sections are spaced apart by openings, the openings of each of the contact sections extend from the bottom wall to the mating terminal engaging member of each of the contact sections, each of the arcuate portions of the resilient arms having a width, in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the terminal, at a base portion which extends from the bottom wall, the width at the base portion is greater than a width, in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the terminal, at an end of the arcuate portion proximate the mating terminal engaging members;
• the mating terminal engaging members extending from the arcuate portions across the openings and toward the bottom wall in a direction which is essentially perpendicular to a plane of the bottom wall, the mating terminal engagement members positioned at a top of a mating slot, the arcuate portions providing the resiliency to allow the mating terminal engaging members to move relative to the bottom wall as the mating terminal is inserted into the mating slot;
• wherein each of the resilient arms generating a contact force when the mating terminal is inserted into the terminal;
• wherein the raised rectangular platform of the bottom wall provides increased stiffness to the bottom wall and the contact portion to achieve the desired normal force for the insertion of the mating terminal;
• wherein the stiffness and spring rate of the resilient arms is controlled by the configuration of the raised rectangular platform of the bottom wall and the configuration of the resilient arms.