Female terminal for receiving plate-shaped male terminal

A female terminal for receiving a plate-shaped male terminal, comprising:

• a terminal body including a wire connection portion arranged at a rear section of said terminal body for connection with a terminal end of an electrical wire and an electrical connection portion arranged at a front section of said terminal body for connection with said plate-shaped male terminal, said electrical connection portion including a pair of opposing elastic plates for elastically pinching said male terminal therebetween;
• and
• a protective member engaged with said terminal body for covering said electrical connection portion of said terminal body, said protective member having a pair of sidewalls between which said elastic plates are arranged, and an opening formed at a front portion of said protective member;
• wherein each of said sidewalls of said protective member has a free end disposed adjacent to said opening and provided with a flattened front edge portion, and wherein respective front portions of said elastic plates are bent outwardly so as to be apart from each other, thereby providing terminal guide portions for facilitating insertion of said male terminal between said elastic plates;
• and
• wherein each of said flattened front edge portions is bent toward said opening and inside of said opening so that said leading ends of said elastic plates are encircled and covered by said flattened front edge portions, respectively.