US 7,351,122 B2Granted

Receptacle terminal

OwnerYoshifumi Suemitsu, Kazushige Sakamaki +3inventors

InventorsYoshifumi Suemitsu, Kazushige Sakamaki, Hiroshi Kobayashi, Masato Minakata, Atsushi Nishida

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Abstract

A receptacle terminal includes a contact section. The contact section includes a substantially L-shaped contact spring, a first protection member, and a second protection member. The contact spring includes a link arm and a contact arm. The link arm has a first edge and a second edge opposite the first edge. The first edge extends in a mating direction of a mating terminal. The contact arm extends along the first edge and has a tip end portion connected to the first edge. The first protection member has a first link arm protection member opposing the second edge. The second protection member has a second link arm protection member opposing the first edge. The receptacle terminal thereby ensures protection of the contact spring and necessary contact pressure between the receptacle terminal and a mating terminal while having a small external size.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A contact section for a receptacle terminal, comprising:

a substantially L-shaped contact spring including a link arm and a contact arm, the link arm having a first edge and a second edge opposite the first edge, the first edge extending in a mating direction of a mating terminal, the contact arm extending along the first edge and having a tip end portion connected to the first edge, the contact arm including a contact member for contacting the mating terminal;
a first protection member having a first link arm protection member positioned next to and opposing the second edge, the second edge engaging the first link arm protection member when the link arm is displaced toward the first protection member to restrict movement thereof;
a second protection member having a second link arm protection member positioned next to and opposing the first edge, the first edge engaging the second link arm protection member when the link arm is displaced toward the second protection member to restrict movement thereof;
and
the link arm, the first protection member, and the second protection member defining an external surface of the contact section, the contact arm being disposed inside the external surface of the contact section and enclosed thereby.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.