JP7623243B2 - Female terminals, connectors, electric wires with terminals, electric wires with connectors, and wire harnesses - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to female terminals, connectors, electric wires with terminals, electric wires with connectors, and wire harnesses for electrical circuits through which large currents flow.

Conventionally, electrical equipment forms an electrical circuit by connecting an electric device and a power supply device with a wire harness. The wire harness and the electric device, as well as the wire harness and the power supply device, are connected to each other via connectors attached to each.

For example, the connector shown in Patent Document 1 has a female terminal housed in a connector housing. When the connector housings are mated, a male terminal is inserted into the female terminal, and the two are electrically connected. For this reason, it is important to press the arm spring of the female terminal against the male terminal to ensure a reliable contact.

JP 2009-245701 A

In the electrical circuits of the drive system of an automobile, large currents flow through them, so it is conceivable to weld the base and spring member to ensure good electrical conductivity. However, if the welding heat generated when welding the base and spring member is transmitted to the base of the arm spring, the base will soften and the pressing force of the arm spring will decrease, which could cause unstable contact with the male terminal. In other words, there is a risk of the electrical conductivity becoming unstable.

The object of this invention is to provide a female terminal, a connector, an electric wire with a terminal, an electric wire with a connector, and a wire harness that can prevent the welding heat generated when welding the base part and the spring member from being transmitted to the base part of the arm spring.

This invention is a female terminal characterized in that a terminal body is provided by a base portion connected to an electric wire and a spring member attached to the base portion, the base portion has a pair of side walls arranged at a predetermined distance apart so that a male terminal can be inserted, the spring member has a mounting plate provided along at least the inner surface of the side wall and an arm spring extending from the mounting plate toward the opposing side wall, the side wall and the mounting plate are welded to form a weld, and a heat transfer suppression portion is provided on the heat transfer path from the weld to the base portion of the arm spring.
In the present invention, heat transfer refers not only to heat transfer between a plurality of members but also to heat transfer within a single member, i.e., it is a concept that includes thermal conduction.

This invention also includes a connector having the female terminal and a connector housing that accommodates the female terminal, as well as a terminal-attached electric wire having the female terminal and the electric wire that is connected to the base portion of the female terminal.

Furthermore, this invention includes an electric wire with a connector that includes the electric wire with terminal and a connector housing that accommodates the electric wire with terminal, as well as a wire harness that includes at least one of the electric wire with terminal and the electric wire with connector.

According to this invention, it is possible to suppress the transmission of welding heat generated when welding the base portion and the spring member to the base portion of the arm spring.
More specifically, in the female terminal etc. according to the present invention, a heat transfer suppressing portion is provided on the heat transfer path from the welded portion to the base point of the arm spring. Therefore, the welding heat generated when welding the side wall and the along plate is transferred to the along plate provided along the inner surface of the side wall, and the transfer to the base point at the boundary between the along plate and the arm spring can be suppressed. In other words, the welding heat generated when welding the base portion and the spring member can be suppressed from being transferred to the base point of the arm spring.

As an aspect of the present invention, the heat transfer suppressing portion may be a gap portion formed between the side wall and the longitudinal plate.
In the present invention, the term "void portion" refers to a hollow portion filled with air, but is not limited to a sealed space.

According to this invention, since the thermal conductivity of air is extremely low compared to the thermal conductivity of the side wall, etc., it is possible to prevent the welding heat from being transmitted through the gap to the plate provided along the inner surface of the side wall, and thus to prevent the welding heat from being transmitted to the base point of the arm spring.

In another aspect of the present invention, a portion of the installation plate is installed along the tip surface of the side wall, the tip surface of the side wall and the installation plate are welded to form the welded portion, a chamfered portion is provided at a corner between the inner surface of the side wall and the tip surface, and the heat transfer suppression portion may be a gap portion formed between the chamfered portion and the installation plate.
In the present invention, the chamfered portion includes so-called C-chamfer and R-chamfer as well as all kinds of chamfer shapes and step shapes.

With this invention, a gap serving as a heat transfer suppression portion is formed between the chamfered portion and the installation plate. More specifically, a gap serving as a heat transfer suppression portion is formed between the chamfered portion provided on the side wall, the installation plate provided along the inner surface of the side wall, and the installation plate similarly provided along the tip surface of the side wall. This makes it possible to suppress the welding heat from being transferred across the gap to the installation plate provided along the inner surface of the side wall. This in turn makes it possible to suppress the welding heat from being transferred to the base portion of the arm spring.

In another aspect of the present invention, the along-the-insulation plate provided along the inner surface of the side wall has a bulge portion that bulges inward (toward the central axis of the base portion), and the heat transfer suppression portion may be a gap portion formed between the side wall and the bulge portion.
In the present invention, the bulging portion refers to a portion of a longitudinal plate provided along the inner surface of a side wall, which forms a cavity between the longitudinal plate and the inner surface of the side wall.

With this invention, a gap is formed between the side wall and the bulge, which is a heat transfer suppression portion. More specifically, a gap is formed between the inner surface of the side wall and the bulge in the installation plate provided along the inner surface of the side wall, which is a heat transfer suppression portion. This makes it possible to suppress the welding heat from being transferred across the gap to the installation plate provided along the inner surface of the side wall. This in turn makes it possible to suppress the welding heat from being transferred to the base portion of the arm spring.

As a further aspect of the present invention, the heat transfer suppressing portion may be a gap portion formed inside the side wall.
In the present invention, the void portion also means a hollow portion filled with air, but is not limited to being a sealed space.

According to this invention, since the thermal conductivity of air is extremely low compared to the thermal conductivity of the side wall, it is possible to prevent the welding heat from passing through the gap and being transmitted to the inside of the side wall, and further to the welding heat being transmitted to the plate provided along the inner surface of the side wall, and thus to prevent the welding heat from being transmitted to the base part of the arm spring.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a portion of the installation plate is installed along the tip surface of the side wall, the tip surface of the side wall and the installation plate are welded to form the welded portion, a groove portion is provided on the inner surface of the side wall on the side of the welded portion relative to the base point portion, and the heat transfer suppression portion may be a gap portion formed inside the side wall by the groove portion.

With this invention, the groove portion forms a gap portion inside the side wall, which is a heat transfer suppression portion. More specifically, by providing a concave groove from the inner surface of the side wall toward the outer side, a gap portion, which is a heat transfer suppression portion, is formed inside the side wall. This makes it possible to suppress the welding heat from passing through the gap portion and being transferred to the inside of the side wall, and furthermore, to suppress the welding heat from being transferred to the plate provided along the inner surface of the side wall. As a result, it is possible to suppress the welding heat from being transferred to the base portion of the arm spring.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a portion of the installation plate is installed along the tip surface of the side wall, the tip surface of the side wall and the installation plate are welded to form the welded portion, a groove portion is provided on the tip surface of the side wall on the inner side of the welded portion (toward the central axis of the base portion), and the heat transfer suppression portion may be a gap portion formed inside the side wall by the groove portion.

With this invention, the groove portion forms a gap portion inside the side wall, which is a heat transfer suppression portion. More specifically, by providing a concave groove from the tip surface of the side wall toward the bottom wall side, a gap portion, which is a heat transfer suppression portion, is formed inside the side wall. This makes it possible to suppress the welding heat from passing through the gap portion and being transmitted inside the side wall, and furthermore, to suppress the welding heat from being transmitted to the plate provided along the inner surface of the side wall. As a result, it is possible to suppress the welding heat from being transmitted to the base portion of the arm spring.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a portion of the installation plate is installed along the outer surface of the side wall, the outer surface of the side wall and the installation plate are welded to form the welded portion, a groove portion is provided on the inner surface of the side wall on the side of the welded portion relative to the base point portion, and the heat transfer suppression portion may be a gap portion formed inside the side wall by the groove portion.

With this invention, the groove portion forms a gap portion inside the side wall, which is a heat transfer suppression portion. More specifically, by providing a concave groove from the inner surface of the side wall toward the outer side, a gap portion, which is a heat transfer suppression portion, is formed inside the side wall. This makes it possible to suppress the welding heat from passing through the gap portion and being transferred to the inside of the side wall, and furthermore, to suppress the welding heat from being transferred to the plate provided along the inner surface of the side wall. As a result, it is possible to suppress the welding heat from being transferred to the base portion of the arm spring.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a portion of the installation plate is installed along the outer surface of the side wall, the outer surface of the side wall and the installation plate are welded to form the welded portion, a groove portion is provided on the tip surface of the side wall on the inner side of the welded portion (toward the central axis of the base portion), and the heat transfer suppression portion may be a gap portion formed inside the side wall by the groove portion.

With this invention, the groove portion forms a gap portion inside the side wall, which is a heat transfer suppression portion. More specifically, by providing a concave groove from the tip surface of the side wall toward the bottom wall side, a gap portion, which is a heat transfer suppression portion, is formed inside the side wall. This makes it possible to suppress the welding heat from passing through the gap portion and being transmitted inside the side wall, and furthermore, to suppress the welding heat from being transmitted to the plate provided along the inner surface of the side wall. As a result, it is possible to suppress the welding heat from being transmitted to the base portion of the arm spring.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the inner surface of the side wall and the installation plate are welded to form the welded portion, a groove portion is provided on the inner surface of the side wall on the side of the welded portion closer to the base point portion, and the heat transfer suppression portion may be a gap portion formed inside the side wall by the groove portion.

With this invention, the groove portion forms a gap portion inside the side wall, which is a heat transfer suppression portion. More specifically, by providing a concave groove from the inner surface of the side wall toward the outer side, a gap portion, which is a heat transfer suppression portion, is formed inside the side wall. This makes it possible to suppress the welding heat from passing through the gap portion and being transferred to the inside of the side wall, and furthermore, to suppress the welding heat from being transferred to the plate provided along the inner surface of the side wall. As a result, it is possible to suppress the welding heat from being transferred to the base portion of the arm spring.

As a further aspect of the present invention, a heat insulating member may be disposed in the gap.
In the present invention, the heat insulating member refers to a material that has a lower thermal conductivity than the side wall and is liquid or solid.

According to this invention, since the thermal conductivity of the heat shield is lower than that of the side wall and the thermal conductivity does not change due to convection like air, it is possible to reliably prevent the welding heat from passing through the gap and being transmitted to the inside of the side wall, and furthermore, it is possible to reliably prevent the welding heat from being transmitted to the installation plate provided along the inner surface of the side wall, and thus it is possible to reliably prevent the welding heat from being transmitted to the base part of the arm spring.

In another aspect of the present invention, the side walls may have a higher thermal conductivity than the longitudinal plates.

According to this invention, it is possible to specify the heat transfer path from the welded portion to the base point of the arm spring, and effectively suppress the transfer of the welding heat to the base point of the arm spring. In other words, the heat transfer path from the welded portion to the base point of the arm spring can be a path that transfers through the inside of the side wall, and then to the base point of the arm spring via the side plate provided along the inner surface of the side wall, and a path that transfers the welding heat along the side plate and directly to the base point of the arm spring. Since the thermal conductivity of the side wall is higher than that of the side plate, the former path can be specified. Therefore, by providing a heat transfer suppressing portion on the heat transfer path, it is possible to effectively suppress the transfer of the welding heat to the base point of the arm spring.

FIG. FIG. FIG. FIG. Front view of the female terminal. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 6. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 6 and a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a male terminal inserted inside a female terminal. FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a female terminal according to another embodiment. FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a female terminal according to another embodiment. FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a female terminal according to another embodiment. FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a female terminal according to another embodiment. FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a female terminal according to another embodiment. FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a female terminal according to another embodiment. FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a female terminal according to another embodiment. 10 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to the cross-sectional view taken along the line DD in FIG. 9 .

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
Fig. 1 is an overall perspective view showing a connector 1. In Fig. 1, a connector housing 4 that accommodates female terminals 10 is shown by dashed lines.

Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the female terminal 10. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the female terminal 10. Figure 4 is a side view of the female terminal 10, Figure 5 is a front view of the female terminal 10, and Figure 6 is a plan view of the female terminal 10. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in Figure 6, and Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B and C-C in Figure 6. Figure 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the female terminal 10, and Figure 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the female terminal 10 with a male terminal 5 inserted inside it.

As shown in FIG. 1, the connector 1 is attached to the tip of the electric wires 3 that make up the wire harness 2. The connector 1 has two female terminals 10 housed in parallel in the connector housing 4.

The wire harness 2 is composed of multiple electric wires 3 bundled together. The electric wires 3 are made up of a core wire 3a, which is an electric conductor, covered with an insulating coating 3b, and the core wire 3a exposed at the tip is connected to the base portion 20 of the female terminal 10.

The connector housing 4 has an electric wire insertion portion 41 through which the electric wire 3 is inserted, and a terminal accommodating portion 42 that accommodates the female terminal 10. The accommodating space 4S that accommodates the female terminal 10 has a roughly rectangular opening, and the protruding portion of the connector housing that accommodates the male terminal 5 (see FIG. 10) is fitted into this opening. At that time, the male terminal 5 is inserted inside the female terminal 10, and the terminals are electrically connected to each other.

As shown in Figures 2 to 10, the female terminal 10 is composed of an electric wire connection portion 11 and a terminal connection portion 12. The electric wire connection portion 11 and the terminal connection portion 12 are arranged in series on an extension line of the electric wire 3. In this application, this direction is described as the longitudinal direction L. Also, the direction parallel to the direction in which the male terminal 5 (see Figure 10) is inserted is described as the height direction H, and the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L and the height direction H is described as the width direction W.

The electric wire connection part 11 is provided with a connection plate 111 that is perpendicular to the width direction W. In addition, the upper end and the lower end of the connection plate 111 are bent to provide guide pieces 112. Each guide piece 112 has the role of suppressing the spread of the core wire 3a connected to the connection plate 111.

The terminal connection portion 12 is provided with a terminal body 13 that is electrically connected to the male terminal 5 (see FIG. 10). In the female terminal 10 according to this embodiment, the terminal body 13 is composed of a base portion 20 that is integrally formed with the electric wire connection portion 11, and a spring member 30 that is attached to the base portion 20. The base portion 20 and the spring member 30 will be described in detail below.

The base portion 20 has a pair of side walls 21 spaced apart at a predetermined distance so that the male terminal 5 can be inserted. More specifically, the base portion 20 has a pair of side walls 21 spaced apart at a predetermined distance, each of which is perpendicular to the width direction W. The base portion 20 also has a bottom wall 22 that connects the lower ends of each side wall 21. Therefore, the base portion 20 is generally U-shaped when viewed from the longitudinal direction L (see FIG. 4).

The side wall 21 on one side of the base portion 20 is formed by extending the connection plate 111 in the longitudinal direction L. The side wall 21 on the other side is formed by folding back the plate material (the base material of the base portion 20) to the side where the guide piece 112 is formed. Therefore, the base portion 20 has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the height direction H (see FIG. 6). In this way, the base portion 20 achieves a compact female terminal 10 by forming the side wall 21 on the other side on the side where the guide piece 112 is formed.

Furthermore, the upper guide piece 112 of the base part 20 is formed by bending the upper end of the connection plate 111, and a notch 11a is provided to prevent the side wall 21 from being distorted when the guide piece 112 is formed. Similarly, the lower guide piece 112 of the base part 20 is formed by bending the lower end of the connection plate 111, and a notch 11b is provided to prevent the side wall 21 from being distorted when the guide piece 112 is formed. Note that a part of the spring member 30 is exposed at the notch 11b, making it possible to remove the spring member 30 by pushing it from the lower side (see FIG. 5).

In addition, the base 20 is formed by cutting out and bending a conductive plate material such as a copper alloy or an aluminum alloy. The surface of the base 20 is not plated, but this is not a limitation. Therefore, the surface may be plated with silver plating or tin plating to improve conductivity. Alternatively, the surface may be partially plated. An example of a partially plated surface would be one where only the wire connection portion 11 or one where only the terminal connection portion 12 is plated. Alternatively, only the wire connection portion 11 or only the terminal connection portion 12 is plated.

The spring member 30 has an inner plate 31 that fits along the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21 when fitted between a pair of side walls 21. It also has an outer plate 32 that fits along the outer surface 21b of the side wall 21. It also has a flange plate 33 that connects the upper ends of the inner plate 31 and the outer plate 32. It also has a bottom plate 34 that connects the lower ends of each inner plate 31. Therefore, the spring member 30 is approximately M-shaped when viewed from the longitudinal direction L (see Figure 4).

In addition, the inner plate 31 on one side of the spring member 30 extends in the longitudinal direction L along the opening edge of the side wall 21, and six arm springs 35 extend from this inner plate 31 toward the opposing side wall 21 (see FIG. 7). These arm springs 35 all have the same shape, and specifically, when viewed from the longitudinal direction L, they extend diagonally downward so as to approach the opposing side wall 21, and are shaped such that a portion of them, including their tip edge, is folded back (see FIG. 8).

The arm spring 35 provided on one side of the inner plate 31 extends from the lower edge of the inner plate 31 along the opening edge of the side wall 21, and the boundary with the inner plate 31 is the base point Pb (see FIG. 8). In this female terminal 10, the base point Pb is always in contact with the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21. However, it may be structured so that it comes into contact with the deformation when the male terminal 5 is inserted inside the female terminal 10.

The inner plate 31 on the other side of the spring member 30 also extends in the longitudinal direction L along the opening edge of the side wall 21, and six arm springs 35 extend from this inner plate 31 toward the opposing side wall 21 (see FIG. 7). These arm springs 35 all have the same shape, and specifically, when viewed from the longitudinal direction L, they extend diagonally downward so as to approach the opposing side wall 21, and are partially folded back, including the tip edge (see FIG. 8).

The arm spring 35 provided on the other inner plate 31 also extends from the lower edge of the inner plate 31 along the opening edge of the side wall 21, and the boundary with the inner plate 31 is the base point Pb (see FIG. 8). In this female terminal 10, the base point Pb is always in contact with the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21. However, it may be structured so that it comes into contact with the deformation when the male terminal 5 is inserted inside the female terminal 10.

In addition, the spring member 30 has the flange plate 33 in surface contact with the tip surface 21c of the side wall 21. Then, welding is performed along the longitudinal direction L in the area of surface contact. Therefore, a linear welded portion Pw is formed on the flange plate 33 (see Figures 6 to 10). The welded portion Pw refers to a portion of the side wall 21 or the flange plate 33 that has melted and then cooled and solidified again.

In addition, in the female terminal 10 according to the present embodiment, a chamfered portion 23 is provided at the corner between the inner surface 21a and the tip surface 21c of the side wall 21. The chamfered portion 23 is a so-called C-chamfered portion, and therefore a triangular gap 23V is formed between the side wall 21 and the spring member 30. Specifically, the triangular gap 23V is formed between the inclined surface of the chamfered portion 23 and the inner plate 31 constituting the spring member 30 and the flange plate 33 constituting the spring member 30. Since the gap 23V has a lower thermal conductivity than the side wall 21, etc., a heat transfer suppressing portion 40 is provided on the heat transfer path T from the welded portion Pw to the base point Pb of the arm spring 35. With this configuration, the transfer of welding heat from the side wall 21 to the inner plate 31 can be suppressed.

To explain this in more detail, the intersection point Y between the inclined surface of the chamfered portion 23 and the tip surface 21c is located on the outer side of the intersection point X between the inner plate 31 and the flange plate 33, and the intersection point Z between the inclined surface of the chamfered portion 23 and the inner surface 21a is located on the lower side, forming a right-angled triangular gap 23V. The intersection point Y is located on the inner side (the central axis side of the base portion 20) of the welded portion Pw, and the intersection point Z is located above the base point Pb. In addition, it is preferable that the intersection point Z is located below the deepest point D of the welded portion Pw. With this configuration, the gap 23V functions sufficiently as the heat transfer suppression portion 40, and the transfer of welding heat from the side wall 21 to the inner plate 31 when welding the tip surface 21c of the side wall 21 and the flange plate 33 can be suppressed.

The reason why it is preferable that the intersection Z is located below the deepest point D of the welded portion Pw is that the transfer of the welding heat from the side wall 21 to the inner plate 31 during the formation of the welded portion Pw can be suppressed as much as possible. Furthermore, the reason why the intersection Z is located above the base point Pb is to ensure that the base point Pb abuts against the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21. As a result, the reaction force from the side wall 21 acts on the arm spring 35 via the base point Pb, making it possible to bring the contact portion Pc of the arm spring 35 into close contact with the side surface of the male terminal 5.

In the female terminal 10 according to this embodiment, the corner between the inner surface 21a and the tip surface 21c of the side wall 21 is configured to have a so-called C-chamfer. However, as shown in FIG. 11(a), a so-called R-chamfer may be provided. Or, as shown in FIG. 11(b), a step shape may be formed. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11(c), instead of providing a chamfered shape at the corner of the side wall 21, a bulge 36 that bulges inward (toward the central axis of the base portion 20) may be provided on the inner plate 31. These configurations also produce the same effect.

Next, a female terminal 10 according to another embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 12. In this female terminal 10, the tip surface 21c of the side wall 21 is welded to a flange plate 33 provided along the tip surface 21c to form a welded portion Pw.

Furthermore, in the female terminal 10 according to the present embodiment, a groove 37 is provided on the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21 above the base point Pb of the arm spring 35. The groove 37 forms a cavity inside the side wall 21, and therefore it can be said that a rectangular gap 23V is formed inside the side wall 21. Since the gap 23V has a lower thermal conductivity than the side wall 21, a heat transfer suppressing portion 40 is provided on the heat transfer path T from the welded portion Pw to the base point Pb of the arm spring 35. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress the transfer of welding heat toward the base point Pb of the arm spring 35.

To explain this in more detail, the groove portion 37 is a concave groove provided from the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21 toward the outside. It is preferable that the groove depth of the groove portion 37 exceeds the center line (line representing the penetration direction) C of the welded portion Pw. With this configuration, the gap portion 23V functions sufficiently as a heat transfer suppression portion 40, and the welding heat generated when welding the tip surface 21c of the side wall 21 and the flange plate 33 can be suppressed from being transferred toward the base point portion Pb of the arm spring 35.

The reason why it is preferable that the groove depth of the groove portion 37 exceeds the center line C of the welded portion Pw is that the welding heat generated when forming the welded portion Pw can be prevented from being transmitted to the base point portion Pb of the arm spring 35 as much as possible. Furthermore, the groove portion 37 is provided above the base point portion Pb of the arm spring 35 in order to ensure that the base point portion Pb abuts against the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21. As a result, the reaction force from the side wall 21 acts on the arm spring 35 via the base point portion Pb, making it possible to bring the contact portion Pc of the arm spring 35 into close contact with the side surface of the male terminal 5.

In the female terminal 10 according to the present embodiment, the welded portion Pw is formed by welding the tip surface 21c of the side wall 21 to the flange plate 33, and the groove portion 37 is provided on the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21 above the base point Pb of the arm spring 35. However, as shown in FIG. 13(a), the groove portion 37 may be provided on the tip surface 21c of the side wall 21. In such a configuration, the groove portion 37 needs to be provided on the inner side (the central axis side of the base portion 20) of the welded portion Pw. In addition, it is preferable that the groove depth of the groove portion 37 exceeds at least the deepest point D of the welded portion Pw from the tip surface 21c of the side wall 21. In any of the embodiments, it is possible to arrange a heat insulating member 50 inside the groove portion 37 as shown in FIG. 13(b). These configurations also have the same effect.

Next, a female terminal 10 according to another embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 14. In this female terminal 10, the outer surface 21b of the side wall 21 is welded to an outer plate 32 arranged along the outer surface 21b to form a welded portion Pw.

Furthermore, in the female terminal 10 according to the present embodiment, a groove 37 is provided on the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21 above the base point Pb of the arm spring 35. The groove 37 forms a cavity inside the side wall 21, and therefore it can be said that a rectangular gap 23V is formed inside the side wall 21. Since the gap 23V has a lower thermal conductivity than the side wall 21, a heat transfer suppressing portion 40 is provided on the heat transfer path T from the welded portion Pw to the base point Pb of the arm spring 35. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress the transfer of welding heat toward the base point Pb of the arm spring 35.

To explain this in more detail, the groove portion 37 is a concave groove provided from the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21 toward the outer side. It is preferable that the groove depth of the groove portion 37 exceeds at least the line Lv connecting the deepest point D of the welded portion Pw and the base point Pb from the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21. With this configuration, the gap portion 23V functions sufficiently as a heat transfer suppression portion 40, and the welding heat generated when welding the outer surface 21b of the side wall 21 and the outer plate 32 can be suppressed from being transferred toward the base point Pb of the arm spring 35.

The reason why it is preferable that the groove depth of the groove portion 37 exceeds the line Lv connecting the deepest point D of the welded portion Pw and the base point Pb is that the welding heat generated when forming the welded portion Pw can be prevented from being transmitted to the base point Pb of the arm spring 35 as much as possible. Furthermore, the groove portion 37 is provided above the base point Pb of the arm spring 35 in order to ensure that the base point Pb abuts against the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21. As a result, the reaction force from the side wall 21 acts on the arm spring 35 via the base point Pb, making it possible to bring the contact portion Pc of the arm spring 35 into close contact with the side surface of the male terminal 5.

In the female terminal 10 according to the present embodiment, the welded portion Pw is formed by welding the outer surface 21b of the side wall 21 to the outer plate 32, and the groove portion 37 is provided on the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21 above the base point Pb of the arm spring 35. However, as shown in FIG. 15(a), depending on the position where the welded portion Pw is formed, the groove portion 37 may be provided below the base point Pb of the arm spring 35. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 15(b), the groove portion 37 may be provided on the tip surface 21c of the side wall 21. Even in such a configuration, it is preferable that the groove depth exceeds at least the line connecting the deepest point D of the welded portion Pw and the base point Pb. In any of the embodiments, it is possible to arrange a heat insulating member 50 inside the groove portion 37 as shown in FIG. 15(c). These configurations also have the same effect.

Next, a female terminal 10 according to another embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 16. In this female terminal 10, the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21 is welded to an inner plate 31 provided along the inner surface 21a to form a welded portion Pw.

Furthermore, in the female terminal 10 according to the present embodiment, a groove 37 is provided on the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21 above the base point Pb of the arm spring 35. The groove 37 forms a cavity inside the side wall 21, and therefore it can be said that a rectangular gap 23V is formed inside the side wall 21. Since the gap 23V has a lower thermal conductivity than the side wall 21, a heat transfer suppressing portion 40 is provided on the heat transfer path T from the welded portion Pw to the base point Pb of the arm spring 35. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress the transfer of welding heat toward the base point Pb of the arm spring 35.

To explain this in more detail, the groove portion 37 is a concave groove provided from the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21 toward the outer side. It is preferable that the groove depth of the groove portion 37 is greater than at least the deepest point D of the welded portion Pw from the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21. With this configuration, the gap portion 23V functions sufficiently as a heat transfer suppression portion 40, and the welding heat generated when welding the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21 and the inner plate 31 can be suppressed from being transferred toward the base point Pb of the arm spring 35.

The reason why it is preferable that the groove depth of the groove portion 37 exceeds the deepest point D of the welded portion Pw is that the welding heat generated when forming the welded portion Pw can be prevented from being transmitted to the base point Pb of the arm spring 35 as much as possible. Furthermore, the groove portion 37 is provided above the base point Pb of the arm spring 35 in order to ensure that the base point Pb abuts against the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21. As a result, the reaction force from the side wall 21 acts on the arm spring 35 via the base point Pb, making it possible to bring the contact portion Pc of the arm spring 35 into close contact with the side surface of the male terminal 5.

In the female terminal 10 according to this embodiment, the welded portion Pw is formed by welding the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21 to the inner plate 31, and a groove portion 37 is provided on the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21 above the base point Pb of the arm spring 35. However, as shown in FIG. 17(a), depending on the position where the welded portion Pw is formed, the groove portion 37 may be provided below the base point Pb of the arm spring 35. In any of the embodiments, it is possible to arrange a heat shield 50 inside the groove portion 37, as shown in FIG. 17(b). These configurations also provide the same effect.

As described above, the female terminal 10 according to this embodiment includes a base portion 20 connected to the electric wire 3 and a spring member 30 attached to the base portion 20, which constitutes the terminal body 13. The base portion 20 has a pair of side walls 21 arranged at a predetermined interval so that the male terminal 5 can be inserted. The spring member 30 has an installation plate (inner plate 31) installed along at least the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21 and an arm spring 35 extending from the installation plate (inner plate 31) toward the opposing side wall 21. The side wall 21 and the installation plate (at least one of the inner plate 31, outer plate 32, and flange plate 33) are welded to form a welded portion Pw. The terminal body 13 is characterized in that a heat transfer suppressing portion 40 is provided on the heat transfer path T from the welded portion Pw to the base point Pb of the arm spring 35.

According to such a female terminal 10, it is possible to prevent the welding heat generated when welding the base portion 20 and the spring member 30 from being transmitted to the base portion Pb of the arm spring 35.
More specifically, in the female terminal 10 according to the present invention, a heat transfer suppressing portion 40 is provided on the heat transfer path T from the welded portion Pw to the base point Pb of the arm spring 35. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the welding heat generated when welding the side wall 21 and the adjacent plates (the inner plate 31, the outer plate 32, and the flange plate 33) from being transferred to the inner plate 31 provided along the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21 and being transferred to the base point Pb at the boundary between the inner plate 31 and the arm spring 35. In other words, it is possible to suppress the welding heat generated when welding the base portion 20 and the spring member 30 from being transferred to the base point Pb of the arm spring 35.

In addition, in the female terminal 10 according to one embodiment, the heat transfer suppression portion 40 is a gap portion 23V formed between the side wall 21 and the longitudinal plate (the inner plate 31 and the flange plate 33). The gap portion 23V is a hollow portion filled with air.

According to such a female terminal 10, since the thermal conductivity of air is extremely low compared to the thermal conductivity of the side wall 21, it is possible to prevent the welding heat from being transmitted beyond the gap 23V to the inner plate 31 provided along the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21. In turn, it is possible to prevent the welding heat from being transmitted to the base point Pb of the arm spring 35.

In addition, in this female terminal 10, a part of the installation plate (flange plate 33) is installed along the tip surface 21c of the side wall 21, the tip surface 21c of the side wall 21 and the installation plate (flange plate 33) are welded to form a welded portion Pw, a chamfered portion 23 is provided at the corner between the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21 and the tip surface 21c, and the heat transfer suppression portion 40 may be a gap portion 23V formed between the chamfered portion 23 and the installation plate (inner plate 31 and flange plate 33).

With this type of female terminal 10, a gap 23V, which is a heat transfer suppression portion 40, is formed between the chamfered portion 23 and the installation plate (the inner plate 31 and the flange plate 33). In more detail, a gap 23V, which is a heat transfer suppression portion 40, is formed between the chamfered portion 23 provided on the side wall 21, the inner plate 31 provided along the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21, and the flange plate 33 provided along the tip surface 21c of the side wall 21. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the welding heat from being transmitted beyond the gap 23V to the inner plate 31 provided along the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21. In addition, it is possible to suppress the welding heat from being transmitted to the base point portion Pb of the arm spring 35.

In addition, in this female terminal 10, a bulge 36 that bulges inward (toward the central axis of the base portion 20) is provided on a plate (inner plate 31) provided along the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21, and the heat transfer suppression portion 40 may be a gap portion 23V formed between the side wall 21 and the bulge 36.

With this type of female terminal 10, a gap 23V, which is a heat transfer suppression portion 40, is formed between the side wall 21 and the bulge 36. More specifically, a gap 23V, which is a heat transfer suppression portion 40, is formed between the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21 and the bulge 36 of the inner plate 31 provided along the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21. This prevents the welding heat from being transferred across the gap 23V to the inner plate 31 provided along the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21. This in turn prevents the welding heat from being transferred to the base point Pb of the arm spring 35.

In the female terminal 10 according to another embodiment, the heat transfer suppression portion 40 is a gap portion 23V formed inside the side wall 21. The gap portion 23V in this embodiment is also a hollow portion filled with air.

According to such a female terminal 10, since the thermal conductivity of air is extremely low compared to the thermal conductivity of the side wall 21, it is possible to suppress the welding heat from being transmitted through the gap 23V to the inside of the side wall 21, and further to suppress the welding heat from being transmitted to the inner plate 31 provided along the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21. As a result, it is possible to suppress the welding heat from being transmitted to the base point portion Pb of the arm spring 35.

In addition, in this female terminal 10, a portion of the installation plate (flange plate 33) is installed along the tip surface 21c of the side wall 21, and the tip surface 21c of the side wall 21 and the installation plate (flange plate 33) are welded to form a welded portion Pw, and a groove portion 37 is provided on the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21 on the welded portion Pw side of the base point portion Pb, and the heat transfer suppression portion 40 may be a gap portion 23V formed inside the side wall 21 by the groove portion 37.

With this type of female terminal 10, the groove 37 forms a gap 23V, which is a heat transfer suppression portion 40, inside the side wall 21. More specifically, a concave groove is provided from the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21 toward the outside, forming a gap 23V, which is a heat transfer suppression portion 40, inside the side wall 21. This prevents the welding heat from passing through the gap 23V and being transferred to the inside of the side wall 21, and also prevents the welding heat from being transferred to the inner plate 31 provided along the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21. This in turn prevents the welding heat from being transferred to the base point Pb of the arm spring 35.

In addition, in this female terminal 10, a portion of the installation plate (flange plate 33) is installed along the tip surface 21c of the side wall 21, and the tip surface 21c of the side wall 21 and the installation plate (flange plate 33) are welded to form a welded portion Pw, and a groove portion 37 is provided on the tip surface 21c of the side wall 21 on the inner side of the welded portion Pw (the central axis side of the base portion 20), and the heat transfer suppression portion 40 may be a gap portion 23V formed inside the side wall 21 by the groove portion 37.

With this type of female terminal 10, the groove 37 forms a gap 23V, which is a heat transfer suppression portion 40, inside the side wall 21. In particular, a concave groove is provided from the tip surface 21c of the side wall 21 toward the bottom wall side, forming a gap 23V, which is a heat transfer suppression portion 40, inside the side wall 21. This prevents the welding heat from passing through the gap 23V and being transferred to the inside of the side wall 21, and also prevents the welding heat from being transferred to the inner plate 31 provided along the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21. This in turn prevents the welding heat from being transferred to the base point Pb of the arm spring 35.

In addition, in such a female terminal 10, a part of the installation plate (outer plate 32) is installed along the outer surface 21b of the side wall 21, and the outer surface 21b of the side wall 21 and the installation plate (outer plate 32) are welded to form a welded portion Pw, and a groove portion 37 is provided on the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21 on the welded portion Pw side of the base point portion Pb, and the heat transfer suppression portion 40 may be a gap portion 23V formed inside the side wall 21 by the groove portion 37.

With this type of female terminal 10, the groove 37 forms a gap 23V, which is a heat transfer suppression portion 40, inside the side wall 21. More specifically, a concave groove is provided from the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21 toward the outside, forming a gap 23V, which is a heat transfer suppression portion 40, inside the side wall 21. This prevents the welding heat from passing through the gap 23V and being transferred to the inside of the side wall 21, and also prevents the welding heat from being transferred to the inner plate 31 provided along the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21. This in turn prevents the welding heat from being transferred to the base point Pb of the arm spring 35.

In addition, in this female terminal 10, a portion of the installation plate (outer plate 32) is installed along the outer surface 21b of the side wall 21, and the outer surface 21b of the side wall 21 and the installation plate (outer plate 32) are welded to form a welded portion Pw, and a groove portion 37 is provided on the tip surface 21c of the side wall 21 on the inner side of the welded portion Pw (toward the central axis of the base portion 20), and the heat transfer suppression portion 40 may be a gap portion 23V formed inside the side wall 21 by the groove portion 37.

With this type of female terminal 10, the groove 37 forms a gap 23V, which is a heat transfer suppression portion 40, inside the side wall 21. In particular, a concave groove is provided from the tip surface 21c of the side wall 21 toward the bottom wall side, forming a gap 23V, which is a heat transfer suppression portion 40, inside the side wall 21. This prevents the welding heat from passing through the gap 23V and being transferred to the inside of the side wall 21, and also prevents the welding heat from being transferred to the inner plate 31 provided along the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21. This in turn prevents the welding heat from being transferred to the base point Pb of the arm spring 35.

In addition, in such a female terminal 10, the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21 and the installation plate (inner plate 31) are welded to form a welded portion Pw, a groove portion 37 is provided on the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21 on the welded portion Pw side of the base point portion Pb, and the heat transfer suppression portion 40 may be a gap portion 23V formed inside the side wall 21 by the groove portion 37.

With this type of female terminal 10, the groove 37 forms a gap 23V, which is a heat transfer suppression portion 40, inside the side wall 21. More specifically, a concave groove is provided from the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21 toward the outside, forming a gap 23V, which is a heat transfer suppression portion 40, inside the side wall 21. This prevents the welding heat from passing through the gap 23V and being transferred to the inside of the side wall 21, and also prevents the welding heat from being transferred to the inner plate 31 provided along the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21. This in turn prevents the welding heat from being transferred to the base point Pb of the arm spring 35.

In addition, in such a female terminal 10, a heat shield 50 may be disposed in the gap 23V. The heat shield 50 is a solid having a lower thermal conductivity than the side wall 21. Specifically, it is assumed that the heat shield 50 is made of something like ceramics.

According to such a female terminal 10, since the thermal conductivity of the heat shield 50 is lower than that of the side wall 21 and the thermal conductivity does not change due to convection like air, it is possible to reliably prevent the welding heat from passing through the gap 23V and being transmitted to the inside of the side wall 21, and further to reliably prevent the welding heat from being transmitted to the inner plate 31 provided along the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent the welding heat from being transmitted to the base point Pb of the arm spring 35.

In the female terminal 10 according to each embodiment, the thermal conductivity of the side wall 21 is higher than that of the installation plates (the inner plate 31, the outer plate 32, and the flange plate 33). Specifically, by making the side wall 21 out of a copper alloy, the thermal conductivity ( 170 W/(m·k)) is higher than the thermal conductivity (16 W/(m·k)) of the installation plates (the inner plate 31, the outer plate 32, and the flange plate 33) which are stainless steel alloys.

According to such a female terminal 10, it is possible to identify the heat transfer path from the welded portion Pw to the base point Pb of the arm spring 35, and to effectively prevent the welding heat from being transferred to the base point Pb of the arm spring 35. In other words, the heat transfer path from the welded portion Pw to the base point Pb of the arm spring 35 can be considered to be a path that transfers inside the side wall 21, transfers to the inner plate 31 provided along the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21, and reaches the base point Pb of the arm spring 35, and a path that transfers the welding heat along the adjacent plate (for example, from the flange plate 33 to the inner plate 31) and directly reaches the base point Pb of the arm spring 35. Since the thermal conductivity of the side wall 21 is higher than that of the adjacent plates (the inner plate 31, the outer plate 32, and the flange plate 33), it is possible to identify the former path. Therefore, by providing the heat transfer suppressing portion 40 on such a heat transfer path, the transfer of the welding heat to the base portion Pb of the arm spring 35 can be effectively suppressed.

In the female terminal 10 according to each embodiment, the side wall 21 and the installation plate (the inner plate 31, the outer plate 32, and the flange plate 33) are welded using a fiber laser welding machine, but welding may be performed using an arc welding machine or the like. Welding may also be performed using a welding machine capable of ultrasonic welding, resistance welding, friction welding, or other types of welding. Furthermore, brazing and soldering, etc. are also included in the concept of welding.

In the configuration of the present invention and the above-mentioned embodiment, the connector of the present invention corresponds to the connector 1,
Similarly,
The wire harness corresponds to Wire Harness 2.
The wire corresponds to wire 3,
The connector housing corresponds to the connector housing 4,
The male terminal corresponds to the male terminal 5,
The female terminal corresponds to the female terminal 10,
The terminal body corresponds to the terminal body 13,
The base portion corresponds to the base portion 20,
The side wall corresponds to the side wall 21;
The inner surface corresponds to the inner surface 21a.
The outer surface corresponds to the outer surface 21b.
The tip surface corresponds to tip surface 21c,
The chamfered portion corresponds to the chamfered portion 23,
The gap corresponds to gap 23V,
The spring member corresponds to the spring member 30,
The contact plates correspond to the inner plate 31, the outer plate 32, and the flange plate 33.
The arm spring corresponds to the arm spring 35;
The bulge corresponds to the bulge 36,
The groove corresponds to the groove 37,
The heat transfer suppression portion corresponds to the heat transfer suppression portion 40,
The heat shield corresponds to the heat shield 50.
The base point corresponds to the base point Pb,
The weld corresponds to the weld Pw,
The heat transfer path corresponds to the heat transfer path T,
The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, and many other embodiments can be obtained.

For example, a female terminal 10 according to another embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 18. Figure 18(a) is a cross-sectional view corresponding to the cross-sectional view taken along the line D-D in Figure 9. Similarly, Figure 18(b) is a cross-sectional view corresponding to the cross-sectional view taken along the line D-D in Figure 9.

As shown in FIG. 18(a), the female terminal 10 according to one embodiment has a chamfered portion 23 formed only at a position corresponding to the arm spring 35 of the spring member 30, and the tip surface 21c of the side wall 21 and the flange plate 33 are welded only at the position corresponding to the chamfered portion 23 to form a welded portion Pw.

When configured in this manner, a gap 23V is formed as a heat transfer suppression portion 40 at a position corresponding to the arm spring 35. This makes it possible to suppress the welding heat from being transferred to the inner plate 31 provided along the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21. In turn, it is possible to suppress the welding heat from being transferred to the base point portion Pb of the arm spring 35. In this configuration, the effect is achieved even if the welded portion Pw is continuous.

As shown in FIG. 18(b), the female terminal 10 according to another embodiment has a chamfered portion 23 formed only at a position corresponding to the space between adjacent arm springs 35 of the spring member 30, and the tip surface 21c of the side wall 21 and the flange plate 33 are welded to form a welded portion Pw only at a position corresponding to the chamfered portion 23.

When configured in this manner, a gap 23V is formed as a heat transfer suppression portion 40 at a position corresponding to the space between adjacent arm springs 35. This makes it possible to suppress the transfer of welding heat to the inner plate 31 provided along the inner surface 21a of the side wall 21. In turn, it makes it possible to suppress the transfer of welding heat to the base portion Pb of the arm spring 35. In this configuration, the distance from the welding portion Pw to each arm spring 35 is longer, so a greater effect is achieved.

Finally, the invention of this application includes a connector 1 (see FIG. 1) equipped with the aforementioned female terminal 10 and a connector housing 4 that accommodates the female terminal 10, as well as a terminal-attached electric wire 6 (see FIG. 1) equipped with the aforementioned female terminal 10 and an electric wire 3 that is connected to the base portion 20 of the female terminal 10.

Furthermore, the invention of this application includes an electric wire with connector 7 (see FIG. 1) that includes the electric wire with terminal 6 and a connector housing 4 that accommodates the electric wire with terminal 6, as well as a wire harness 2 (see FIG. 1) that includes at least one of the electric wire with terminal 6 and the electric wire with connector 7.

These also provide the same effect as the female terminal 10 according to the present invention. That is, the welding heat generated when welding the base portion 20 and the spring member 30 can be prevented from being transmitted to the base portion Pb of the arm spring 35. In addition, the effects according to the embodiment of the female terminal 10 can be obtained.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...connector 2...wire harness 3...electric wire 4...connector housing 5...male terminal 6...electric wire with terminal 7...electric wire with connector 10...female terminal 13...terminal body 20...base portion 21...side wall 21a...inner surface 21b...outer surface 21c...tip surface 23...chamfered portion 23V...gap portion 30...spring member 31...inner plate 32...outer plate 33...flange plate 35...arm spring 36...bulge portion 37...groove portion 40...heat transfer suppressing portion 50...heat shield member Pb...base point portion Pw...welded portion T...heat transfer path

Claims (16)

A base portion to be connected to the electric wire;
A terminal body is provided by the spring member attached to the base portion,
The base portion has a pair of side walls arranged at a predetermined interval into which the male terminal can be inserted,
The spring member has at least an installation plate provided along an inner surface of the side wall and an arm spring extending from the installation plate toward the opposing side wall,
The side wall and the longitudinal plate are welded to form a welded portion,
A female terminal comprising a heat transfer suppressing portion provided on a heat transfer path from the welded portion to the base portion of the arm spring. The female terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer suppressing portion is a gap formed between the side wall and the longitudinal plate. A part of the installation plate is provided along the tip surface of the side wall,
The tip end surface of the side wall and the longitudinal plate are welded to form the welded portion,
A chamfer is provided at a corner between an inner surface of the side wall and a tip surface,
The female terminal according to claim 2 , wherein the heat transfer suppressing portion is a gap formed between the chamfered portion and the longitudinal plate. The side plate is provided along the inner surface of the side wall, and a bulging portion bulging inward is provided on the side plate,
4. The female terminal according to claim 2, wherein the heat transfer suppressing portion is a gap formed between the side wall and the bulging portion. The female terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer suppressing portion is a gap formed inside the side wall. A part of the installation plate is provided along the tip surface of the side wall,
The tip end surface of the side wall and the longitudinal plate are welded to form the welded portion,
A groove is provided on an inner surface of the side wall on the welded portion side of the base point portion,
The female terminal according to claim 5 , wherein the heat transfer suppressing portion is a gap portion formed inside the side wall by the groove portion. A part of the installation plate is provided along the tip surface of the side wall,
The tip end surface of the side wall and the longitudinal plate are welded to form the welded portion,
A groove is provided on a tip surface of the side wall on the inner side of the welded portion,
The female terminal according to claim 5 , wherein the heat transfer suppressing portion is a gap portion formed inside the side wall by the groove portion. A part of the installation plate is provided along an outer surface of the side wall,
The outer surface of the side wall and the longitudinal plate are welded to form the welded portion,
A groove is provided on an inner surface of the side wall on the welded portion side of the base point portion,
The female terminal according to claim 5 , wherein the heat transfer suppressing portion is a gap portion formed inside the side wall by the groove portion. A part of the installation plate is provided along an outer surface of the side wall,
The outer surface of the side wall and the longitudinal plate are welded to form the welded portion,
A groove is provided on a tip surface of the side wall on the inner side of the welded portion,
The female terminal according to claim 5 , wherein the heat transfer suppressing portion is a gap portion formed inside the side wall by the groove portion. The inner surface of the side wall and the longitudinal plate are welded to form the welded portion,
A groove is provided on an inner surface of the side wall on the welded portion side of the base point portion,
The female terminal according to claim 5 , wherein the heat transfer suppressing portion is a gap portion formed inside the side wall by the groove portion. The female terminal according to claim 2 , wherein a heat insulating member is disposed in the gap. 12. The female terminal according to claim 2, wherein the side wall has a thermal conductivity higher than that of the longitudinal plate. A female terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 12,
and a connector housing that receives the female terminal. A female terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 12,
and the electric wire connected to the base portion of the female terminal. An electric wire with a terminal according to claim 14;
and a connector housing that accommodates the electric wire with terminal. A wire harness comprising at least one of the electric wire with terminal according to claim 14 and the electric wire with connector according to claim 15.

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