Electric terminal

Claim 2

A terminal comprising: an electric wire connecting portion for connecting a wire; an electric contact portion including: a turnback elastic contact plate provided at a distal end of a base plate of the electric contact portion; a pair of side plates upwardly extending from the base plate; a pair of top plates bending inside, which are continuously coupled to the side plate, respectively, one top plate being superimposed on the other top plate; at least one swollen portion provided on at least one of the side plate and the one top plate, wherein the swollen portion includes a backing plate extending outwardly from the one top plate, and side backing plates extending inwardly from the side plates, respectively, and wherein the side backing plates include engagement holes, respectively; and a cap in the form of a square tube, the cap having a pair of side walls, an upper wall and a lower wall, the side walls having projections, respectively, corresponding to the engaging holes, the lower wall having a large cutout portion, the upper wall having a small cutout portion.

Claim 3

A terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein surfaces of the side walls, upper wall and the lower wall are flush with surfaces of the side plates, the other top plate and the base plate, respectively.

Claim 4

A terminal, comprising: an electric wire connecting portion for connecting a wire thereto; and an electric contact portion for mating with another terminal, said electric contact portion including: a base plate, a pair of side plates extending upwardly from said base plate, and a pair of top plates which respectively extend from said pair of side plates and which at least partially overlap one another such that one of said top plates is below the other of said top plates, said base plate, said side plates and said top plates combining to define a terminal receiving chamber therein with an opening at a forward-most end thereof, wherein said base plate includes an elastic contact portion extending into said chamber in a rearward direction thereof for resiliently engaging said another terminal, wherein said one top plate is bent upwardly in an area in which said top plates are not overlapped so as to be substantially flush with said other top plate and wherein a forward portion of said one top plate is bent in a U-shape to provide a curved portion which partially defines said opening to facilitate a smooth insertion of said another terminal, wherein the thickness of said forward portion of said one top plate is less than the thickness of the remaining portion of said one top plate.

Claim 5

A terminal, comprising: an electric wire connecting portion for connecting a wire thereto; and an electric contact portion for mating with another terminal, said electric contact portion including: a base plate, a pair of side plates extending upwardly from said base plate, and a pair of top plates which respectively extend from said pair of side plates and which at least partially overlap one another such that one of said top plates is below the other of said top plates, said base plate, said side plates and said top plates combining to define a terminal receiving chamber therein with an opening at a forward-most end thereof, wherein said base plate includes an elastic contact portion extending into said chamber in a rearward direction thereof for resiliently engaging said another terminal, wherein said one top plate is bent upwardly in an area in which said top plates are not overlapped so as to be substantially flush with said other top plate and wherein a forward portion of said one top plate is bent in a U-shape to provide a curved portion which partially defines said opening to facilitate a smooth insertion of said another terminal, wherein the thickness of said forward portion of said one top plate is less than the thickness of the remaining portion of said one top plate.

Claim 6

The terminal of claim 3, wherein the thickness of said forward portion of said one top plate is one-half the thickness of the remaining portion of said one top plate.

Claim 7

A terminal, comprising: an electric wire connecting portion for connecting a wire thereto; and an electric contact portion for mating with another terminal, said electric contact portion including: a base plate, a pair of side plates extending upwardly from said base plate, and a pair of top plates which respectively extend from said pair of side plates and which at least partially overlap one another such that one of said top plates is below the other of said top plates, said base plate, said side plates and said top plates combining to define a terminal receiving chamber therein with an opening at a forward-most end thereof, wherein said base plate includes an elastic contact portion extending into said chamber in a rearward direction thereof for resiliently engaging said another terminal, wherein a forward portion of said one top plate is bent in a U-shape to provide a curved portion which partially defines said opening to facilitate a smooth insertion of said another terminal, wherein the thickness of said forward portion of said one top plate is less than the thickness of the remaining portion of said one top plate.

Claim 8

A terminal, comprising: an electric wire connecting portion for connecting a wire thereto; and an electric contact portion for mating with another terminal, said electric contact portion including: a base plate, a pair of side plates extending upwardly from said base plate, and a pair of top plates which respectively extend from said pair of side plates and which at least partially overlap one another such that one of said top plates is below the other of said top plates, said base plate, said side plates and said top plates combining to define a terminal receiving chamber therein with an opening at a forward-most end thereof, wherein said base plate includes an elastic contact portion extending into said chamber in a rearward direction thereof for resiliently engaging said another terminal, wherein a forward portion of said one top plate is bent in a U-shape to provide a curved portion which partially defines said opening to facilitate a smooth insertion of said another terminal, wherein the thickness of said forward portion of said one top plate is less than the thickness of the remaining portion of said one top plate.

Claim 9

The terminal of claim 5, wherein the thickness of said forward portion of said one top plate is one-half the thickness of the remaining portion of said one top plate.

Claim 10

A terminal, comprising: an electric wire connecting portion for connecting a wire thereto; an electric contact portion for mating with another terminal, said electric contact portion including: a base plate, a pair of side plates extending upwardly from said base plate, and a pair of top plates which respectively extend from said pair of side plates and which at least partially overlap one another such that one of said top plates is below the other of said top plates, said base plate, said side plates and said top plates combining to define a terminal receiving chamber therein with an opening at a forward-most end thereof; and a cap for covering said opening, said cap having a through-hole through which said another terminal is insertable, edges of said cap defining said through-hole being curved to facilitate insertion of said another terminal.

Claim 11

A terminal, comprising: an electric wire connecting portion for connecting a wire thereto; an electric contact portion for mating with another terminal, said electric contact portion including: a base plate, a pair of side plates extending upwardly from said base plate, and a pair of top plates which respectively extend from said pair of side plates and which at least partially overlap one another such that one of said top plates is below the other of said top plates, said base plate, said side plates and said top plates combining to define a terminal receiving chamber therein with an opening at a forward-most end thereof; and a cap for covering said opening, said cap having a through-hole through which said another terminal is insertable, edges of said cap defining said through-hole being curved to facilitate insertion of said another terminal.

Claim 12

The terminal of claim 7, further comprising attaching means for attaching said cap to said electric contact portion.

Claim 13

The terminal of claim 8, wherein said attaching means includes projections extending from said cap which are engageable with openings in said side plates.

Claim 14

The terminal of claim 7, wherein the thickness of said cap is less that the thickness of said side plates and said top plates.

Claim 15

The terminal of claim 10, wherein the thickness of said cap is one-half the thickness of said side plates and said top plates.