Electrical contact terminal and method of making same

Abstract

An electrical contact terminal which includes a terminal portion (1); an insertion portion (2); and a press-fit portion (4) provided between the terminal portion and the insertion portion and having a pair of abutment portions (5, 6) and a bridge portion (7) between the abutment portions to form an S-shaped cross section, the bridge portion having a pair of expanded portions (11, 12) connected to the abutment portions with a pair of tie portions (8, 10) and interconnected with a central tie portion (9), with the tie portions each being defined by a recess (13, 15) and a concave surface (14, 16) and the central tie portion being defined by the recesses, the tie portions having substantially the same cross sections having equal yielding deformations, the abutment portions, the expanded portions, and the central tie portion being made symmetrical about a center O of the bridge portion, a distance L between the abutment portions and a distance L' between the expanded portions when the press-fit portion is not press fitted in a through hole being made greater than and smaller than a diameter D of the through hole, respectively, and the abutment portions having an abutment surface (5a, 6a) with a radius of curvature which is equal to that of the through hole 20.