The perpendicular fitting female terminal according to the present invention comprises a tubular body having two first walls facing in a height direction and opposing to each other and two second walls facing in a width direction and opposing to each other, and extending in a depth direction, and a connecting part being aligned with the body in the depth direction and being integrally provided with the body, and being able to be connected to a conductor including electric wire. The two second walls of this perpendicular fitting female terminal are provided respectively with receiving holes penetrating, and inside the body is provided a leaf spring that undergoes elastic deformation in the height direction, and when a plug is accepted through any receiving hole, the leaf spring is pressed by the plug to undergo elastic deformation in the height direction.

A female spring contact for a female wire harness terminal of the type used in automotive wire harness connectors. The female spring contact has a deflectable spring ramp adapted to be deflected downwardly under an initial insertion force by an inserted male terminal. The female spring contact includes a secondary spring arm formed from a cantilevered portion of the ramp and located below the spring ramp to be responsive to a final stage of spring ramp deflection corresponding to the completion or near-completion of male terminal insertion to increase the final spring force exerted by the spring ramp on the inserted terminal. The initial insertion force required by the inserted terminal remains unaffected by the secondary spring arm, and in one embodiment is actually reduced by the structure of the secondary spring arm. In another embodiment the secondary spring arm is adapted to be forced upwardly through an aperture in the spring ramp to provide an additional electrical contact against the inserted terminal near the end of terminal insertion.

A spring contact for a female wire harness terminal, the spring contact having a sacrificial ramp which a mating terminal wipes on insertion. The sacrificial ramp includes an aperture below which a failsafe contact connected to a spring portion of the ramp rests until the mating terminal nears full insertion, at which point the spring portion forces the failsafe contact upwardly through the aperture into electrical engagement with the mated terminal. The ramp bears the brunt of the sacrificial wiping; the failsafe contact remains out of wiping contact with the mating terminal until a point at or near the end of terminal insertion, thereby preserving the mating conductive portions of the failsafe leg and the mating terminal from sacrificial wear. This protected, end-of-insertion failsafe connection allows the female spring contact to maintain good electrical connection with the mating terminal over many cycles in high cycle applications.