Patent Grant
10720736
The present application claims priority to and incorporates by reference the entire contents of Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-243325 filed in Japan on Dec. 20, 2017.
The present invention relates to a connector and an electric wire with the connector.
Conventional connectors include terminal fittings and an insulating housing that accommodates the terminal fittings. The housing is fitted into a casing of a mating connector, thereby electrically connecting the terminal fittings to mating terminal fittings of the mating connector. This kind of connector is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2017-004863, for example. To suppress intrusion of noise to terminal fittings and electric wires, the connector disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2017-004863 has the following structure: a plurality of terminal fittings are covered with one shield shell together with a housing, and electric wires for the respective terminal fittings are bundled and covered with one braid.
To provide a connector as a shield connector, it is necessary to secure a desired insulation distance (a clearance and a creepage distance) between a conductive electrical connection part (a part, such as a terminal fitting, for electrical connection to a mating component) and a shield member (conductive member for noise reduction, such as a shield shell).
The present invention aims to provide a connector and an electric wire with the connector that can secure a desired insulation distance between an electrical connection part and a shield member.
A connector according to one aspect of the present invention includes a terminal fitting including an electrical connecting part that is electrically connected to a mating terminal of a mating connector and an electric wire connecting part that is electrically connected to a terminal of an electric wire; an insulating housing that accommodates the electrical connecting part in an inward accommodation space and causes the electric wire connecting part to protrude outward; and a conductive shield shell that accommodates a space from the housing to the terminal of the electric wire inward and covers the space from outside, wherein the shield shell includes a main shield that covers the housing from outside and a tubular sub-shield that covers the electric wire connecting part and the terminal of the electric wire from outside and is provided for each of the terminal fitting, and an insulating tubular member that covers the electric wire connecting part and the terminal of the electric wire from outside is provided inward in the sub-shield.
According to another aspect of the present invention, in the connector, it is preferable that the housing has an insertion hole through which the terminal fitting is inserted into the accommodation space from a distal end on a side of the electrical connecting part together with a first end of the tubular member in a first tube axial direction of the tubular member.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, in the connector, it is preferable that the housing includes a first housing member that has a tubular shape with an opening at at least one end in a second tube axial direction and that accommodates the electrical connecting part in the inward accommodation space and a second housing member that is accommodated in the accommodation space along the second tube axial direction from the opening of the first housing member, an outer peripheral wall of the first housing member has the insertion hole, and the second housing member has a terminal housing chamber that accommodates the electrical connecting part in the accommodation space, a terminal holding part that holds a held part of the terminal fitting so as to prevent the electrical connecting part from coming off the terminal housing chamber, and a locking part that locks a locked part provided at the first end of the tubular member in the first tube axial direction of the tubular member to prevent a movement of the tubular member with respect to the housing in the first tube axial direction of the tubular member.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, in the connector, it is preferable that a second shield member that is electrically connected to the shield shell serving as a first shield member is provided for each of the terminal fitting, and the second shield member has a tubular shape so as to cover, from outside, an end of the sub-shield on a side of an opening and the electric wire led out from the opening of the sub-shield.
An electric wire with a connector according to still another aspect of the present invention includes an electric wire; a terminal fitting including an electrical connecting part that is electrically connected to a mating terminal of a mating connector and an electric wire connecting part that is electrically connected to a terminal of the electric wire; an insulating housing that accommodates the electrical connecting part in an inward accommodation space and causes the electric wire connecting part to protrude outward; and a conductive shield shell that accommodates a space from the housing to the terminal of the electric wire inward and covers the space from outside, wherein the shield shell includes a main shield that covers the housing from outside and a tubular sub-shield that covers the electric wire connecting part and the terminal of the electric wire from outside and is provided for each of the terminal fitting, and an insulating tubular member that covers the electric wire connecting part and the terminal of the electric wire from outside is provided inward in the sub-shield.
The above and other objects, features, advantages and technical and industrial significance of this invention will be better understood by reading the following detailed description of presently preferred embodiments of the invention, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.
Exemplary embodiments of a connector and an electric wire with the connector according to the present invention are described below in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments are not intended to limit the present invention.
One of the embodiments of the connector and the electric wire with the connector according to the present invention is described with reference to
A reference numeral 1 in
The connector 1 and a mating connector 101 (
The connection objects indicate a power supply circuit, such as an inverter, and an electrical apparatus, such as a rotator, for example. The connector 1, for example, is electrically connected to an electrical apparatus (not illustrated) via the wire We. By contrast, the mating connector 101 is attached to a casing 201 of a power supply circuit 200 (
The connector 1 according to the present embodiment is inserted and fitted into the mating connector 101, thereby being electrically connected to the mating connector 101. The connector 1 is extracted from the mating connector 101, thereby cutting electrical connection between the connector 1 and the mating connector 101. The insertion and fitting direction is referred to as a “connector insertion direction”, and the extraction direction is referred to as a “connector extraction direction”. Both of the directions are referred to as a “connector insertion and extraction direction” when they are not particularly specified. These directions indicate the directions of the connector 1 with respect to the mating connector 101 when the connector 1 is the subject of description and indicate the directions of the mating connector 101 with respect the connector 1 when the mating connector 101 is the subject of description.
The connector 1 according to the present embodiment may be a female connector including a female terminal or a male connector including a male terminal as long as it has the structure described below in greater detail. In the example described below, the connector 1 is a male connector, and the mating connector 101 is a female connector.
The connector 1 according to the present embodiment includes terminal fittings 10 and a casing 20 (
The terminal fitting 10 according to the present embodiment is made of a conductive material, such as a metal (e.g., copper, copper alloy, aluminum, and aluminum alloy) and has a male shape. In this example, a conductive metal plate is prepared as a base material and formed into the male-shaped terminal fitting 10 by press working, such as cutting and bending. The terminal fitting 10 includes an electrical connecting part 11 and an electric wire connecting part 12 (
The electrical connecting part 11 in this example has a male shape. The electrical connecting part 11 has a plate shape having two flat wall surfaces (a first wall surface 11a and a second wall surface 11b) (
The electric wire connecting part 12 in this example is physically and electrically connected to the terminal of the electric wire We. The electric wire connecting part 12 may be crimped to the terminal of the electric wire We by swaging or fixed thereto by welding, for example. The electric wire connecting part 12 in this example is crimped to the terminal of the electric wire We.
In the terminal fitting 10 in this example, the electrical connecting part 11 has a first end 11c and a second end 11d disposed facing each other. The first end 11c serves as the distal end, and the electric wire connecting part 12 is disposed at the second end 11d (
The terminal fitting 10 in this example has a virtual axis P (
Specifically, the electrical connecting part 11 extends in a direction extending along the virtual axis P (hereinafter, simply referred to as an “axial direction”). In the electrical connecting part 11, one end in the axial direction corresponds to the first end 11c, and the other end in the axial direction corresponds to the second end 11d (
The connector 1 according to the present embodiment includes the terminal fittings 10 corresponding to the number of poles, for example. In this example, two terminal fittings 10 are provided (
The following describes the casing 20 according to the present embodiment.
The casing 20 according to the present embodiment includes a housing 20A that accommodates the terminal fittings 10 (
The following describes the housing 20A.
The housing 20A is made of an insulating material, such as a synthetic resin. The housing 20A accommodates the electrical connecting part 11 in an accommodation space 33, which will be described later, and causes the electric wire connecting parts 12 to protrude outward. The housing 20A according to the present embodiment mainly includes a first housing member 30 and a second housing member 40 (
The first housing member 30 has a tubular shape opened at at least one end in the tube axial direction. The first housing member 30 has a tube-like outer peripheral wall 31 (
The end of the outer peripheral wall 31 on the opening 32 side serves as a fitting part (connector fitting part) 31a fitted with a connector fitting part 153e, which will be described later, of the mating connector 101 (
The outer peripheral wall 31 has insertion holes 34 through which the terminal fitting 10 is inserted into the accommodation space 33 from the distal end of the electrical connecting part 11 (
The insertion holes 34 are formed for the respective terminal fittings 10. The outer peripheral wall 31 in this example has two insertion holes 34 (
The first housing member 30 in this example includes a guide part 35 that guides insertion of the terminal fitting 10 into the accommodation space 33 through the insertion hole 34 (
The guide part 35 in this example includes two protrusions 35a protruding in the tube axial direction of the outer peripheral wall 31 from the wall surface 36a and extending in the terminal insertion direction (
The guide part 35 in this example also has a guide wall surface 35c that guides the first end 11c of the electrical connecting part 11 inserted from the insertion hole 34 to the guide groove 35b (
The second housing member 40 has a polyhedral shape corresponding to the shape of the accommodation space 33 of the first housing member 30 (
The second housing member 40 has terminal housing chambers 41 that each accommodate the electrical connecting part 11 in the accommodation space 33 (
The terminal housing chamber 41 accommodates the first electrical connecting part 121 and the second electrical connecting part 122 and two contact members 130, which will be described later, of the mating terminal 110 when fitting (hereinafter, referred to as “connector fitting”) of the connector 1 and the mating connector 101 is finished. In the terminal housing chamber 41, the respective contact members 130 are brought into contact with the first wall surface 11a and the second wall surface 11b of the electrical connecting part 11, thereby physically and electrically connecting therebetween. The second housing member 40 has terminal insertion ports 43 through which the mating terminal 110 is inserted into the terminal housing chamber 41 (
The second housing member 40 has communication chambers 44 that each cause the terminal housing chamber 41 to communicate with the terminal insertion port 43 in the tube axial direction of the outer peripheral wall 31 (
The second housing member 40 has contact prevention parts 45 that each stop fingers of an operator and other persons to prevent the fingers from coming into contact with the electrical connecting part 11 through the terminal insertion port 43 (
The contact prevention part 45 in this example has a plate shape having two flat wall surfaces. The contact prevention part 45 is formed in the communication chamber 44 with the two wall surfaces extending along the tube axial direction of the outer peripheral wall 31. The contact prevention part 45 in this example has a rectangular plate shape. The contact prevention part 45 is disposed in a manner dividing the communication chamber 44 into two chambers in the direction orthogonal to the first wall surface 11a and the second wall surface 11b of the electrical connecting part 11. In other words, the communication chamber 44 is divided into a first division communication chamber 44a and a second division communication chamber 44b by the contact prevention part 45 in the orthogonal direction (
In this example, a combination of the first electrical connecting part 121, which is one of a pair, and one of the contact members 130 and a first housing 151, which will be described later, are inserted into the first division communication chamber 44a from the first division insertion port 43a and then inserted into the terminal housing chamber 41. In the terminal housing chamber 41, one of the contact members 130 comes into contact with the first wall surface 11a of the electrical connecting part 11, thereby electrically connecting the electrical connecting part 11 to the first electrical connecting part 121. In this example, a combination of the second electrical connecting part 122, which is the other of the pair, and the other of the contact members 130 and a second housing 152, which will be described later, are inserted into the second division communication chamber 44b from the second division insertion port 43b and then inserted into the terminal housing chamber 41. In the terminal housing chamber 41, the other of the contact members 130 comes into contact with the second wall surface 11b of the electrical connecting part 11, thereby electrically connecting the electrical connecting part 11 to the second electrical connecting part 122. In the second housing member 40, the first division insertion port 43a, the second division insertion port 43b, the first division communication chamber 44a, the second division communication chamber 44b, and the contact prevention part 45 are formed and disposed such that the insertion described above can be carried out.
The second housing member 40 has terminal holding parts 46 that each hold the held part 13 (
Specifically, the held part 13 in this example has a T-shape protruding along the virtual axis P from the distal end (first end 11c) of the electrical connecting part 11. The held part 13 has a T-shaped first wall surface 13a (
In the held part 13 in this example, both parts with respect to the virtual axis P have the same shape in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction and the direction orthogonal to the first wall surface 13a and the second wall surface 13b. Consequently, both of the grooves 13e of the held part 13 can be used as the inserted part. If the first end surface 11e of the terminal fitting 10 is disposed facing the terminal insertion port 43 in the terminal housing chamber 41, for example, one of the two grooves 13e is used as the inserted part. By contrast, if the second end surface 11f of the terminal fitting 10 is disposed facing the terminal insertion port 43 in the terminal housing chamber 41, the other of the two grooves 13e is used as the inserted part.
The terminal holding part 46 is inserted into the groove 13e of the held part 13 when the second housing member 40 is accommodated in the accommodation space 33. In this example, a wall 41b defining the terminal housing chamber 41 has cutout-like grooves 41b1 cut out along the tube axial direction of the outer peripheral wall 31 (
In the held part 13, the intersection part 13d is disposed outer than the outer peripheral surface of the second housing member 40 when the remaining portion of the wall 41b is inserted into the groove 13e (
The guide part 35 can suppress looseness of the electrical connecting part 11 between the protrusions 35a. One of the first end surface 11e and the second end surface 11f of the electrical connecting part 11 is disposed facing the groove bottom 35b1 of the guide groove 35b when the second housing member 40 is accommodated in the accommodation space 33. The other of the first end surface 11e and the second end surface 11f is disposed facing an end surface 45a (end surface on the opposite side of the terminal insertion port 43 side) of the contact prevention part 45 (
The second housing member 40 has the combinations of the terminal housing chamber 41, the cutout 42, the terminal insertion port 43, the communication chamber 44, the contact prevention part 45, and the terminal holding part 46 for the respective terminal fittings 10. The combinations are disposed such that the respective terminal fittings 10 are accommodated with their axial directions and their terminal insertion directions to the accommodation space 33 extending in the same direction. In this example, two combinations are provided. One of the combinations is formed and disposed such that the electrical connecting part 11 of the terminal fitting 10 is accommodated in the terminal housing chamber 41 with the first end surface 11e disposed facing the terminal insertion port 43 (that is, with the first wall surface 11a and the second wall surface 11b extending along the tube axial direction of the outer peripheral wall 31). The electrical connecting part 11 is inserted into the terminal housing chamber 41 from the first end surface 11e side. The other of the combinations is formed and disposed such that the electrical connecting part 11 of the terminal fitting 10 is accommodated in the terminal housing chamber 41 with the second end surface 11f disposed facing the terminal insertion port 43 (that is, with the first wall surface 11a and the second wall surface 11b extending along the tube axial direction of the outer peripheral wall 31). The electrical connecting part 11 is inserted into the terminal housing chamber 41 from the second end surface 11fside.
The following describes the shield shell 20B.
The shield shell 20B is a first shield member that suppresses intrusion of noise from outside to the components from the housing 20A to which the first housing member 30 and the second housing member 40 are attached to the terminal of the electric wire We. The shield shell 20B accommodates the components and covers them from outside. The shield shell 20B is made of a conductive material, such as a metal. The shield shell 20B includes a main shield 51 and sub-shields 52 (
The main shield 51 has a tubular outer peripheral wall 51a the first end of which is opened and the second end of which is closed (
The outer peripheral wall 51a has through holes 51a1 each disposed facing the insertion hole 34 when the first housing member 30 is accommodated in the accommodation space 51c (
The sub-shields 52 are provided for the respective terminal fittings 10. In this example, two sub-shields 52 are provided. The sub-shield 52 has a tubular shape opened at both ends. The sub-shield 52 in this example has a cylindrical shape. In the shield shell 20B, the sub-shield 52 protrudes outside the main shield 51 from the periphery of the through hole 51a1 of the main shield 51. The sub-shield 52 in this example protrudes with its tube axial direction extending along the terminal insertion direction. In the sub-shield 52, the terminal fitting 10 is inserted into an accommodation space 52b from an opening 52a at the free end (
The shield shell 20B has a coupler 53 that couples the two sub-shields 52 disposed side by side (
An annular seal member Se2 is coaxially attached to the terminal of the electric wire We (
The holding member 20C has a tubular outer peripheral wall (an outer peripheral wall 62, which will be described later) into which the end of the sub-shield 52 on the opening 52a side is fitted. The holding member 20C is a tubular member that enables leading out the electric wire We extending in the accommodation space 52b of the sub-shield 52 to the outside. The holding member 20C is made of a conductive material, such as a metal. The holding members 20C are provided for the respective terminal fittings 10. In this example, two holding members 20C are provided.
The holding member 20C in this example has a cylindrical inner peripheral wall 61 and a cylindrical outer peripheral wall 62 disposed coaxially with a space interposed therebetween in the radial direction (
The sub-shield 52 and the holding member 20C are kept fitted with each other by a lock mechanism L (
The first engaging body 55 protrudes outward in the radial direction from the outer peripheral surface of the sub-shield 52 at the end on the opening 52a side. The first engaging body 55 in this example has a claw shape that can catch the second engaging body 65.
By contrast, the second engaging body 65 is formed by removing part of the outer peripheral wall 62 of the holding member 20C in the circumferential direction. The second engaging body 65 in this example has a base 65a protruding outward in the radial direction from the outer peripheral surface of the inner peripheral wall 61 on the same plane as that of the ring-shaped wall 64 (
In the lock mechanism L, by starting to insert and fit the holding member 20C into the end of the sub-shield 52 on the opening 52a side, the engagement part 65d goes up onto the first engaging body 55 while bending the second engaging body 65. When fitting of the sub-shield 52 with the holding member 20C is finished, the engagement part 65d of the second engaging body 65 climbs over the first engaging body 55 in the lock mechanism L, thereby eliminating bending of the second engaging body 65. As a result, the first engaging body 55 and the engagement part 65d of the second engaging body 65 can be locked in the tube axial direction of the outer peripheral wall 62 to prevent the holding member 20C from coming off the sub-shield 52.
The sub-shield 52 has a locking body on the outer peripheral surface at the end on the opening 52a side. The locking body is a protrusion protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the sub-shield 52 at the end on the opening 52a side. A plurality of locking bodies are preferably provided on the outer peripheral surface. The holding member 20C has a gap into which the locking body is inserted on the outer peripheral wall 62. In the lock mechanism L, the locking body is inserted into the gap when the holding member 20C is fitted into the end of the sub-shield 52 on the opening 52a side and engagement of the first engaging body 55 and the second engaging body 65 is finished. In this example, two locking bodies (a first locking body 56A and a second locking body 56B) are provided on the sub-shield 52, and two gaps (a first gap 66A and a second gap 66B) are formed on the holding member 20C (
Specifically, the first locking body 56A and the second locking body 56B in this example protrude outward in the radial direction from the outer peripheral surface of the sub-shield 52 at the end on the opening 52a side and extend in the tube axial direction of the sub-shield 52. The first locking body 56A and the second locking body 56B have a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The first locking body 56A and the second locking body 56B are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the sub-shield 52 at the end on the opening 52a side in a manner sandwiching the first engaging body 55 in the circumferential direction of the sub-shield 52. By contrast, the outer peripheral wall 62 has a first end 62a and a second end 62b defined by the first gap 66A and the second gap 66B (
The first locking body 56A and the first gap 66A are formed and disposed as follows: when the first locking body 56A is inserted into the first gap 66A, a first end and a second end of the first locking body 56A in the circumferential direction are disposed between the first end 62a of the outer peripheral wall 62 and the first flexible shaft 65b with the first end facing the first end 62a and the second end facing the first flexible shaft 65b in the circumferential direction. The first locking body 56A and the first gap 66A are formed and disposed so as to suppress relative rotation between the sub-shield 52 and the holding member 20C in the circumferential direction. The first locking body 56A and the first gap 66A, for example, are formed and disposed so as to minimize the distance between the first end of the first locking body 56A in the circumferential direction and the first end 62a of the outer peripheral wall 62 and the distance between the second end of the first locking body 56A in the circumferential direction and the first flexible shaft 65b within the range that enables insertion of the first locking body 56A into the first gap 66A. With this structure, the first locking body 56A is locked in the circumferential direction by the first end 62a of the outer peripheral wall 62 or the first flexible shaft 65b when the sub-shield 52 and the holding member 20C start to relatively rotate in the circumferential direction. Consequently, the first locking body 56A and the first gap 66A can suppress relative rotation of the sub-shield 52 and the holding member 20C in the circumferential direction.
Similarly, the second locking body 56B and the second gap 66B are formed and disposed as follows: when the second locking body 56B is inserted into the second gap 66B, a first end and a second end of the second locking body 56B in the circumferential direction are disposed between the second end 62b of the outer peripheral wall 62 and the second flexible shaft 65c with the first end facing the second end 62b and the second end facing the second flexible shaft 65c in the circumferential direction. The second locking body 56B and the second gap 66B are formed and disposed so as to suppress relative rotation between the sub-shield 52 and the holding member 20C in the circumferential direction. The second locking body 56B and the second gap 66B, for example, are formed and disposed so as to minimize the distance between the first end of the second locking body 56B in the circumferential direction and the second end 62b of the outer peripheral wall 62 and the distance between the second end of the second locking body 56B in the circumferential direction and the second flexible shaft 65c within the range that enables insertion of the second locking body 56B into the second gap 66B. With this structure, the second locking body 56B is locked in the circumferential direction by the second end 62b of the outer peripheral wall 62 or the second flexible shaft 65c when the sub-shield 52 and the holding member 20C start to relatively rotate in the circumferential direction. Consequently, the second locking body 56B and the second gap 66B can suppress relative rotation of the sub-shield 52 and the holding member 20C in the circumferential direction.
Besides the shield shell 20B serving as the first shield member, the connector 1 also includes second shield members 71 electrically connected to the shield shell 20B (
The second shield member 71 is fixed to the sub-shield 52 with a binding member (a binding band 75) made of a conductive material, such as a metal (
The binding band 75 is wounded at a position facing an end surface 62c of the outer peripheral wall 62 of the holding member 20C on the opening 63a side and end surfaces 56a of the first locking body 56A and the second locking body 56B on the main shield 51 side in the tube axial direction of the sub-shield 52 (
In the connector 1, the sub-shields 52 of the shield shell 20B are provided for the respective terminal fittings 10. The second shield members 71 are coupled to the respective sub-shields 52, thereby covering the respective electric wires We. With this structure, the connector 1 enables leading out the electric wires We from the respective sub-shield 52 while maintaining their flexibility compared with a case where bundled electric wires We are covered with one braid. Consequently, the connector 1 can have higher flexibility in arrangement of the electric wires We. In addition, the connector 1 can suppress thermal interference between the electric wires We because the electric wires We need not be bundled. As a result, the electric wires We can have a smaller diameter. Consequently, the connector 1 can have still higher flexibility in arrangement of the electric wires We.
In the connector 1, the electric wire connecting part 12 of the terminal fitting 10 protrudes from the insulating housing 20A and is covered with the conductive sub-shield 52 as described above. In the connector 1, an insulator is provided between the conductive electric wire connecting part 12 and the sub-shield 52 to increase the insulation distance (the clearance and the creepage distance) therebetween. The connector 1 includes an insulating tubular member (hereinafter, referred to as an “insulating tube”) 80 that covers the electric wire connecting part 12 and the terminal of the electric wire We from outside (
The insulating tube 80 is made of an insulating material, such as a synthetic resin. The insulating tube 80 in this example has a tube 81 having a rectangular tube shape that accommodates the electric wire connecting part 12 and the terminal of the electric wire We (
The insulating tube 80 in this example includes a locking claw 82 at the first end in its tube axial direction (
In the connector 1, a locked part 83 (
In the connector 1, the second shield member 71 is covered with a sheath member CB from outside (
In the connector 1, the first housing member 30 is accommodated in the accommodation space 51c of the main shield 51, and the terminal fittings 10 attached to the respective terminals of the electric wires We and inserted into the insulating tubes 80 are accommodated in the accommodation space 33 of the first housing member 30 from their distal ends. In the connector 1, the second housing member 40 is inserted into the accommodation space 33 while maintaining the state described above. In the connector 1, the first housing member 30, the second housing member 40, and the shield shell 20B are screwed to maintain the fixed state of the parts described above. The main shield 51 in this example has a female screw part N having the axial direction extending along its tube axial direction, for example (
The connector 1 is inserted and fitted into the mating connector 101 and electrically connected thereto as described above. The following describes the mating connector 101.
The mating connector 101 includes the mating terminals 110 electrically connected to the respective terminal fittings 10 (
The mating terminal 110 itself may serve as a contact part. In this case, a terminal fitting (hereinafter, referred to as a “mating terminal fitting”) 120 itself serves as the mating terminal 110. Alternatively, the mating terminal 110 may include a contact member 130 attached to the mating terminal fitting 120.
The mating terminal fitting 120 is made of a conductive material, such as a metal (e.g., copper, copper alloy, aluminum, and aluminum alloy) and has a female shape. In this example, a conductive metal plate is prepared as a base material and formed into the female-shaped mating terminal fitting 120 by press working, such as cutting and bending.
The mating terminal fitting 120 includes a first electrical connecting part 121 and a second electrical connecting part 122 disposed facing each other with a space interposed therebetween (
In the mating terminal fitting 120, the electrical connecting part 11 is inserted between first ends 121b and 122b (
To use the mating terminal fitting 120 itself as a contact point with the electrical connecting part 11, the mating terminal fitting 120 has contact parts (not illustrated) on the first electrical connecting part 121 and the second electrical connecting part 122. In this case, the first electrical connecting part 121 has a swelling part swelling toward the facing wall surface 122a of the second electrical connecting part 122 from the facing wall surface 121a of the first end 121b as the contact part. The second electrical connecting part 122 has a swelling part swelling toward the facing wall surface 121a of the first electrical connecting part 121 from the facing wall surface 122a of the first end 122b as the contact part. The contact parts each have a spherical surface serving as a contact point, for example, and are disposed facing each other with a space interposed therebetween in a direction orthogonal to the facing wall surfaces 121a and 122a. The space between the contact parts is set smaller than the thickness of the electrical connecting part 11. The electrical connecting part 11 is inserted between the first electrical connecting part 121 and the second electrical connecting part 122, thereby bringing the contact parts into contact with the first wall surface 11a and the second wall surface 11b of the electrical connecting part 11. As a result, the first electrical connecting part 121 and the second electrical connecting part 122 are physically and electrically connected to the electrical connecting part 11 in the terminal housing chamber 41 of the second housing member 40 of the casing 20.
In the mating terminal fitting 120, the first electrical connecting part 121 and the second electrical connecting part 122 are coupled with a coupling part 123 (
The mating terminal fitting 120 has a fixed part 124 fixed to a casing 140, which will be described later (
In a case where the contact members 130 are provided, the respective contact members 130 are attached to the first electrical connecting part 121 and the second electrical connecting part 122. The present embodiment describes this case.
Different contact members 130 may be used for the first electrical connecting part 121 and the second electrical connecting part 122. Alternatively, the same contact members 130 may be used in common for the first electrical connecting part 121 and the second electrical connecting part 122. In this example, the same contact member 130 can be shared by the first electrical connecting part 121 and the second electrical connecting part 122.
The contact members 130 are attached to the first ends 121b and 122b of the first electrical connecting part 121 and the second electrical connecting part 122, respectively, thereby being physically and electrically connected to the first electrical connecting part 121 and the second electrical connecting part 122. In other words, the mating terminal 110 includes a combination of the first electrical connecting part 121, which is one of a pair, and one of the contact members 130 in contact with each other and a combination of the second electrical connecting part 122, which is the other of the pair, and the other of the contact members 130 in contact with each other. With this structure, the contact members 130 can be brought into contact with the first wall surface 11a or the second wall surface 11b of the electrical connecting part 11 inserted between the first ends 121b and 122b of the first electrical connecting part 121 and the second electrical connecting part 122, respectively. Consequently, the contact members 130 can electrically connect the electrical connecting part 11 to the first electrical connecting part 121 and the second electrical connecting part 122.
The contact member 130 is made of a conductive material, such as a metal (e.g., copper, copper alloy, aluminum, and aluminum alloy) and has elasticity. In this example, a conductive metal plate is prepared as a base material and formed into the contact member 130 by press working, such as cutting and bending.
The contact member 130 is formed such that the first electrical connecting part 121 and the second electrical connecting part 122 can be inserted thereinto. The contact member 130 has an annular or tubular shape. The contact member 130 in this example, for example, has two annular parts 131 and four coupling parts 132 (
The contact member 130 has at least one contact part 133 protruding outward with respect to the annular parts 131 and having elasticity between the annular parts 131 (
In the mating connector 101, the first electrical connecting part 121 and the second electrical connecting part 122 are inserted into the respective contact members 130 such that the virtual planes are disposed in parallel facing each other with a space interposed therebetween. As a result, the contact parts 133 in the contact members 130 are disposed facing each other in the direction orthogonal to the facing wall surfaces 121a and 122a of the first electrical connecting part 121 and the second electrical connecting part 122, respectively. The space between the virtual planes is set smaller than the thickness of the electrical connecting part 11. The electrical connecting part 11 is inserted between the contact members 130, thereby bringing the contact parts 133 into contact with the first wall surface 11a and the second wall surface 11b of the electrical connecting part 11. As a result, the first electrical connecting part 121 and the second electrical connecting part 122 are physically and electrically connected to the electrical connecting part 11 via the contact members 130 in the terminal housing chamber 41 of the second housing member 40 of the casing 20.
In a case where the contact members 130 are provided, the first electrical connecting part 121 and the second electrical connecting part 122 may have or do not necessarily have the contact parts (swelling parts) described above. If the first electrical connecting part 121 and the second electrical connecting part 122 have the contact parts (swelling parts), the same mating terminal fitting 120 can be shared by the mating connector 101 with or without the contact members 130. In this example, neither the first electrical connecting part 121 nor the second electrical connecting part 122 has the contact parts (swelling parts).
The mating connector 101 includes the casing 140 that accommodates the mating terminals 110 (
The housing member 150 is made of an insulating material, such as a synthetic resin. The housing member 150 includes a first housing 151 and a second housing 152 (
The housing member 150 includes a tube 153 having its tube axial direction extending along the connector insertion and extraction direction and opened at both ends in the tube axial direction (
The housing member 150 has, outside the tube 153, a flange 154 attached to the casing 201 of the power supply circuit 200 (
In the tube 153, the part disposed in the connector insertion direction with respect to the flange 154 (that is, the part protruding from the casing 201) serves as the fitting part (connector fitting part) 153e fitted with the connector fitting part 31a in the casing 20 of the connector 1 (
The holding member 160 is made of an insulating material, such as a synthetic resin. The holding member 160 is fitted with the fitting part 153f at the second end opening 153b of the tube 153 to cover the insertion ports 153c for the mating terminals 110. The fitting part 153f is inserted and fitted into the holding member 160. The holding member 160 serves as a fitting part fitted with the casing 201 in the mating connector 101. An annular seal member Se12 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the holding member 160 (
The mating connector 101 has the structure described above.
As described above, the connector 1 is inserted and fitted into the mating connector 101, thereby being electrically connected to the mating connector 101 (
The connector 1 in this example uses the coupler 53 of the shield shell 20B as a holder to fix the shield shell 20B to the casing 201. The shield shell 20B in this example has the coupler 53 between the two sub-shields 52 and is fixed to the casing 201 with the coupler 53.
The coupler 53, for example, has the through hole 54 through which a screw part B0a of a male screw member B0 (
The connector 1 according to the present embodiment includes the insulating tube 80 that covers the electric wire connecting part 12 and the terminal of the electric wire We from outside in the sub-shield 52. Consequently, the connector 1 can secure a desired insulation distance between the electric wire connecting part 12 and the sub-shield 52.
In the conventional connector, the electric wire connecting part and the terminal of the electric wire are also accommodated in the insulating housing, and the housing is covered with the shield shell. In other words, in the conventional connector, a tube corresponding to the insulating tube 80 according to the present embodiment is integrated with the first housing member 30, and the housing including the first housing member 30 is covered with the main shield 51 of the shield shell 20B. With this structure, the housing of the conventional connector has a larger size, and the shield shell that covers the housing also has a larger size, whereby the whole connector has a larger size. By contrast, in the connector 1 according to the present embodiment, the first housing member 30 and the insulating tube 80 are provided as different parts. With this structure, the housing 20A and the main shield 51 can be downsized, whereby the whole connector 1 can be downsized. In the connector 1, the second housing member 40 has a function of suppressing positional deviation of the insulating tube 80. Consequently, the connector 1 according to the present embodiment can be downsized and implement a function of preventing contact of fingers with the electrical connecting part 11, a function of preventing coming-off of the electrical connecting part 11 from the terminal housing chamber 41, and a function of suppressing positional deviation of the insulating tube 80.
Instead of the insulating tube 80, the connector 1 can increase the insulation distance between the electric wire connecting part 12 and the sub-shield 52 with an insulating tape or a heat-shrinkable tube like in the conventional technique. However, the position and the shape of the wounded insulating tape vary unless the position and the number of winding around the electric wire connecting part 12 or the like are strictly controlled. Similarly, the position and the shape of the shrunk heat-shrinkable tube vary unless the position where the tube is shrunk or the like is strictly controlled. As described above, it is difficult for the insulating tape and the heat-shrinkable tube to secure a stable quality. By contrast, the insulating tube 80 can be produced by die machining, cutting, or other processing and suppress positional deviation with respect to the housing 20A. The use of the insulating tube 80 can reduce variations in the position and the shape after being attached. Consequently, the connector 1 according to the present embodiment can secure a more stable quality than in the conventional technique.
Furthermore, the connector 1 according to the present embodiment can be extracted from the mating connector 101 by releasing the screwed state between the male screw member B0 and the female screw part N0. By extracting the connector 1 from the mating connector 101, the terminal insertion port 43 for the mating terminal 110 is exposed. The connector 1 includes the contact prevention part 45 to prevent fingers of an operator and other persons from reaching the electrical connecting part 11 of the terminal fitting 10 through the terminal insertion port 43. Consequently, the connector 1 can prevent contact of fingers with the electrical connecting part 11. In the connector 1, the plate-like contact prevention part 45 having two flat wall surfaces is formed in the communication chamber 44 with the two wall surfaces extending along the tube axial direction of the outer peripheral wall 31. With this structure, the contact prevention part 45 has high rigidity in the tube axial direction and is hard to significantly deform when receiving a load from fingers in the tube axial direction. Consequently, the connector 1 can increase the advantageous effect of preventing contact of fingers with the electrical connecting part 11. To use the connector 1 in a higher-current system, the terminal fitting 10 and the mating terminal 110 need to have a larger size. As a result, the casing 20 has a larger size, whereby the terminal insertion port 43 is expanded. Even in this case, the connector 1 according to the present embodiment can prevent contact of fingers with the electrical connecting part 11.
In the connector 1, the second housing member 40 has a function of preventing contact of fingers with the electrical connecting part 11 by the contact prevention part 45 and a function of preventing coming-off of the electrical connecting part 11 from the terminal housing chamber 41 by the terminal holding part 46. As a result, the connector 1 according to the present embodiment does not require any dedicated parts for the functions described above and requires a smaller number of parts. Consequently, the connector 1 can implement the function of preventing contact of fingers with the electrical connecting part 11 and the function of preventing coming-off of the electrical connecting part 11 from the terminal housing chamber 41 at a lower cost.
The connector 1 according to the present embodiment includes the combinations of the terminal fitting 10, the electric wire We, the terminal housing chamber 41, the cutout 42, the terminal insertion port 43, the communication chamber 44, the contact prevention part 45, the terminal holding part 46, the sub-shield 52, the holding member 20C, the second shield member 71, and the insulating tube 80 corresponding to the number of poles. In other words, the connector 1 simply requires the combinations corresponding to the number of poles. Consequently, the connector 1 can be designed corresponding to a larger number of poles in a simpler manner.
The various advantageous effects described above can be similarly provided by the electric wire WH with the connector including the connector 1.
A connector and an electric wire with the connector according to the present embodiments include an insulating tube that covers an electric wire connecting part and a terminal of the electric wire from outside in a sub-shield. Consequently, the connector and the electric wire with the connector can secure a desired insulation distance between the electric wire connecting part and the sub-shield.
Although the invention has been described with respect to specific embodiments for a complete and clear disclosure, the appended claims are not to be thus limited but are to be construed as embodying all modifications and alternative constructions that may occur to one skilled in the art that fairly fall within the basic teaching herein set forth.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-243325 | Dec 2017 | JP | national |
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| 2017-004863 | Jan 2017 | JP |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20190190211 A1 | Jun 2019 | US |
