A technique disclosed in this specification relates to a connector structure formed by connecting a connector to a shielded cable.
Conventionally, a connector structure is known from Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2018-505528. This connector structure includes a shielded cable in which a core, an insulation coating, a shield portion and a sheath are laminated from inside to outside, an inner conductor to be connected to the core, an insulating dielectric for surrounding the outer periphery of the inner conductor and an outer conductor for surrounding a coated wire and the dielectric. The coated wire exposed from a sheath of the coated wire and the shield portion is electromagnetically shielded by being surrounded by the outer conductor.
In the above connector structure, a part of the outer conductor corresponding to the coated wire exposed from the shield portion is drawn inwardly in a radial direction of the outer conductor. In this way, a difference between a distance between the coated wire and the shield portion and a distance between the coated wire and the outer conductor can be reduced, wherefore a change of a characteristic impedance of the coated wire is suppressed.
However, according to the above technique, since the outer conductor is drawn, a processing distortion occurs in the outer conductor. If this processing distortion becomes excessively large, troubles such as the formation of cracks in the outer conductor may occur.
The setting of a long front-rear length of a part of the outer conductor to be drawn in order to suppress the processing distortion of the outer conductor is not preferable since the connector structure is enlarged.
The technique disclosed in this specification was completed on the basis of the above situation and aims to provide a connector structure having a change of a characteristic impedance suppressed while suppressing enlargement.
The technique disclosed in this specification is directed to a connector structure with a shielded cable configured such that an outer periphery of a coated wire including a core and an insulation coating surrounding an outer periphery of the core is surrounded by a shield portion, an inner conductor including a core connecting portion to be connected to the core and a connecting portion continuous with the core connecting portion and to be connected to a mating terminal, an insulating dielectric for surrounding at least an outer periphery of the connecting portion of the inner conductor, and an outer conductor including a shield connecting portion to be electrically connected to the shield portion, the outer conductor surrounding at least the coated wire exposed from the shield portion, a part of the outer conductor corresponding to the coated wire exposed from the shield portion being formed with a projecting portion by causing a part of an inner surface of the outer conductor to project from other parts radially inwardly of the outer conductor and an outer surface of the outer conductor being not depressed radially inwardly of the outer conductor.
According to the above configuration, the inner surface of the outer conductor can be brought closer to the coated wire without drawing the outer conductor. In this way, a change of a characteristic impedance of the coated wire can be suppressed without enlarging the outer conductor.
The following modes are preferable as embodiments of the technique disclosed in this specification.
The connector structure of claim 1, wherein the projecting portion projects from an end edge of the outer conductor and is formed by being folded to overlap on the inner surface of the outer conductor.
According to the above configuration, since the inner surface of the tube portion can be brought closer to the coated wire by a simple processing method of folding the projecting portion, the manufacturing cost of the connector structure can be reduced.
The outer conductor includes a rear outer conductor having a shield connecting portion to be crimped to the shield portion from outside, a dielectric crimping portion to be crimped to at least a part of the dielectric from outside and a rear tube portion for surrounding the coated wire between the shield connecting portion and the dielectric crimping portion, and a front outer conductor having a front tube portion for surrounding the dielectric and a rear outer conductor crimping portion to be crimped to the dielectric crimping portion from outside, and the rear tube portion is formed with the projecting portion.
According to the above configuration, since the rear and front outer conductors can be connected without being heated, the occurrence of troubles in the dielectric due to heat can be suppressed.
The outer conductor includes a front outer conductor having a front tube portion for surrounding the dielectric and a dielectric locking portion to be locked to at least a part of the dielectric, and a rear outer conductor having a shield connecting portion to be crimped to the shield portion from outside, a front outer conductor crimping portion to be crimped to at least the dielectric locking portion from outside and a rear tube portion for surrounding the coated wire between the shield connecting portion and the front outer conductor crimping portion, and the rear tube portion is formed with the projecting portion.
According to the above configuration, since the rear and front outer conductors can be connected without being heated, the occurrence of troubles in the dielectric due to heat can be suppressed.
According to the technique disclosed in this specification, a change of a characteristic impedance can be suppressed for a connector structure without enlarging an outer conductor.
A first embodiment of the technique disclosed in this specification is described with reference to
[Shielded Cable 11]
As shown in
An end processing such stripping is applied to an end of the shielded cable 11 to expose an end of each of the cores 16, the insulation coatings 17 and the braided wire 14.
[Female Connector 12]
The female connector 12 includes the female terminals 18 (example of the inner conductor), the insulating dielectric 19 for surrounding the outer peripheries of the female terminals 18 and an outer conductor 20 for surrounding the outer periphery of the dielectric 19. The outer conductor 20 includes the rear outer conductor 33 and the front outer conductor 34 electrically connected to a front end part of the rear outer conductor 33.
[Female Terminals 18]
As shown in
The connecting tube portion 23 is formed with a plurality of slits extending rearward from a front end part of the connecting tube portion 23, thereby providing a plurality of resilient contact pieces 24 extending in a front-rear direction. The plurality of resilient contact pieces 24 are reduced in diameter toward a front side and formed to be resiliently deformable in a radial direction of the connecting tube portion 23. By inserting the mating terminal into the connecting tube portion 23, the mating terminal and the resilient contact pieces 24 resiliently contact, whereby the mating terminal and the female terminal 18 are electrically connected.
[Braided Wire 14]
The braided wire 14 is formed by braiding a plurality of metal thin wires into a tube. A part of the braided wire 14 exposed from the end of the sheath 15 is folded toward an end of the sheath 15 and overlapped on the outside of a sleeve 27 described below.
[Sleeve 27]
The annular sleeve 27 is externally fit to the outside of the end of the sheath 15. As described above, the braided wire 14 is overlapped on the outside of the sleeve 27. The sleeve 27 according to this embodiment is formed into a substantially annular shape by crimping an elongated metal plate material to wind around the outer periphery of the sheath 15.
[Dielectric 19]
As shown in
The dielectric 19 is formed with a plurality of (two in this embodiment) cavities 32 which are arranged side by side in the lateral direction and open in the front-rear direction and into which the connecting tube portions 23 of the female terminals 18 are respectively accommodated. The mating terminal is inserted through a front opening of the cavity 32. The wire barrel 22 is drawn out rearward as described above through a rear opening of the cavity 32.
A flange 28 projecting radially outwardly of the dielectric 19 is formed on substantially one-third part of the dielectric 19 from the rear end part in the front-rear direction.
[Rear Outer Conductor 33]
As shown in
The rear outer conductor 33 is crimped to the outer periphery of the braided wire 14 and crimped to the dielectric 19 at the position near the rear end part of the dielectric 19 from outside with both left and right side edges butted against each other. The dielectric crimping portion 37 is crimped to a part of the dielectric 19 behind the flange 28. A front end part of the dielectric crimping portion 37 comes into contact with the flange 28 from behind, whereby the rear outer conductor 33 and the dielectric 19 can be positioned in the front-rear direction.
An outer diameter of the shield connecting portion 35 is set to be larger than that of the dielectric crimping portion 37 with the rear outer conductor 33 crimped to the outer periphery of the braided wire 14 and crimped to the dielectric 19 at the position near the rear end part of the dielectric 19. The rear tube portion 36 located between the shield connecting portion 35 and the dielectric crimping portion 37 is formed into a shape reduced in diameter toward the front side.
The rear tube portion 36 is formed with projecting portions 40 projecting inward in a radial direction of the rear tube portion 36 from the inner wall of the rear tube portion 36 at a position corresponding to the coated wires 13 exposed forward from the braided wire 14. The projecting portions 40 are facing at least parts of the coated wires 13 exposed from the braided wire 14. The projecting portions 40 may be facing the entire parts of the coated wires 13 exposed from the braided wire 14.
As shown in
[Front Outer Conductor 34]
As shown in
[Manufacturing Process of Female Connector Structure 10]
Next, an example of a manufacturing process of the female connector structure 10 according to this embodiment is described. Note that the manufacturing process of the female connector structure 10 is not limited to the following one.
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
A step of crimping the shield connecting portion 35 to the braided wire 14 and a step of crimping the dielectric crimping portion 37 to the dielectric 19 may be performed in the same step. Further, the step of crimping the shield connecting portion 35 to the braided wire 14 and the step of crimping the dielectric crimping portion 37 to the dielectric 19 may be separately performed. For example, the dielectric crimping portion 37 may be crimped to the dielectric 19 after the shield connecting portion 35 is first crimped to the braided wire 14 or the shield connecting portion 35 may be crimped to the braided wire 14 after the dielectric crimping portion 37 is first crimped to the dielectric 19.
The front outer conductor 34 is formed into a tubular shape. As shown in
[Functions and Effects of First Embodiment]
Next, functions and effects of this embodiment are described. According to this embodiment, the female connector structure 10 is provided with the shielded cable 11 configured such that the outer peripheries of the coated wires 13 each including the core 16 and the insulation coating 17 surrounding the outer periphery of the core 16 are surrounded by the braided wire 14, the female terminals 18 each including the wire barrel 22 to be connected to the core 16 and the connecting tube portion 23 continuous with the wire barrel 22 and to be connected to the mating terminal, the insulating dielectric 19 for surrounding at least the outer peripheries of the connecting tube portions 23 of the female terminals 18, and the outer conductor 20 for surrounding at least the coated wires 13 exposed from the braided wire 14, a part of the outer conductor 20 corresponding to the coated wires 13 exposed from the braided wire 14 being formed with the projecting portions 40 by causing a part of the inner surface of the outer conductor 20 to project from other parts radially inwardly of the outer conductor 40 and the outer surface of the outer conductor 20 being not depressed radially inwardly of the outer conductor 20.
According to the above configuration, the inner surface of the outer conductor 20 can be brought closer to the coated wires 13 without drawing the outer conductor 20. In this way, changes of characteristic impedances of the coated wires 13 can be suppressed without enlarging the outer conductor 20.
Further, according to this embodiment, the projecting portions 40 project from the end edges of the outer conductor 20 and are formed by being folded to overlap on the inner surface of the outer conductor 20 in a connector structure of claim 1.
According to the above configuration, since the inner surface of the outer conductor 20 can be brought closer to the coated wires 13 by a simple processing method of folding the projecting portions 40 projecting from the end edges of the outer conductor 20, the manufacturing cost of the female connector structure 10 can be reduced.
Further, according to this embodiment, the outer conductor 20 includes the rear outer conductor 33 having the shield connecting portion 35 to be crimped to the braided wire 14 from outside, the dielectric crimping portion 37 to be crimped to at least a part of the dielectric 19 from outside and the rear tube portion 36 for surrounding the coated wires 13 between the shield connecting portion 35 and the dielectric crimping portion 37, and the front outer conductor 34 having the front tube portion 38 for surrounding the dielectric 19 and the rear outer conductor crimping portion 39 to be crimped to the dielectric crimping portion 37 from outside, and the rear tube portion 36 is formed with the projecting portions 40.
According to the above configuration, since the rear and front outer conductors 33, 34 may not be welded, the rear and front outer conductors 33, 34 can be connected without being heated. As a result, the occurrence of troubles in the dielectric 19 due to heat can be suppressed.
Next, a second embodiment in which the technique disclosed in this specification is applied to a female connector structure 50 is described with reference to
A rear outer conductor 33 according to this embodiment includes a front outer conductor crimping portion 52 connected in front of a rear tube portion 36 and to be crimped to the dielectric locking portion 51 locked at a position near a rear end part of the dielectric 19 from outside. The rear tube portion 36 is formed with projecting portions 40.
The rear outer conductor 33 is crimped to the outer periphery of the braided wire 14 and crimped to the dielectric locking portion 51 at the position near the rear end part of the dielectric locking portion 51 from outside with both left and right side edges butted against each other. The front outer conductor crimping portion 52 is crimped to the part of the dielectric 19 behind the flange 28 from outside. The front outer conductor crimping portion 52 is crimped to the dielectric locking portion 51 from outside, whereby the front outer conductor crimping portion 52 and the dielectric locking portion 51 are fixed to the dielectric 19 and the front and rear outer conductors 34, 33 are electrically connected.
An outer diameter of a shield connecting portion 35 is set to be larger than that of the front outer conductor crimping portion 52 with the rear outer conductor 33 crimped to the outer periphery of the braided wire 14 and crimped to the dielectric 19 at the position near the rear end part of the dielectric 19. A rear tube portion 36 located between the shield connecting portion 35 and the front outer conductor crimping portion 52 is formed into a shape reduced in diameter toward a front side.
Since the other configuration is substantially the same as in the first embodiment, the same members are denoted by the same reference signs and repeated description is omitted.
According to this embodiment, the outer conductor 20 includes the front outer conductor 34 having the front tube portion 38 for surrounding the dielectric 19 and the dielectric locking portion 51 to be locked to at least a part of the dielectric 19 and the rear outer conductor 33 having the shield connecting portion 35 to be crimped to the braided wire 14 from outside, the front outer conductor crimping portion 52 to be crimped to at least the dielectric locking portion 51 from outside and the rear tube portion 36 for surrounding the coated wires 13 between the shield connecting portion 35 and the front outer conductor crimping portion 52, and the rear tube portion 36 is formed with the projecting portions 40.
According to the above configuration, since the rear and front outer conductors 33, 34 may not be welded, the rear and front outer conductors 33, 34 can be connected without being heated. As a result, the occurrence of troubles in the dielectric 19 due to heat can be suppressed.
Next, a third embodiment of the technique disclosed in this specification is described with reference to
The technique disclosed in this specification is not limited to the above described and illustrated embodiments. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the technique disclosed in this specification.
(1) The shielded cable may include three or more coated wires.
(2) An arbitrary material such as a metal foil or a resin tape having a metal foil adhered thereto can be appropriately selected for a shield layer without being limited to the braided wire 14.
(3) The sheath may be omitted.
(4) The braided wire 14 exposed by stripping the sheath may not be folded on the end of the sheath.
(5) The braided wire 14 and the shield connecting portion 35 may be electrically connected by crimping a crimping member formed separately from the rear outer conductor 33 to the shield connecting portion from outside the shield connecting portion with the shield connecting portion 35 externally fit to the outer periphery of the braided wire 14.
(6) The connector structure may be a male terminal structure including male terminal(s).
(7) The projecting portion may be formed by causing only a part of the metal plate material constituting the rear outer conductor to project radially inwardly.
(8) Although the projecting portions 62A, 62B overlap in the second embodiment, there is no limitation to this and three or more projecting portions may overlap.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2018-239932 | Dec 2018 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/JP2019/047581 | 12/5/2019 | WO | 00 |