CONNECTOR

Abstract

A connector (1) comprising: a cylindrical terminal contact (30) for electrical connection to a cylindrical mating terminal contact (90); an internal terminal contact (50) located in the cylindrical terminal contact (30); and a housing (10) holding the cylindrical terminal contact (30), wherein the cylindrical terminal contact (30) has an engagement portion (36) configured by bending a conductor (30a) having a plate shape into a cylindrical shape so that an edge portion of the conductor (30a) and an opposite other edge portion of the conductor (30a) engage with each other, wherein said one edge portion has a recessed shape at its peripheral end portion by reducing its thickness outwardly in a radial direction of the cylindrical terminal contact (30) to form a first thickness-reduced portion (34), wherein the first thickness-reduced portion (34) has a first projection (57) which projects inwardly in the radial direction and extends in an axial direction of the cylindrical terminal contact (30), wherein the other edge portion has a depressed shape at its peripheral end portion by reducing its thickness inwardly in the radial direction to form a second thickness-reduced portion (35), wherein the second thickness-reduced portion (35) has a second projection (38) projecting outward in the radial direction and extending in the axial direction, wherein the engagement portion (36) is configured by overlapping the first thickness-reduced portion (34) and the second thickness-reduced portion (35) in the radial direction and further by arranging the first projection (37) and the second projection (38) to oppose each other in the circumferential direction to enable engagement of the first projection (37) and the second projection (38) in the circumferential direction.

Description

TECHNICAL AREA

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector. STATE OF THE ART

[0002] In the related art, a connector having a high shielding property is proposed and used for connecting to a coaxial line or the like. For example, in a connector in the related art, a periphery of a terminal contact portion is enclosed with a metal tube so that electromagnetic waves emitted from an outside of the connector toward the terminal contact portion and electromagnetic waves emitted from the terminal contact portion to the outside are shielded (collected). The metal tube has a structure in which a metal plate part is bent into a cylindrical shape so that one and the other edge portions of the plate part overlap each other. The edge portions overlapped in this way to prevent a decrease in shielding performance at a junction of the edge portions.

[0003] Details of the above connector can be found in JP 2011-113858 A.

[0004] The connector in the related art as described above has a stepped shape that protrudes radially outward at the above-described joint due to the overlap of the edge portions of the plate member. Therefore, when subsequently mounting the metal tube to a housing, it is necessary to provide, for example, a recess or the like corresponding to the above-described stepped shape on an inner wall surface of an insertion hole provided in the housing. In other words, the structure of a mold or the like for manufacturing the housing is complicated, and it is difficult to improve the performance of the housing (and the connector). Thus, it is difficult to achieve both the shielding performance and the performance of the connector in the related art. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] Aspects of the non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure relate to providing a connector that can achieve both excellent shielding performance and improved performance.

[0006] Aspects of certain non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the features described above and / or other features not described above. However, aspects of the non-limiting embodiments need not address the features described above, and aspects of the non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure need not address the features described above.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a connector is provided comprising: a cylindrical terminal contact for electrical connection to a cylindrical mating terminal contact; an internal terminal located in the cylindrical terminal; and a housing that holds the cylindrical terminal contact, wherein the cylindrical terminal contact has an engagement portion configured by bending a conductor having a plate shape into a cylindrical shape so that one edge portion of the conductor and an opposite other edge portion of the conductor engage with each other, wherein said one edge portion has a recessed shape at its peripheral end portion by reducing its thickness outwardly in a radial direction of the cylindrical terminal contact to form a first thickness-reduced portion, wherein the first thickness-reduced portion has a first projection projecting inward in the radial direction and extending in an axial direction of the cylindrical terminal contact, wherein the other edge portion has a depressed shape at its peripheral end portion by reducing its thickness inwardly in the radial direction to form a second thickness-reduced portion, wherein the second thickness-reduced portion has a second projection projecting outward in the radial direction and extending in the axial direction, wherein the engagement portion is configured by overlapping the first thickness-reduced portion and the second thickness-reduced portion in the radial direction and further by arranging the first projection and the second projection to oppose each other in the circumferential direction to enable engagement of the first projection and the second projection in the circumferential direction. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Exemplary embodiment(s) of the present invention are described in more detail with reference to the following figures, wherein: Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a connector and a mating connector according to an embodiment of the present invention are assembled to each other; Fig. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the connector and the mating connector according to the embodiment of the present invention are separated from each other; Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the connector and the mating connector according to the embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 4 a cross-sectional view along the line AA in Fig. 1 is; Fig. 5 a cross-sectional view along the line BB in Fig. 2 is; Fig. 6A is a perspective view showing an external connector terminal viewed from a front side, and Fig. 6B is a perspective view showing the outer connector terminal viewed from a rear side; Fig. 7 is an enlarged view showing a section C in Fig. 6A shows; and Fig. 8A is a perspective view showing a flat plate-shaped conductor used for manufacturing the outer connector terminal, and Fig. 8B is a front view showing the flat plate-shaped conductor. DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, a connector 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in the Fig. 1 and Fig. As shown in Figure 2, a plug housing 10 of the connector 1 can be connected to a socket housing 60 of a mating connector 2. The connector 1 is a male connector mounted on a circuit board 3 and is also referred to as a printed circuit board (PCB) connector. The mating connector 2 is a female connector connected to a coaxial line 4 that transmits a high-frequency signal or the like. Both the connector 1 and the mating connector 2 have a shielding function that prevents the leakage of electromagnetic waves caused by the signal transmitted by the coaxial line 4 and prevents the electromagnetic waves from penetrating the connector 1 and the mating connector 2 from the outside. The plug housing 10 corresponds to a "housing" in the sense of the present invention.

[0010] For the sake of simplicity of description, a “front-back direction”, a “width direction”, a “top-bottom direction”, “top” and “bottom” are defined below, as in the Fig. 1 to 3 and the like. The "front-back direction," the "width direction," and the "top-bottom direction" are orthogonal to each other. The front-back direction coincides with a connection direction of the connector 1 and the mating connector 2. For the connector 1 and the mating connector 2, a front surface side in a connection direction in which the mating connector is connected is referred to as the front side, and a back surface side facing away from the front side, opposite to the connection direction, is referred to as the back side.

[0011] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 3, the connector 1 comprises the plug housing 10, a shielding shell 20, an outer plug terminal 30, a male guide sleeve 40, and an inner plug terminal 50. The mating connector 2 comprises the socket housing 60, an inner socket terminal 70, a female guide sleeve 80, and an outer socket terminal 90. The following first describes the elements that form the connector 1. The outer plug terminal 30 corresponds to a "cylindrical terminal contact" in the context of the present invention. Accordingly, the inner plug terminal 50 corresponds to an "inner terminal contact" and the outer socket terminal 90 to a "mating terminal contact."

[0012] First, the connector housing 10 will be described. The connector housing 10 is molded from a plastic and has a shape extending in the front-to-back direction. As shown in the Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, a front-open and rearwardly recessed connection cutout 11 is formed inside the plug housing 10. The female housing 60 is inserted into the recessed connection portion 11 from the front side. A plug terminal accommodating chamber 13 having a circular cross section is formed in the rear wall portion 12 of the plug housing 10 and extending through the rear wall portion 12 of the plug housing 10 in the front-rear direction. The rear wall portion 12 forms a bottom wall of the recessed connection portion 11. The outer plug terminal 30 is inserted into the plug terminal accommodating chamber 13 from the front side. As described later, a locking piece 39 provided on the rear side of the outer plug terminal 30 is bent downward and locked to the shield shell 20.A rear surface of the rear wall portion 12 is formed into a fit to which the shielding shell 20 can be attached from the rear.

[0013] A widthwise extending locking portion 14 is provided at an upper portion of a front end portion of the plug housing 10. When the plug housing 10 and the socket housing 60 are fitted together, the locking portion 14 is engaged with a locking portion 65 of a locking arm 63 (described later) disposed in the socket housing 60 (see also Fig. 1 and Fig. 2).

[0014] Next, the shielding shell 20 will be described. The shielding shell 20 is made of aluminum by die-casting and is a component that performs the above-described shielding function of the connector 1. The shielding shell 20 has a substantially U-shaped form that opens downward when viewed in the front-to-back direction.

[0015] A front end portion of the shielding shell 20 has a shape corresponding to the above-described fit of the rear wall portion 12 of the connector housing 10. The shielding shell 20 is mounted from behind to the rear wall portion 12 of the connector housing 10. A downwardly projecting leg portion 21 is formed at each of the four corners of a lower end portion of the shielding shell 20. A plurality of leg portions 21 are inserted into through holes (not shown) corresponding to ground portions formed in the circuit board 3, and the leg portions 21 are soldered (see also Fig. 4 and Fig. 5). Accordingly, the shielding shell 20 is attached to the circuit board 3 (see also Fig. 1 and Fig. 2).

[0016] Next, the outer connector terminal 30 is described. As shown in the Fig. 6A and Fig. As shown in Fig. 6B, the outer connector terminal 30 has a stepped cylindrical shape and extends in the front-to-rear direction. The outer connector terminal 30 includes a large-diameter cylindrical portion 31 located at the front, a small-diameter cylindrical portion 32 located at the rear and having a smaller diameter than the large-diameter portion 31, and a connecting portion 33 located between the large-diameter portion 31 and the small-diameter portion 32 and having a diameter that gradually decreases from the large-diameter portion 31 toward the small-diameter portion 32. The outer connector terminal 30 is also a member that has the above-described shielding function of the connector 1.An outer diameter of the large diameter portion 31 is substantially equal to an inner diameter of a female terminal accommodating chamber 61 (described later) of the female housing 60, and the large diameter portion 31 can be inserted into the female terminal accommodating chamber 61 (see . Fig. 4).

[0017] The outer connector terminal 30 is formed by inserting a Fig. 8A and Fig. 8B is bent into a stepped cylindrical shape and in the front-rear direction an engaging portion 36 (see Fig. 6) is formed by engaging one and the other edge portions of the conductor 30a extending in the front-to-back direction with each other. As shown in the Fig. 6A and Fig. 6B, the engaging portion 36 extends at an upper end position in a circumferential direction of the outer connector terminal 30 in the front-rear direction.

[0018] A lower end portion of a rear end surface of the small-diameter portion 32 is formed with a locking piece 39 projecting rearward from the lower end portion. When assembling the connector 1, a rear end portion of the locking piece 39 is bent downward and locked with the shield shell 20 and inserted into a predetermined locking hole of the male guide sleeve 40 (see Fig. 4 and Fig. 5). Accordingly, the outer connector terminal 30 is prevented from rotating in the circumferential direction relative to the connector housing 10, and a circumferential position of the outer connector terminal 30 is defined such that the engaging portion 36 is held at the upper end position in the circumferential direction of the outer connector terminal 30.

[0019] Next, the male guide sleeve 40 is described. As shown in the Fig. 3 to 5, the male guide sleeve 40 formed of an insulating resin integrally includes a cylindrical body portion 41 extending in the front-rear direction and a hanging portion 42 hanging downward from a rear end portion of the body portion 41.

[0020] A body portion 51 (described later) of the inner connector terminal 50 is inserted into the body portion 41 from the rear side. Furthermore, the body portion 41 is inserted into the small-diameter portion 32 of the outer connector terminal 30 from the rear side. Accordingly, the body portion 41 serves to insulate the inner connector terminal 50 and the outer connector terminal 30 from each other and maintain a state in which the inner connector terminal 50 and the outer connector terminal 30 are coaxially arranged.

[0021] Next, the inner plug terminal 50 will be described. The inner plug terminal 50, formed of a metal, includes a rod-shaped body portion 51 extending in the front-to-rear direction and a rod-shaped hanging portion 52 hanging downward from a rear end portion of the body portion 51. A front end portion of the body portion 51 serves as a tip end portion 53 whose diameter is reduced compared to the other portion of the body portion 51. The tip end portion 53 is connected to the inner socket terminal 70 when the plug housing 10 and the socket housing 60 are fitted together (see Fig. 4). The hanging portion 52 is inserted into a through-hole 3b which is connected to a conductor pattern 3a formed on a top surface of the circuit board 3 (see Fig. 5). Accordingly, the inner connector terminal 50 is electrically connected to the circuit board 3.

[0022] Next, an assembly method of the connector 1 will be described. To assemble the connector 1, first, the shield shell 20 is mounted from the rear to the rear wall portion 12 of the connector housing 10. Next, the small-diameter portion 32 of the outer connector terminal 30 is inserted from the front into the connector terminal receiving chamber 13 of the connector housing 10. This insertion is continued until the connecting portion 33 of the outer connector terminal 30 comes into contact with a front edge portion of the connector terminal receiving chamber 13. Then, the rear end portion of the locking piece 39 is bent downward and locked to the shield shell 20.As a result, the large-diameter portion 31 of the outer connector terminal 30 is positioned inside the recessed connection portion 11 of the connector housing 10, and the small-diameter portion 32 of the outer connector terminal 30 comes into contact with a predetermined portion of the shield shell 20 inside the shield shell 20.

[0023] Next, the body portion 51 of the inner male terminal 50 is press-fitted into the body portion 41 of the guide sleeve 40 from the rear side. Press-fitting continues until the hanging portion 52 of the inner male terminal 50 comes into contact with the hanging portion 42 of the male guide sleeve 40. As a result, the tip end portion 53 of the inner male terminal 50 protrudes forward from a front opening of the body portion 41 of the male guide sleeve 40.

[0024] Next, the body portion 41 of the male guide sleeve 40, into which the inner plug terminal 50 is press-fitted, is press-fitted from the back into the small-diameter portion 32 of the outer plug terminal 30. Press-fitting is continued until a predetermined portion of the male guide sleeve 40 comes into contact with a predetermined portion of the shield shell 20. This positions the tip end portion 53 of the inner plug terminal 50 within the large-diameter portion 31 of the outer plug terminal 30. Furthermore, the body portion 51 of the inner plug terminal 50 is covered with the outer plug terminal 30, and the hanging portion 52 of the inner plug terminal 50 is covered with the shield shell 20. Thus, the shield shell 20 and the outer plug terminal 30 perform a shielding function against the inner plug terminal 50. After this, the assembly of the connector 1 is completed.

[0025] The assembled connector 1 is mounted on the board 3 as shown in the Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 4 and Fig. 5. When the connector 1 is mounted on the circuit board 3, a lower surface of the plug housing 10 is fixed to a predetermined portion of the upper surface of the circuit board 3, the plurality of leg portions 21 of the shield shell 20 are inserted into the through holes corresponding to the ground portions formed in the circuit board 3, and the leg portions 21 are soldered, and a tip end portion of the hanging portion 52 of the inner plug terminal 50 is inserted into the through hole 3b formed in the circuit board 3 (see Fig. 5) and the tip end portion of the hanging portion 52 is soldered.

[0026] As a result, a high-frequency signal is transmitted from the inner connector terminal 50 to the conductor pattern 3a of the circuit board 3. Furthermore, a minute current generated in the shield shell 20 and the outer connector terminal 30 when the shield shell 20 and the outer connector terminal 30 shield (collect) electromagnetic waves is grounded to the grounding portions of the circuit board 3. The connector 1 is configured as described above.

[0027] Next, the elements constituting the mating connector 2 will be described. First, the female housing 60 will be described. The female housing 60, which is molded from a plastic, has a shape extending in the front-to-back direction. As shown in Fig. 4, the socket terminal receiving chamber 61 is formed within the socket housing 60, which penetrates the socket housing 60 in the front-rear direction (see also Fig. 2). The outer female terminal 90 is inserted from the rear into the female terminal receiving chamber 61.

[0028] A lance 62 extends cantilevered forward to face the female terminal accommodating chamber 61, and the lance 62 is formed at a lower portion of a substantially central portion in the front-rear direction of the female terminal accommodating chamber 61. The lance 62 is elastically deformable in the up-down direction and engages a lance locking recess 93 (described later) of the outer female terminal 90 to perform a function of preventing the outer female terminal 90 from disengaging rearwardly.

[0029] As in the Fig. 2 and Fig. As shown in Figure 4, the rearwardly projecting locking arm 63 is formed at an upper portion of the female housing 60. The locking arm 63 is elastically deformable in the up-down direction, and an extended end portion (rear end portion) of the locking arm 63 functions as an operating portion 64 to be operated by an operator. A locking portion 65, which is an upwardly projecting protrusion extending in the width direction, is formed at a central portion in the front-rear direction of the locking arm 63.

[0030] As in the Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, a side holder 66 is attached to a lower part of the socket housing 60 from below to cover the lance 62 from below. As shown in the Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, a connection securing member 67 is fixed from the rear side to the upper part of the socket housing 60, so that the connection securing member 67 enters a lower space of the locking arm 63. The functions of the side holder 66 and the connection securing member 67 will be described later.

[0031] Next, the inner socket connector 70 is described. As shown in the Fig. 3 and Fig. As shown in Figure 4, the inner socket terminal 70 formed of a metal has a cylindrical shape extending in the front-to-back direction. An inner conductor connecting portion 70a is provided on a rear side of the inner socket terminal 70. A linear inner conductor 4a (see Fig. 3), which is exposed at one end (front end portion) of the coaxial line 4, is connected to the inner conductor terminal portion 70a. At the end of the coaxial line 4, as shown in the Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, a cylindrical sleeve 5 formed of a metal is crimped and fixed to an outer periphery of an exposed cylindrical braided conductor 4b at a position behind the exposed inner conductor 4a, and the braided conductor 4b located in front of the sleeve 5 is folded back to the back side to cover an outer periphery of the sleeve 5.

[0032] Next, the female guide sleeve 80 is described. As shown in the Fig. 3 and Fig. As shown in Figure 4, the female guide sleeve 80, molded from insulating resin, has a stepped cylindrical shape extending in the front-to-rear direction. The female guide sleeve 80 includes a large-diameter cylindrical portion 81 located at the rear and a small-diameter cylindrical portion 82 located at the front, which has a smaller diameter than the large-diameter portion 81.

[0033] The inner female terminal 70 is inserted into the female guide sleeve 80 from the rear. Furthermore, the female guide sleeve 80 is inserted into the outer female terminal 90 from the rear. Consequently, the female guide sleeve 80 serves to insulate the inner female terminal 70 and the outer female terminal 90 from each other and also maintains a state in which the inner female terminal 70 and the outer female terminal 90 are coaxially arranged.

[0034] Next, the outer socket connection 90 is described. As shown in the Fig. 3 and Fig. As shown in Fig. 4, the outer female terminal 90 formed of a metal has a stepped cylindrical shape extending in the front-to-rear direction. The outer female terminal 90 includes a large-diameter cylindrical portion 91 located at the rear and a small-diameter cylindrical portion 92 located at the front and having a smaller diameter than the large-diameter portion 91. The small-diameter portion 92 is provided with an elastic part 92a formed into a cantilever shape (by so-called cutting and raising) and slightly protruding radially outward. The outer female terminal 90 is a member that has the above-described shielding function of the mating connector 2.An outer diameter of the small-diameter portion 92 is substantially the same as an inner diameter of the large-diameter portion 31 of the outer plug terminal 30, and the small-diameter portion 92 can be inserted into the large-diameter portion 31. A lance locking recess 93 (see . Fig. 4) is formed in a lower part of the large-diameter portion 91. On the back of the large-diameter portion 91, a braided conductor connecting portion 91a and an outer sheath crimping portion 91b are provided in this order from the front to the back.

[0035] Next, an assembly method of the mating connector 2 will be described. To assemble the mating connector 2, first, as preparation, the side holder 66 is attached to a lower portion of the female housing 60 from below to cover the lance 62, and the side holder 66 is locked in a temporary locking position (not shown). The connection securing member 67 is attached to an upper portion of the female housing 60 from a rear side so as to enter a lower space of the locking arm 63, and the connection securing member 67 is locked in a temporary locking position (not shown).

[0036] Next, at the rear side of the inner female terminal 70, the inner conductor 4a exposed at the end of the coaxial cable 4 is connected to the inner conductor terminal portion 70a. Next, the inner female terminal 70 is inserted into the female guide sleeve 80 from the rear side and fixed to the female guide sleeve 80 by a predetermined fastening mechanism. Next, the female guide sleeve 80 is inserted into the outer female terminal 90 from the rear side and fixed to the outer female terminal 90 by a predetermined fastening mechanism.

[0037] Consequently, the large diameter portion 81 and the small diameter portion 82 of the female guide sleeve 80 are located within the large diameter portion 91 and the small diameter portion 92 of the outer socket terminal 90, respectively (see Fig. 4). Furthermore, the braided conductor 4b located on the outer periphery of the sleeve 5 attached to one end of the coaxial cable 4 is connected to the braided conductor connecting portion 91a of the large-diameter portion 91 of the outer female terminal 90, and an outer sheath 4c of the coaxial cable 4 is attached to the outer sheath crimping portion 91b. Furthermore, the inner female terminal 70 is covered with the outer female terminal 90. Accordingly, the outer female terminal 90 has a shielding function against the inner female terminal 70.

[0038] Subsequently, the outer female terminal 90 is inserted from the rear side into the female terminal receiving chamber 61 of the female housing 60. This insertion is continued until the lance locking recess 93 engages the lance 62 (until the outer female terminal 90 has reached a correct insertion position).

[0039] Next, the side holder 66 in the temporary locking position is pressed upwards against the socket housing 60 so that the side holder 66 is in a Fig. 4, which is higher than the temporary locking position. The side holder 66 is held in the final locking position as shown in Fig. 4, so that the side holder 66 has the function of ensuring that the lance 62 engages the lance locking recess 93 (i.e., ensuring that the outer female terminal 90 is in a proper insertion position), and has the function of preventing the lance 62 and the lance locking recess 93 from disengaging due to downward elastic deformation of the lance 62 (so-called double locking function). After this, the assembly of the mating connector 2 is completed.

[0040] As in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the assembled mating connector 2 is plugged onto the connector 1 mounted on the circuit board 3. The mating continues until the locking portion 14 of the plug housing 10 engages the locking portion 65 of the locking arm 63 of the socket housing 60, so that the socket housing 60 is inserted into the recessed mating portion 11 of the plug housing 10, the large diameter portion 31 of the outer plug terminal 30 is inserted into the socket terminal receiving chamber 61 of the socket housing 60, and the small diameter portion 92 of the outer socket terminal 90 is inserted into the large diameter portion 31 of the outer plug terminal 30.

[0041] When the small diameter portion 92 of the outer female terminal 90 is inserted into the large diameter portion 31 of the outer male terminal 30, the elastic part 92a provided in the small diameter portion 92 (see Fig. 3) in contact with the large diameter section 31.

[0042] After the locking portion 14 has been engaged with the locking portion 65 of the locking arm 63, the connection securing element 67 is pushed in the temporary locking position towards the connector housing 10, so that the connection securing element 67 is in the Fig. 4, which is further forward than the temporary locking position. When the connection securing element 67 is in the position shown in Fig. 4, a rear end portion 68 of the connection securing member 67 enters a lower side of the operating portion 64 of the locking arm 63, and a tip end portion 69 of the connection securing member 67 is positioned in front of the locking portion 65. Consequently, the connection securing member 67 has the function of ensuring that the locking portion 14 of the plug housing 10 is engaged with the locking portion 65 (i.e., ensuring that the plug housing 10 and the socket housing 60 are in a fully mated state), and the function of preventing disengagement of the locking portion 14 and the locking portion 65 due to downward elastic deformation of the locking arm 63 (so-called double-lock function). Thereafter, the connection of the connector 1 and the mating connector 2 is completed (see Fig. 1).

[0043] In a state where the connection of the connector 1 and the mating connector 2 is completed, the tip end portion 53 of the inner male terminal 50 and the inner female terminal 70 are electrically connected to each other. Thus, a high-frequency signal transmitted from the coaxial line 4 is transmitted to the conductor pattern 3a of the circuit board 3 via the inner male terminal 50. Furthermore, the small-diameter portion 92 of the outer female terminal 90 and the large-diameter portion 31 of the outer male terminal 30 are electrically connected to each other. As a result, a minute current generated in the outer female terminal 90 due to the collection of electromagnetic waves by the outer female terminal 90 is grounded to the ground portions of the circuit board 3 via the outer male terminal 30 and the shield shell 20.

[0044] Next, the configuration of the engaging portion 36 of the outer connector terminal 30 will be described in detail. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, a "radial direction" and a "circumferential direction" of the outer connector terminal 30, which has a stepped cylindrical shape, are referred to as "radial direction" and "circumferential direction," respectively.

[0045] As in Fig. 7, the engagement portion 36 is configured such that a reduced-thickness portion 34 (see Fig. 8A and Fig. 8B) which is provided at one end of a front-to-back extending edge portion of the conductor 30a (see also Fig. 8A and Fig. 8B) and extends in the front-rear direction, and a thickness-reduced section 35 (see also Fig. 8A and Fig. 8B) formed at one end of the other edge portion extending in the front-to-back direction of the conductor 30a and extending in the front-to-back direction are engaged with each other such that the thickness-reduced portion 34 is stacked (overlapped in the radial direction) on a radially outer side of the thickness-reduced portion 35. The engaging portion 36 is continuous in the front-to-back direction of the outer plug terminal 30 (including the large-diameter portion 31, the connecting portion 33, and the small-diameter portion 32).

[0046] As in Fig. As shown in Fig. 7, the thickness-reduced portion 34 is a region where the end of one end portion of the conductor 30a is reduced in thickness so as to be recessed radially outward. Thus, a stepped surface 34b facing the circumferential direction and extending in the front-to-back direction is formed on an inner peripheral surface of a boundary between the thickness-reduced portion 34 and a portion where the thickness is not reduced at the one end portion of the conductor 30a. No step is formed on an outer peripheral surface of the boundary between the thickness-reduced portion 34 and the portion where the thickness is not reduced at the one end portion of the conductor 30a. A circumferential pointed end surface 34a of the thickness-reduced portion 34 faces the circumferential direction and extends in the front-to-back direction.

[0047] As in Fig. As shown in Fig. 7, the thickness-reduced portion 35 is a region where the end of the other end portion of the conductor 30a is reduced in thickness so as to be recessed radially inward. Thus, a stepped surface 35b facing the circumferential direction and extending in the front-to-back direction is formed on an outer peripheral surface of a boundary between the thickness-reduced portion 35 and a portion where the thickness is not reduced at the other end portion of the conductor 30a. No step is formed on an inner peripheral surface of the boundary between the thickness-reduced portion 35 and the portion where the thickness is not reduced at the other end portion of the conductor 30a. A circumferential pointed end surface 35a of the thickness-reduced portion 35 faces the circumferential direction and extends in the front-to-back direction.

[0048] The tip end surface 34a of the reduced-thickness portion 34 and the stepped surface 35b of the reduced-thickness portion 35 face each other in the circumferential direction. The tip end surface 35a of the reduced-thickness portion 35 and the stepped surface 34b of the reduced-thickness portion 34 face each other in the circumferential direction. In other words, in the engagement portion 36, the reduced-thickness portion 34 and the reduced-thickness portion 35 face each other in the radial direction, the tip end surface 34a and the stepped surface 35b face each other in the circumferential direction, and the tip end surface 35a and the stepped surface 34b face each other in the circumferential direction, forming a so-called labyrinth structure.

[0049] In the present example, the radial thickness of the thickness-reduced portion 34 and the thickness-reduced portion 35 is substantially half the thickness of the portion where the thickness is not reduced (i.e., the plate thickness of the conductor 30a). Therefore, the radial thickness of the engaging portion 36 formed by stacking the thickness-reduced portion 34 and the thickness-reduced portion 35 is substantially equal to the thickness of the portion whose thickness is not reduced. Therefore, at a portion corresponding to the engaging portion 36, on an outer peripheral surface and an inner peripheral surface of the outer plug terminal 30 (including the large-diameter portion 31, the connecting portion 33, and the small-diameter portion 32), almost no step extending in the front-rear direction is formed (see Fig. 6A, Fig. 6B and Fig. 7). Even if a step is formed, since edge portions with reduced thicknesses are stacked, a protruding height of the step is reduced compared to a step formed in the above-described connector (in which edge portions without reduced thicknesses are stacked). That is, the degree of unevenness of the engaging portion 36 is smaller than that of the above-described related art connector.

[0050] As in Fig.As shown in Fig. 7, a protrusion 37 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the tip end portion of the thickness-reduced portion 34, which protrudes radially inward and extends in the front-to-rear direction. A protrusion 38 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the tip end portion of the thickness-reduced portion 35, which protrudes radially outward and extends in the front-to-rear direction. The protrusions 37 and 38 are positioned offset and facing each other so as to be circumferentially engaged.

[0051] Therefore, for example, in a state where the outer connector terminal 30 is provided alone, even if an external force is applied to cause the engagement portion 36 to open (the thickness-reduced portions 34 and 35 are relatively moved away from each other in the circumferential direction), with the projections 37 and 38 engaged with each other at the offset positions, the engagement portion 36 is prevented from opening. Therefore, an increase in the distance between the thickness-reduced portions 34 and 35 of the outer connector terminal 30 is prevented, and a reduction in the shielding performance of the outer connector terminal 30 is prevented.

[0052] The projections 37 and 38 may or may not abut each other in the circumferential direction. Furthermore, it is preferable that the radial thickness of the portion of the reduced-thickness portion 34 in which the projection 37 is formed is smaller than the thickness of the portion in which the thickness is not reduced (i.e., the plate thickness of the conductor 30a). Likewise, it is preferable that the radial thickness of the portion of the reduced-thickness portion 35 in which the projection 38 is formed is smaller than the thickness of the portion in which the thickness is not reduced (i.e., the plate thickness of the conductor 30a).

[0053] A corner portion of the protruding end of the protrusion 37, which is closer to the tip end surface 34a and extends in the front-to-rear direction, includes a tapered surface (chamfer) 37a formed thereon. A corner portion of the protruding end of the protrusion 38, which is closer to the tip end surface 35a and extends in the front-to-rear direction, includes a tapered surface (chamfer) 38a formed thereon.

[0054] As described above, according to the connector 1 in the present embodiment, the outer plug terminal 30 is formed by bending the plate-shaped conductor 30a into a cylindrical shape and engaging one and the other edge portions, thereby having a shielding function for shielding (collecting) electromagnetic waves. The engaging portion 36 formed by engaging one and the other edge portions has a so-called labyrinth structure in which the thickness-reduced portion 34, in which a circumferential end portion of one edge portion is reduced in thickness to be recessed radially outward, and the thickness-reduced portion 35, in which a circumferential end portion of the other edge portion is reduced in thickness to be recessed radially inward, overlap each other in the radial direction.Accordingly, a radial thickness of the engaging portion 36 can be made substantially equal to a plate thickness of the plate-shaped conductor 30a, and thus the above-described step on an outer peripheral surface of the outer plug terminal 30 can be eliminated. Consequently, it is not necessary to form a step on the inner wall surface of the plug terminal accommodating chamber 13 for holding the small-diameter portion 32 of the outer plug terminal 30 in the plug housing 10, and the structure of the mold or the like for molding the plug housing 10 can be simplified compared to the connector in the related art.

[0055] Furthermore, the radially inward protrusion 37 of the reduced-thickness portion 34 and the radially outward protrusion 38 of the reduced-thickness portion 35 are located at positions offset from each other and facing each other, so that they are engaged with each other in the circumferential direction. Therefore, even if an external force is applied to cause the engagement portion 36 to open (relative movement of the reduced-thickness portions 34 and 35 in the circumferential direction away from each other), with the protrusions 37 and 38 engaged with each other at the offset positions, the engagement portion 36 is prevented from opening. Therefore, an increase in the distance between the overlapping reduced-thickness portions 34 and 35 of the outer connector terminal 30 is prevented, and a decrease in the shielding performance of the outer connector terminal 30 is prevented.

[0056] Furthermore, since the engaging portion 36 of the outer connector terminal 30 has the labyrinth structure, the creepage distance at the overlapping thickness-reduced portions 34 and 35 is increased, and the shielding performance is improved. Furthermore, the thickness of the engaging portion 36 is set to be substantially equal to the plate thickness of the plate-shaped conductor 30a, so that an outer peripheral surface of the small-diameter portion 32 of the outer connector terminal 30 is less likely to be pinched by the connector housing 10 when the small-diameter portion 32 of the outer connector terminal 30 is inserted into the connector terminal receiving chamber 13 of the connector housing 10, and the insertability of the outer connector terminal 30 into the connector housing 10 is improved.

[0057] Furthermore, according to the connector 1 in the present embodiment, the outer plug terminal 30 includes the large-diameter portion 31 and the small-diameter portion 32, which has a smaller diameter than the large-diameter portion 31 and is held in the plug housing 10. Therefore, when the small-diameter portion 32 of the outer plug terminal 30 is inserted into the plug housing 10, the connecting portion 33 between the large-diameter portion 31 and the small-diameter portion 32 is pressed against the plug housing 10, so that the outer plug terminal 30 can be properly positioned in an insertion direction of the outer plug terminal 30 into the plug housing 10. This further simplifies the manufacturing of the connector 1.Furthermore, the engaging portion 36 extends in an axial direction crossing both the large-diameter portion 31 and the small-diameter portion 32, so that the above-described step on an outer peripheral surface of the connecting portion 33 in addition to the large-diameter portion 31 and the small-diameter portion 32 can be eliminated. This improves the positioning accuracy of the outer connector terminal 30 in an insertion direction into the connector housing 10.

[0058] The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention is for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise embodiments disclosed. Obviously, many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and their practical applications, and to thereby enable others skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. The scope of the invention is to be defined by the following claims and their equivalents.

[0059] In the embodiments described above, the outer connector terminal 30 has a stepped cylindrical shape and includes the large diameter portion 31 and the small diameter portion 32. Alternatively, the outer connector terminal 30 may have a cylindrical shape having a constant outer diameter in the front-rear direction.

[0060] According to the above exemplary embodiments, the connector (1) comprises: a cylindrical terminal contact (30) for electrical connection to a cylindrical mating terminal contact (90); an internal terminal contact (50) located in the cylindrical terminal contact (30); and a housing (10) holding the cylindrical terminal contact (30).

[0061] The cylindrical terminal contact (30) has an engagement portion (36) configured by bending a conductor (30a) from a plate shape into a cylindrical shape so that one edge portion of the conductor (30a) and an opposite other edge portion of the conductor (30a) engage with each other.

[0062] The one edge portion has a recessed shape at its peripheral end portion by reducing its thickness outward in a radial direction of the cylindrical terminal contact (30) to form a first thickness-reduced portion (34).

[0063] The first thickness-reduced portion (34) has a first projection (37) which projects inward in the radial direction and extends in an axial direction of the cylindrical terminal contact (30).

[0064] The other edge portion has a depressed shape at its peripheral end portion by reducing its thickness inwardly in the radial direction to form a second thickness-reduced portion (35).

[0065] The second thickness-reduced portion (35) has a second projection (38) which projects outward in the radial direction and extends in the axial direction.

[0066] The engagement portion (36) is configured by overlapping the first thickness-reduced portion (34) and the second thickness-reduced portion (35) in the radial direction and further by arranging the first projection (37) and the second projection (38) to oppose each other in the circumferential direction to enable engagement of the first projection (37) and the second projection (38) in the circumferential direction.

[0067] According to the connector having the above configuration, the cylindrical terminal has a structure in which the plate-shaped conductor is bent into a cylindrical shape and one and the other edge portions are engaged with each other, and the cylindrical terminal has a shielding function for shielding (collecting) electromagnetic waves by isolating the inner terminal from the outside. The engagement portion formed by engaging the one and the other edge portions has a configuration in which the thickness-reduced portion in which an end portion in the circumferential direction of one edge portion is reduced in thickness to be recessed radially outward and the thickness-reduced portion in which an end portion in the circumferential direction of the other edge portion is reduced in thickness to be recessed radially inward overlap each other in the radial direction.That is, since the engagement portion has a so-called labyrinth structure, the creepage distance is increased and the shielding performance of the engagement portion is improved. Furthermore, since the reduced-thickness portions overlap each other, it is possible to reduce the influence of the engagement portion on the appearance of the cylindrical terminal contact (i.e., reduce the degree of unevenness).

[0068] Furthermore, the radially inward protrusion of one edge portion and the radially outward protrusion of the other edge portion are located at positions opposite to each other so as to circumferentially engage with each other. With this engagement, it is possible to prevent a play in the engaging portion from widening or narrowing due to a dimensional tolerance (so-called manufacturing variation) that may occur during manufacturing of the cylindrical terminal. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent the engaging portion from being opened by an inadvertent external force applied to the cylindrical terminal. Therefore, in the connector having the above-described configuration, the cylindrical terminal can suitably exhibit the shielding performance as designed.

[0069] This makes it easier to improve the performance of the connector by avoiding a complicated shape or the like for manufacturing the housing, while simultaneously preventing a reduction in the shielding performance of the contact portion. Therefore, the connector configured according to the embodiments can achieve both excellent shielding performance and improved performance compared to the connector in the related art.

[0070] In the connector (1), the cylindrical terminal contact (30) may comprise: a large-diameter portion (31) for contacting the mating terminal contact (90); and a small-diameter portion (32) having a smaller diameter than the large-diameter portion (31) and held in the housing (10).

[0071] The engagement portion (36) may extend in the axial direction over both the large diameter portion (31) and the small diameter portion (32).

[0072] According to the connector having the above configuration, the cylindrical terminal includes the large-diameter portion and the small-diameter portion. Therefore, when the small-diameter portion of the cylindrical terminal is inserted into the housing, a boundary portion (i.e., a connecting portion) between the large-diameter portion and the small-diameter portion is pressed against the housing, allowing the cylindrical terminal to be positioned in the housing. Accordingly, the work of assembling the cylindrical terminal to the housing is facilitated, and the performance of the connector can be further improved.Furthermore, since the engagement portion is formed crossing the large-diameter portion and the small-diameter portion, it is possible to reduce the degree of unevenness of an outer peripheral surface of the connecting portion in addition to the large-diameter portion and the small-diameter portion. This improves the positioning accuracy described above. Therefore, the connector with this configuration can have further improved performance.

[0073] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a connector that can achieve both excellent shielding performance and improvement in performance.

Claims

[1] A connector (1) comprising: a cylindrical terminal contact (30) for electrical connection to a cylindrical mating terminal contact (90); an internal terminal contact (50) located in the cylindrical terminal contact (30); and a housing (10) holding the cylindrical terminal contact (30), wherein the cylindrical terminal contact (30) has an engagement portion (36) configured by bending a conductor (30a) having a plate shape into a cylindrical shape so that an edge portion of the conductor (30a) and an opposite other edge portion of the conductor (30a) engage with each other, wherein said one edge portion has a recessed shape at its peripheral end portion by reducing its thickness outwardly in a radial direction of the cylindrical terminal contact (30) to form a first thickness-reduced portion (34), wherein the first thickness-reduced portion (34) has a first projection (57) which projects inwardly in the radial direction and extends in an axial direction of the cylindrical terminal contact (30), wherein the other edge portion has a depressed shape at its peripheral end portion by reducing its thickness inwardly in the radial direction to form a second thickness-reduced portion (35), wherein the second thickness-reduced portion (35) has a second projection (38) projecting outward in the radial direction and extending in the axial direction, wherein the engagement portion (36) is configured by overlapping the first thickness-reduced portion (34) and the second thickness-reduced portion (35) in the radial direction and further by arranging the first projection (37) and the second projection (38) to oppose each other in the circumferential direction to enable engagement of the first projection (37) and the second projection (38) in the circumferential direction. [2] The connector (1) according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical terminal contact comprises: a large-diameter portion (31) for contacting the mating terminal contact (90); and a small-diameter portion (32) having a smaller diameter than the large-diameter portion (31) and held in the housing (10), the engagement portion (36) extends in the axial direction over both the large diameter portion (31) and the small diameter portion (32).

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