Connector structure

Abstract

To provide a connector structure which can prevent degradation in terminal holding force for an outer terminal and in electrical connection reliability between the outer terminal and a braid, in a shield connector using a twisted pair wire.SOLUTION: A connector structure comprises: an inner sleeve 6 which has a front crimping part 60 located on an end side of a shield wire 10 so as to be caulked in an overlapping manner and a rear crimping part 64 that has an outer shape smaller than that of the front crimping part 60 and is located on a depth side of the front crimping part 60, and which is disposed over an outer peripheral side of a braid 13 exposed from an end of a sheath 14; and an outer terminal 21 having a shield body 22 which covers an outer periphery of an inner housing 4 for housing an inner terminal, and a caulking part 23 which extends from the shield body 22, and is provided with a first crimping part 25 and a second crimping part 27 respectively crimped to outer peripheral shapes of the front crimping part 60 and the rear crimping part 64 so as to be electrically connected to a folded portion 13a of the braid 13 that is folded back and disposed over an outer peripheral side of the inner sleeve 6.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector structure of a shielded connector. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art A connector device disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example, is known as a connector device that increases the mechanical holding force between a cable and a connector. This connector device includes a connector and a cable connected to the connector. The cable includes a sheath extending to the peel-off region and a sleeve (inner sleeve) formed in the peel-off region and spaced from the sheath, so that the sheath and sleeve form an annular groove. An outer conductor contact (outer terminal) extending from the connector to the sheath includes a radial recess at the location of the annular groove. The outer conductor (braid) of the cable wraps around the sleeve and is clamped into the recessed region of the outer conductor contact, thereby increasing contact retention.

[0003] In recent years, twisted pair cables (twisted pair electric wires) have been favorably used in in-vehicle networks, etc., as they are less susceptible to noise than simple parallel wires and emit less noise. A shielded connector connected to the end of this twisted pair cable includes an inner terminal connected to the end of the two twisted electric wires of the STP (Shielded Twisted Pair) cable, an inner housing that houses the inner terminal, and an outer terminal that encloses the inner housing.

[0004] The crimped portion of the outer terminal is electrically connected by crimping to the end of the braid that is folded back and placed around the outer periphery of the sheath, thereby ensuring noise shielding performance in the shielded connector connected to the end of the STP cable. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-21632 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the conventional connector device described above, the step (depth) of the annular groove formed by the sheath and sleeve was small, which was insufficient to improve the terminal retention force of the outer conductor contact as well as the contact retention force of the outer conductor. Even if the step of the annular groove is small, if the sleeve is strongly crimped with the outer conductor contact, the retention force can be improved to a certain extent, but this will deform the cable wire itself, which may have a negative effect on the transmission characteristics.

[0007] In particular, when twisted pair wires are used as the electric wires, there is a high possibility that the distance between the electric wires will change due to strong crimping work, and there is a concern that the electrical characteristics such as differential impedance will change and the transmission characteristics will deteriorate.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its object is to provide a connector structure that can prevent a decrease in the terminal retention force of the outer terminal in a shielded connector using twisted pair wires, as well as a decrease in the reliability of the electrical connection between the outer terminal and the braid. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The above object of the present invention can be achieved by the following configuration. a cable in which a braid surrounding a twisted pair electric wire is covered with a sheath; an inner sleeve including a front crimping portion located on the end side of the cable and crimped in an overlapping manner, and a rear crimping portion having an outer shape smaller than that of the front crimping portion and located on the inner side of the front crimping portion, the inner sleeve being fitted over the outer periphery of the braid exposed from the end of the sheath; an inner terminal electrically connected to the core wire of the electric wire exposed from the end of the sheath; an inner housing having an inner terminal accommodating portion in which the inner terminal is accommodated; an outer terminal including: a shield body that covers an outer periphery of the inner housing; and a crimping portion that extends from the shield body and has a first crimping portion and a second crimping portion that are crimped onto outer peripheries of the front crimping portion and the rear crimping portion, respectively, so as to be electrically connected to ends of the braid that are folded back and covered onto the outer periphery of the inner sleeve; A connector structure comprising: [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The connector structure according to the present invention can prevent a decrease in the terminal holding force of the outer terminal in a shielded connector using twisted pair electric wires, as well as a decrease in the reliability of the electrical connection between the outer terminal and the braid.

[0011] The present invention has been briefly described above. The details of the present invention will become clearer by reading the following detailed description of the invention (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shielded connector showing a state before an inner module having a connector structure according to an embodiment of the present invention is accommodated in an outer housing. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the inner module shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the procedure for connecting the inner module to the end of the cable, showing a state in which a part of the sheath at the end of the cable has been removed. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the procedure for connecting the inner module to the end of the cable, showing the state in which the inner sleeve is placed over the outer periphery of the braid exposed at the end of the cable. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a front view of the inner sleeve crimped onto the end of the cable. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the procedure for connecting an inner module to the end of a cable, showing the state in which the inner terminals are electrically connected to each core wire of the twisted pair electric wire exposed from the end of the sheath. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the procedure for connecting the inner module to the end of the cable, showing the state in which the inner terminal inserted into the matching part is accommodated in the inner terminal accommodating portion of the inner housing. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the outer terminal is crimped onto the end of the cable. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of part A in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a shielded connector 1 showing an inner module 2 having a connector structure according to an embodiment of the present invention before it is housed in an outer housing 3. Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the inner module 2 shown in Fig. 1.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, a shielded connector 1 having the connector structure of this embodiment is for high-speed transmission and includes an inner module 2 connected to the end of a shielded wire 10, which is an STP (Shielded Twisted Pair) cable in which a braid 13 surrounding a twisted pair wire 11 is covered with a sheath 14, and an outer housing 3 in which this inner module 2 is housed.

[0015] The outer housing 3 is made of insulating resin and has a box shape, and has a module accommodating section 31 that accommodates the inner module 2. In addition, a lock arm 33 is provided on the top surface 32 of the outer housing 3 to maintain the mated state when mated with a mating connector (not shown).

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the inner module 2 includes a shielded wire 10, an inner terminal 15, an inner housing 4, a matching component 5, an inner sleeve 6, and an outer terminal 21.

[0017] The shielded electric wire 10 includes a twisted pair electric wire 11 in which two electric wires are twisted together, a braid 13 that covers the twisted pair electric wire 11 via a metal foil 12, and a sheath 14 made of insulating resin that covers the braid 13.

[0018] Each wire of the twisted pair electric wires 11 has a core wire 11a and a resin insulating coating 11b that covers the core wire 11a (see FIG. 6). The twisted pair electric wires 11 exposed at the terminal side of the shielded electric wire 10 are untwisted, and an inner terminal 15 is crimped and connected to the core wire 11a exposed from the insulating coating 11b at each wire terminal.

[0019] The braid 13 exposed at the terminal side of the shielded wire 10 is folded back from the tip edge of the inner sleeve 6 toward the outer periphery, and then a folded back portion 13a is folded back to the outside of the sheath 14 after the inner sleeve 6 is crimped to the outer periphery as described below.

[0020] The inner housing 4 has a housing main body 41 formed of insulating resin in the shape of an elliptical cylinder, and has a pair of inner terminal accommodating portions 45, 45 on both sides thereof for accommodating the inner terminal 15 crimped and connected to the core wire 11a of the shielded electric wire 10. The inner terminal 15 is inserted from the rear end opening of the inner housing 4 and accommodated in the inner terminal accommodating portion 45.

[0021] Furthermore, the inner housing 4 is provided with a retainer 47 on a part of the upper wall of the housing main body 41 for locking and preventing the inner terminals 15 accommodated in the inner terminal accommodating portions 45 from coming out. The retainer 47 is integrally molded with the housing main body 41 via a thin hinge, and is capable of opening and closing relative to an opening communicating with the inner terminal accommodating portions 45. A locking projection (not shown) protruding from the inner surface of the retainer 47 locks the inner terminals 15 accommodated in the inner terminal accommodating portions 45, thereby preventing the inner terminals 15 from coming out of the inner housing 4.

[0022] The matching part 5 is made of metal and is formed in a roughly elliptical cylindrical shape, with the connection part 51 fitted onto the rear end part 43 of the inner housing 4, and the transmission characteristic ensuring part 52, which consists of a pair of hollow resilient accommodating parts, accommodates the insulating coating 11b at the end of the twisted pair wire 11, thereby improving the transmission performance of the inner module 2. The accommodating portion of the transmission characteristic ensuring portion 52 has an inner diameter equivalent to the diameter of each wire of the twisted pair electric wires 11, and is set to a dimension such that each wire comes into contact with the accommodating portion or there is a slight gap therebetween.

[0023] The inner sleeve 6 is made of a conductive metal plate and has a U-shaped cross section. The inner sleeve 6 has a front crimping portion 60 and a rear crimping portion 64 that are connected in the front-rear direction and integrally press-formed.

[0024] The rear crimping portion 64 has a pair of crimping pieces 65, 65 that are placed over the outer periphery of the rear side of the braid 13 exposed from the end of the sheath 14 and are crimped and crimped into a cylindrical shape (circular cross section or B-shaped cross section). The front crimping portion 60 has a pair of crimping pieces 61, 61 that are located in front of the rear crimping portion 64, have an outer shape larger than the outer shape (outer diameter) of the rear crimping portion 64, and are crimped and crimped in an overlapping manner.

[0025] That is, the inner sleeve 6 in this embodiment has a front crimping portion 60 located on the end side of the shielded electric wire 10, and a rear crimping portion 64 located on the rear side of the front crimping portion 60 and having an outer shape smaller than the outer shape (outer diameter) of the front crimping portion 60, and is a crimping member that is placed over the outer peripheral side of the braid 13 exposed from the end of the sheath 14 and crimped and fixed.

[0026] The outer terminal 21 is made of a conductive metal and is formed to have a shield body 22 formed in a substantially elliptical cylindrical shape and a crimped portion 23 that expands in diameter from the rear end of the shield body 22 and extends in a C-shaped cross section. An inner housing accommodating chamber 20 that accommodates the inner housing 4 is formed in the shield body 22. The C-shaped cross-sectional crimped portion 23 has a first crimped portion 25 and a second crimped portion 27 that are crimped to the outer circumferential sides of the front crimped portion 60 and the rear crimped portion 64, respectively, so as to be electrically connected to the end of the braid 13 that is folded back and placed around the outer circumferential side of the inner sleeve 6, and is crimped to fit the outer circumferential shape of the inner sleeve 6. Furthermore, the crimping portion 23 of this embodiment has a pair of crimping pieces 24, 24 that are positioned in front of the first crimping portion 25 and are crimped to the transmission characteristic ensuring portion 52 of the matching component 5.

[0027] Next, the procedure for assembling the inner module 2 of the above-mentioned shielded connector will be described. 3 to 7 are explanatory diagrams illustrating the procedure for connecting the inner module 2 to the end of the shielded electric wire (cable) 10. FIG.

[0028] First, as shown in FIG. 3, a part of the sheath 14 at the end of the shielded electric wire 10 is cut away to expose the braid 13.

[0029] Next, as shown in FIG. 4, the inner sleeve 6 is crimped to cover the outer periphery of the braid 13 exposed at the end of the shielded electric wire 10. At this time, the rear crimping portion 64 of the inner sleeve 6 is disposed adjacent to the end of the sheath 14 and is crimped into a cylindrical shape having an outer diameter substantially equal to the outer diameter of the shielded wire 10. Also, the front crimping portion 60 of the inner sleeve 6 is crimped and crimped in an overlapping manner so as to have an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the rear crimping portion 64. Thus, the inner sleeve 6 crimped onto the outer periphery of the braid 13 has a stepped shape having a step G between the outer peripheral surface of the overlapping portion of the crimping pieces 61, 61 of the front crimping portion 60 and the outer peripheral surface of the rear crimping portion 64, as shown in FIG.

[0030] 6, the end of the braid 13 is folded back from the front edge of the front crimping portion 60 of the inner sleeve 6 to the outside of the inner sleeve 6 to form a folded back portion 13a. A braid terminal 13b of the folded back portion 13a reaches the end of the sheath 14. Thereafter, a part of the metal foil 12 is cut away up to the folded portion of the braid 13, and the twisted pair electric wires 11 are untwisted. Then, an inner terminal 15 is crimped and connected to the core wires 11a exposed from the insulating coating 11b at each electric wire end of the twisted pair electric wires 11.

[0031] 7, the inner terminal 15 having the matching component 5 inserted therethrough is accommodated in the inner terminal accommodating portion 45 of the inner housing 4, and the connecting portion 51 of the matching component 5 is fitted onto the rear end portion 43 of the inner housing 4. Then, the portion of the insulating coating 11b at the end of the untwisted twisted pair electric wires 11 is accommodated in the transmission characteristic ensuring portion 52 of the matching component 5.

[0032] Next, the end of the shielded electric wire 10 with the inner terminal 15 accommodated in the inner housing 4 is inserted into the outer terminal 21. Then, with the inner housing 4 accommodated in the inner housing accommodating chamber 20 of the shield body 22, the crimping portion 23 is crimped along the outer peripheral shapes of the front crimping portion 60 and the rear crimping portion 64 of the inner sleeve 6, thereby electrically connecting the outer terminal 21 to the folded-back portion 13a of the braid 13.

[0033] At this time, the first crimping portion 25 and the second crimping portion 27 of the crimping portion 23 are crimped to the outer peripheral surface of the overlapping portion of the crimping pieces 61, 61 in the front crimping portion 60 having the step G and the outer peripheral surface of the rear crimping portion 64, respectively. The rear end side of the second crimping portion 27 covers the folded portion 13a of the braid 13 up to the braid terminal 13b. Then, by crimping the outer terminal 21, the inner module 2 shown in FIG. 1 is completed.

[0034] As described above, in the inner module 2 of the shielded connector 1 having the connector structure of this embodiment, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the first crimping portion 25 and the second crimping portion 27 of the tightening portion 23 of the outer terminal 21 are crimped to the outer surface of the overlapping portion of the crimping pieces 61, 61 having the step G of the inner sleeve 6 and the outer surface of the rear crimping portion 64, respectively, so that the folded portion 13a of the braid 13 is clamped in a state where it is bent in a crank-shaped cross section.

[0035] When a strong tensile force is applied to the shielded wire 10 in a direction that moves it relatively away from the outer terminal 21, the braid 13, whose folded portion 13a is clamped in the portion bent in a crank-like cross section, is caught and locked by the front-end outer peripheral edge 60a, the front-end inner peripheral edge 60b, and the rear-end outer peripheral edge 60c of the front crimping portion 60 of the inner sleeve 6 and the front-end inner peripheral edge 27a of the second crimping portion 27 of the outer terminal 21. In particular, the braid 13 is easily caught at the overlapping portion of the crimping pieces 61, 61, which has twice the plate thickness, and the locking force is large.

[0036] That is, the shielded wire 10, with the folded-back portion 13a of the braid 13 sandwiched by this overlapping portion, is less likely to come off the outer terminal 21, improving the fastening strength. Therefore, in order to improve the contact holding force of the braid 13 as well as the terminal holding force of the outer terminal 21, it is no longer necessary to crimp the inner sleeve 6 with the crimping portion 23 of the outer terminal 21 more strongly than necessary. Therefore, when the crimping portion 23 of the outer terminal 21 is crimped, there is no risk of compressing or deforming the twisted pair wire 11, which could degrade the transmission characteristics.

[0037] Furthermore, when a strong tensile force is applied to the shielded wire 10 in a direction that moves it relatively away from the outer terminal 21, the inner sleeve 6 retracts, thereby narrowing the gap X between the rear ends of the crimping pieces 61, 61 of the front crimping portion 60 and the front end of the second crimping portion 27 of the outer terminal 21, which has the effect of sandwiching the folded portion 13a of the braid 13, thereby improving the wire fastening force.

[0038] Therefore, with the inner module 2 of the shielded connector 1 having the connector structure according to this embodiment, even if a strong tensile force is applied to the outer terminal 21 in a direction that moves the shielded wire 10 relatively away from the outer terminal 21, there is no risk of the braid 13 shifting relative to the inner sleeve 6 or coming off the inner sleeve 6. As a result, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the reliability of the electrical connection between the outer terminal 21 and the braid 13 due to shifting or the like.

[0039] Furthermore, there is no need to crimp the inner sleeve 6 more strongly than necessary with the crimping portion 23 of the outer terminal 21 in order to improve the holding force, and there is no risk of compressing or deforming the twisted pair electric wire 11 and degrading the transmission characteristics when the crimping portion 23 of the outer terminal 21 is crimped.

[0040] Therefore, with the inner module 2 of the shielded connector 1 having the connector structure according to this embodiment, even if a strong tensile force is applied to the outer terminal 21 in a direction that moves the shielded wire 10 relatively away from the outer terminal 21, there is no risk of the braid 13 shifting relative to the inner sleeve 6 or coming off the inner sleeve 6. As a result, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the reliability of the electrical connection between the outer terminal 21 and the braid 13 due to shifting or the like.

[0041] In the inner module 2 having the connector structure according to this embodiment, the inner sleeve 6 is integrally press-formed from a conductive metal plate. The front crimping portion 60 has a pair of crimping pieces 61, 61 that are crimped and attached in an overlapping manner, and the rear crimping portion 64 has a pair of crimping pieces 65, 65 that are crimped and attached in a cylindrical shape. Therefore, the inner sleeve 6 according to this embodiment is easy to crimp and can be manufactured inexpensively while suppressing increases in manufacturing costs.

[0042] Therefore, according to the shielded connector 1 having the connector structure of this embodiment, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the terminal holding force of the outer terminal 21 in the shielded connector 1 using the twisted pair wire 11, as well as a decrease in the reliability of the electrical connection between the outer terminal 21 and the braid 13.

[0043] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be appropriately modified, improved, etc. Furthermore, the material, shape, size, number, location, etc. of each component in the above-described embodiments are arbitrary and not limited as long as they can achieve the present invention.

[0044] Here, the features of the connector structure according to the present invention described above will be briefly summarized and listed below in [1] and [2]. [1] A cable (shielded wire 10) in which a braid (13) surrounding a twisted pair wire (11) is covered with a sheath (14); an inner sleeve (6) having a front crimping portion (60) positioned on the end side of the cable (shielded electric wire 10) and crimped in an overlapping manner, and a rear crimping portion (64) having an outer shape smaller than that of the front crimping portion (60) and positioned on the rear side of the front crimping portion (60), the inner sleeve (6) being fitted over the outer periphery of the braid (13) exposed from the end of the sheath (14); an inner terminal (15) electrically connected to the core wire of the twisted pair electric wire (11) exposed from the end of the sheath (14); an inner housing (4) in which the inner terminal (15) is accommodated in an inner terminal accommodating portion (45); an outer terminal (21) including: a shield body (22) covering the outer periphery of the inner housing (4); and a crimping portion (23) extending from the shield body (22) and having a first crimping portion (25) and a second crimping portion (27) formed thereon, the first crimping portion (25) and the second crimping portion (27) being crimped onto the outer periphery of the front crimping portion (60) and the rear crimping portion (64), respectively, so as to be electrically connected to an end (folded portion 13a) of the braid (13) folded back to cover the outer periphery of the inner sleeve (6); A connector structure comprising:

[0045] According to the connector structure described in [1] above, the first crimping portion (25) and the second crimping portion (27) of the crimping portion (23) of the outer terminal (21) are crimped to the outer peripheral surfaces of the front crimping portion (60) and the rear crimping portion (64), respectively, which are crimped in an overlapping manner with a step (G) of the inner sleeve (6), so that the folded portion (13a) of the braid (13) is clamped in a state where it is bent in a crank-shaped cross section. When a strong tensile force is applied to the outer terminal 21 in a direction that moves the cable (shielded wire 10) relatively away from the outer terminal 21, the braid 13, whose end (folded portion 13a) is clamped at the portion bent in a crank-like cross section, is caught and locked by the front outer peripheral edge 60a, front inner peripheral edge 60b, and rear outer peripheral edge 60c of the front crimping portion 60 of the inner sleeve 6 and the front inner peripheral edge 27a of the second crimping portion 27 of the outer terminal 21. In particular, the braid 13 is easily caught at the overlapping portion of the front crimping portion 60, which has twice the plate thickness, and the locking force is large. That is, the cable (shielded wire 10) with the folded portion 13a of the braid 13 sandwiched by this overlapping portion is less likely to come off the outer terminal 21, improving the fastening strength. Therefore, in order to improve the contact holding strength of the braid 13 as well as the terminal holding strength of the outer terminal 21, it is no longer necessary to crimp the inner sleeve 6 with the crimping portion 23 of the outer terminal 21 more strongly than necessary. Therefore, when the crimping portion 23 of the outer terminal 21 is crimped, there is no risk of compressing or deforming the twisted pair wire 11, which could degrade the transmission characteristics.

[0046] [2] The inner sleeve (6) is integrally press-formed from a conductive metal plate, The front crimping portion (60) has a pair of crimping pieces (61, 61) that are crimped in an overlapping manner, The rear crimping portion (64) has a pair of crimping pieces (65, 65) that are crimped into a cylindrical shape. The connector structure according to [1] above.

[0047] According to the connector structure described in [2] above, the inner sleeve (6) can be easily crimped and can be manufactured inexpensively while suppressing increases in manufacturing costs. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1...Shielded connector 4...Inner housing 6...Inner sleeve 10...Shielded wire (cable) 11...Twisted pair wire 11a...core wire 13...Braid 13a...Folded portion (braided end) 14...Sheath 15...Inner terminal 21...Outer terminal 22...Shield body 23... Crimping part 25...First crimping part 27...Second crimping section 45...Inner terminal housing 60...Front crimping part 64...Post-crimping part

Claims

1. a cable in which a braid surrounding a twisted pair electric wire is covered with a sheath; an inner sleeve including a front crimping portion located on the end side of the cable and crimped in an overlapping manner, and a rear crimping portion having an outer shape smaller than that of the front crimping portion and located on the inner side of the front crimping portion, the inner sleeve being fitted over the outer periphery of the braid exposed from the end of the sheath; an inner terminal electrically connected to the core wire of the twisted pair electric wire exposed from the end of the sheath; an inner housing having an inner terminal accommodating portion in which the inner terminal is accommodated; an outer terminal including: a shield body covering an outer periphery of the inner housing; and a first crimping portion and a second crimping portion extending from the shield body and crimped to outer peripheries of the front crimping portion and the rear crimping portion, respectively, so as to be electrically connected to ends of the braid folded back to cover the outer periphery of the inner sleeve; A connector structure comprising:

2. the inner sleeve is integrally press-formed from a conductive metal plate, the front crimping portion has a pair of crimping pieces that are crimped in an overlapping manner, The post-crimping portion has a pair of crimping pieces that are crimped into a cylindrical shape. The connector structure according to claim 1 .

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