Shielded connector

Abstract

To provide a shield connector capable of suppressing a change amount of impedance and improving transmission characteristics.SOLUTION: The outer conductor terminal 13 includes the plurality of resilient contact portions 39 resiliently deformable in the radial direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and the plurality of slits 36 arranged between the plurality of resilient contact portions 39 in the circumferential direction of the outer conductor terminal 13. Each resilient contact portion 39 includes a contact point portion 42 projecting radially outward. Each slit 36 extends in the front-rear direction and is open in the front end of the outer conductor terminal 13. The outer conductor terminal 13 includes, between the respective slits 36, the stopping portion 34 configured to contact the outer peripheral surface of the dielectric 12 with the contact point portion 42 and the mating outer conductor terminal 123 held in contact.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 17

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a shielded connector. [Background technology]

[0002] The shielded connector described in Patent Document 1 includes an inner conductor terminal, a dielectric, and an outer conductor terminal. The outer conductor terminal has an enclosing portion that encloses the outer periphery of the dielectric. The enclosing portion is rectangular tubular. The enclosing portion has multiple elastic contact portions (nameless in Patent Document 1) that are cut outward and raised. Each elastic contact portion protrudes outward to contact a mating outer conductor terminal. The outer conductor terminal also has multiple slits (nameless in Patent Document 1) at the four corners of the enclosing portion. Each slit extends rearward from the front end of the enclosing portion. When the contact portion contacts the mating outer conductor terminal, the plate portions between the slits in the enclosing portion elastically deform radially inward toward the dielectric. A mating inner conductor terminal (not disclosed in Patent Document 1) is disposed in the space radially inward of the plate portions.

[0003] Patent Document 2 discloses a structure in which an outer conductor ring (part indicated by reference numeral 300) is formed at the front end of an outer conductor body (part indicated by reference numeral 200). The outer conductor ring maintains a constant ring shape by welding at a weld seam (part indicated by reference numeral 209). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2024-13285 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent No. 10,944,218 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the case of Patent Document 1, for example, when the shielded connector is subjected to vibrations while mounted on a vehicle or the like, the plate portion at the tip of the enclosing portion may vibrate toward or away from the dielectric, which may change the distance between the outer conductor terminal and the mating inner conductor terminal. If this change in distance results in a large change in characteristic impedance, there is a concern that this may affect transmission characteristics.

[0006] In contrast, in the case of Patent Document 2, it was possible to suppress the amount of change in characteristic impedance by using an outer conductor ring with a fixed shape. However, there was a problem in that it required separate processes and equipment to weld the weld seam, which increased costs.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a shielded connector that can suppress the amount of change in impedance and improve transmission characteristics. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The shielded connector of the present disclosure includes an inner conductor terminal, a dielectric surrounding the inner conductor terminal, and a plate-shaped outer conductor terminal surrounding the dielectric, wherein the outer conductor terminal has a plurality of resilient contact portions that are elastically deformable in a radial direction perpendicular to a front-to-rear direction, and a plurality of slits arranged between the resilient contact portions in a circumferential direction of the outer conductor terminal, the resilient contact portions have contact portions that protrude radially outward, the slits extend in the front-to-rear direction and open at a front end of the outer conductor terminal, and the outer conductor terminal has stop portions between the plurality of slits that abut against the outer peripheral surface of the dielectric when the contact portions are in contact with a mating outer conductor terminal. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a shielded connector that can suppress the amount of change in impedance and improve transmission characteristics. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a shield terminal unit in a shield connector according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first outer conductor terminal in the shielded connector according to the first embodiment, viewed from above. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the open-shaped second outer conductor terminal in the shielded connector according to the first embodiment, viewed from below. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an open-shaped shield receiving member in the shield connector according to the first embodiment, as viewed from above. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a view for explaining the assembly process of the shielded connector according to the first embodiment, and is a perspective view showing a state in which the sheath and the like have been stripped off at the front end of the shielded electric wire. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the assembly process of the shielded connector according to the first embodiment, and is a perspective view showing a state in which an open-shaped shield receiving member is further arranged on the outer periphery of the shielding portion. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a view for explaining the assembly process of the shielded connector according to the first embodiment, and is a perspective view showing a state in which the shield receiving member surrounds the shield portion. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the assembly process of the shielded connector according to the first embodiment, and is a perspective view showing the state in which the shield portion is further folded back to form a folded portion and the front end of the insulating coating of each internal electric wire is removed to expose the core wire. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a view for explaining the assembly process of the shielded connector according to the first embodiment, and is a perspective view showing a state in which each inner conductor terminal has been attached to the front end of each inner wire. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a view for explaining the assembly process of the shielded connector according to the first embodiment, and is a perspective view showing a state in which the first dielectric and the second dielectric are arranged on both the upper and lower sides of each internal electric wire. [Figure 11]FIG. 11 is a view for explaining the assembly process of the shielded connector according to the first embodiment, and is a perspective view showing the state in which the first dielectric and the second dielectric are assembled together. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a view for explaining the assembly process of the shielded connector according to the first embodiment, and is a perspective view showing a state in which a dielectric has been inserted into the surrounding portion of the first outer conductor terminal. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a view for explaining the assembly process of the shielded connector according to the first embodiment, and is a perspective view showing a state in which the first outer conductor terminal is further disposed on the outer circumferential side of the second outer conductor terminal. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating the assembly process of the shielded connector according to the first embodiment, and is a perspective view showing the state in which the first to third sections have been crimped over the range from the folded-back portion of the shielded portion of the shielded electric wire to the front end portion of the sheath. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is an enlarged cross-sectional plan view showing the shielded connector according to the first embodiment, with the stopper portions of the convex portions of the third part arranged opposite the stopped portions of the concave portions of the shield receiving member. [Figure 16] 16 is a cross-sectional view of the shielded connector according to the first embodiment taken along line AA in FIG. 15. FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is an enlarged side view showing a state in which the shielded connector according to embodiment 1 is mated with a mating shielded connector, the contact portion of the elastic contact portion of the first outer conductor terminal is in contact with the mating outer conductor terminal, the stop portion is in contact with the dielectric, and a certain distance is formed between the stop portion and the mating inner conductor terminal. [Figure 18] 18 is a cross-sectional view of the shielded connector according to the first embodiment taken along line BB in FIG. 17. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] [Description of the embodiments of the present disclosure] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. The shielded connector of the present disclosure comprises: (1) An electrical connector comprising an inner conductor terminal, a dielectric surrounding the inner conductor terminal, and a plate-shaped outer conductor terminal surrounding the dielectric, wherein the outer conductor terminal has a plurality of resilient contact portions that are resiliently deformable in a radial direction perpendicular to a front-rear direction, and a plurality of slits arranged in a circumferential direction of the outer conductor terminal between the resilient contact portions, the resilient contact portions having contact portions that protrude radially outward, the slits extending in the front-rear direction and opening at a front end of the outer conductor terminal, and the outer conductor terminal having stop portions between the slits that come into contact with an outer peripheral surface of the dielectric when the contact portions are in contact with a mating outer conductor terminal.

[0012] When the contact portion and the mating outer conductor terminal are in contact, the stopper of the outer conductor terminal abuts the outer peripheral surface of the dielectric, suppressing movement of the resilient contact portion. This allows the distance between the outer conductor terminal and the mating inner conductor terminal, located in the space radially inward of the stopper, to be maintained constant. This reduces the amount of change in characteristic impedance and improves transmission characteristics. In particular, because the stopper is simply formed between each slit in the outer conductor terminal, the process of forming the stopper is not particularly complicated, and costs are kept low.

[0013] (2) In the shielded connector described in (1) above, it is preferable that the stopper portion has a cross-sectional shape along the front-rear direction and a straight shape extending in the front-rear direction. According to the above configuration (2), it is possible to effectively suppress changes in the characteristic impedance within the range of the length of the stopper portion extending in the front-rear direction.

[0014] (3) In the shielded connector described in (2) above, it is preferable that the stopper portion is in face-to-face contact with the outer peripheral surface of the dielectric when the contact portion and the mating outer conductor terminal are in contact with each other. According to the configuration (3) above, even if the shielded connector is placed under vibration, the movement of the elastic contact portion can be reliably suppressed, and the state in which the retaining portion contacts the outer peripheral surface of the dielectric can be more reliably maintained.

[0015] (4) In the shielded connector described in any one of (1) to (3) above, it is preferable that the stopper has a portion that protrudes forward from the front end of the dielectric. According to the above configuration (4), even if a gap occurs between the dielectric and the mating dielectric in the front-to-rear direction due to, for example, the shielded wire being pulled backward when the shielded connector and the mating shielded connector are mated, the stopper can maintain a state in which it surrounds the outer periphery of the mating inner conductor terminal, thereby more reliably suppressing changes in the characteristic impedance between the dielectric and the mating dielectric.

[0016] [Details of the embodiments of the present disclosure] Specific examples of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0017] <Embodiment 1> As shown in FIGS. 1 and 17 , a shielded connector 10 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure includes an inner conductor terminal 11, a dielectric 12, an outer conductor terminal 13, a shield receiving member 14 (not shown in FIG. 17 ), and a housing 15 (not shown in FIG. 1 ). The inner conductor terminal 11, the outer conductor terminal 13, and the shield receiving member 14 are formed by bending a conductive metal plate material or the like. The dielectric 12 and the housing 15 are formed from an insulating resin material. The housing 15 is fitted to a mating shielded connector 100. The inner conductor terminal 11 and the outer conductor terminal 13 are electrically connected to an end portion of a shielded electric wire 90. The inner conductor terminal 11, the dielectric 12, the outer conductor terminal 13, and the shield receiving member 14 are assembled together at the end portion of the shielded electric wire 90 to form a shielded terminal unit 20 (see FIG. 14 ). As shown in FIG. 17 , the shielded terminal unit 20 is accommodated in the housing 15. In the following description, the front-rear direction refers to the direction in which the shielded connector 10 is mated with the mating shielded connector 100. The terminal portion of the shielded wire 90 corresponds to the front end portion of the shielded wire 90. The up-down direction is based on the up-down direction in each drawing except for FIG. 15. The left-right direction is based on the left-right direction when viewed from the front. In FIG. 1, arrows X, Y, and Z represent the front, right, and upward, respectively. The references for these directions do not necessarily coincide with the references for directions when the shielded connector 10 is mounted on a vehicle or the like (not shown).

[0018] (Shielded wire 90) As shown in Fig. 5, the shielded electric wire 90 of the first embodiment includes two inner electric wires 91, a shield portion 92 surrounding each of the inner electric wires 91, and an insulating sheath 93 covering the outer periphery of the shield portion 92. Each inner electric wire 91 is a coated electric wire in which a core wire 95 is covered with an insulating coating 96. The inner electric wires 91 are twisted together to form a twisted pair wire. The shield portion 92 is a flexible conductive member, and in this case is formed as a braided wire in which conductive wires such as copper or aluminum are braided into a tubular shape. As shown in Fig. 8, an insulating member 94 is provided between each inner electric wire 91 and the shield portion 92.

[0019] At the front end of the shielded electric wire 90, the sheath 93 is removed, successively exposing the inner electric wires 91, the insulating member 94, and the shield portion 92. Furthermore, at the front end of each inner electric wire 91, the insulating coating 96 is removed, exposing the core wire 95.

[0020] 15 , the shield receiving member 14 surrounds the front end of the shielded electric wire 90 forward of the sheath 93 and is held by the shielded electric wire 90. The front end of the shield portion 92 is disposed across the inner and outer periphery of the shield receiving member 14, passing through the front of the shield receiving member 14. The shield portion 92 has a folded portion 97 that is folded back toward the outer periphery of the shield receiving member 14, and an inner periphery portion 98 that is disposed along the outer periphery of the insulating member 94 on the inner periphery of the shield receiving member 14.

[0021] (Inner conductor terminal 11) 1 and 9, the inner conductor terminal 11 of the first embodiment is formed into a shape elongated in the front-rear direction by bending a metal plate. As shown in Fig. 17, a tab 112 of a mating inner conductor terminal 111 is fitted into the front end of the inner conductor terminal 11 for electrical connection. As shown in Fig. 1, the rear end of the inner conductor terminal 11 is crimped onto the exposed core wire 95 of the inner electric wire 91 for electrical connection, and is also mechanically connected to the insulating coating 96.

[0022] (Dielectric 12) 1 and 10, the dielectric 12 of the first embodiment is made up of a first dielectric 16 and a second dielectric 17. The second dielectric 17 is attached to the first dielectric 16 from above. The inner conductor terminals 11 are housed between the first dielectric 16 and the second dielectric 17, side by side in the left-right direction. Similarly, the front ends of the inner wires 91 are housed between the first dielectric 16 and the second dielectric 17, side by side in the left-right direction, with their twists untwisted.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 11, the front end of the outer circumferential surface of the dielectric 12 (first dielectric 16 and second dielectric 17) is configured as a circumferential surface portion 18 along the front-rear direction. The circumferential surface portion 18 of the dielectric 12 has rounded corners in a front view and has an outer circumferential shape that is longer in the left-right direction than in the up-down direction. In addition to the circumferential surface portion 18, the outer circumferential surface of the dielectric 12 also has an inclined surface portion 19 whose diameter increases rearward from the circumferential surface portion 18, and a rear surface portion 21 that extends rearward from the inclined surface portion 19.

[0024] The second dielectric 17 has a front wall portion 22 that constitutes the front wall of the dielectric 12. The front wall portion 22 has a pair of left and right tab insertion holes 23. Each tab insertion hole 23 penetrates the front wall portion 22 in the front-to-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 17 , the tab 112 of the mating internal conductor terminal 111 is inserted into the tab insertion hole 23 from the front and inserted into the corresponding internal conductor terminal 11 to be electrically connected. The front surface of the front wall portion 22 is disposed facing the mating dielectric 122 of the mating shielded connector 100. The mating internal conductor terminal 111 is housed in the mating dielectric 122. The tab 112 protrudes from the mating dielectric 122 toward the tab insertion hole 23.

[0025] (Outer conductor terminal 13) 1, the outer conductor terminal 13 of the first embodiment is composed of a first outer conductor terminal 24 and a second outer conductor terminal 25. The first outer conductor terminal 24 has an enclosing portion 26 that encloses the outer periphery of the dielectric 12, and an extending portion 27 that extends rearward from the enclosing portion 26.

[0026] As shown in Figures 2 and 18, the surrounding portion 26 has rounded corners in a front view and has a cylindrical shape that is longer in the left-right direction than in the up-down direction. The dielectric 12 is inserted into the surrounding portion 26 from the rear. The outer conductor terminal 13 and the inner conductor terminal 11 are insulated from each other by the dielectric 12. As shown in Figure 2, both circumferential ends of the surrounding portion 26 have mating edges 28 that engage in a concave-convex manner at the left-right intermediate portion of the upper wall portion. The mating edges 28 maintain the cylindrical shape of the surrounding portion 26.

[0027] 2, the first outer conductor terminal 24 has a pair of retaining portions 29 (only one of which is shown in FIG. 2) on both the left and right ends of the rear end of the enclosure portion 26. Each retaining portion 29 is engaged with the dielectric 12. Each retaining portion 29 prevents the dielectric 12 from slipping out rearward from the enclosure portion 26.

[0028] The first outer conductor terminal 24 has a step portion 31 at the front end of the surrounding portion 26. The step portion 31 is composed of an inclined surface portion 32 that narrows radially inward toward the front, and an upright surface portion 33 that extends radially inward from the front end of the inclined surface portion 32. The upright surface portion 33 is formed so as to rise steeply, with an inclination angle relative to the front-to-rear direction greater than that of the inclined surface portion 32.

[0029] Of the front and rear portions of the surrounding portion 26 sandwiching the step portion 31 , the front portion is configured as a plurality of stop portions 34 , and the rear portion is configured as a peripheral wall portion 35 . Each of the retaining portions 34 constitutes the front end of the surrounding portion 26 and is divided into multiple portions in the circumferential direction via slits 36, which will be described later. Each of the retaining portions 34 has a plate shape extending in the circumferential direction and is located radially inward of the peripheral wall portion 35. As shown in FIG. 17 , each of the retaining portions 34 has a cross-sectional shape extending in the front-rear direction and a straight shape extending in the front-rear direction. The tab 112 of the mating internal conductor terminal 111 is disposed in a space radially inward of the retaining portion 34. In the case of the first embodiment, the distance (radial separation distance) between the tab 112 of the mating internal conductor terminal 111 and the retaining portion 34 is set to be constant when viewed in the front-rear direction.

[0030] As shown in Figures 2 and 18, the surrounding portion 26 has a plurality of slits 36 extending in the front-rear direction. The slits 36 are arranged in the surrounding portion 26 at intervals in the circumferential direction, more specifically, at unequal intervals in the circumferential direction. As shown in Figure 2, each slit 36 ​​is formed to extend in the front-rear direction over a range from the stopper portion 34, through the step portion 31, to the peripheral wall portion 35. The front end of each slit 36 ​​opens at the front end of the surrounding portion 26. Each stopper portion 34 can elastically deform in the radial direction, with a portion of the peripheral wall portion 35 corresponding to the rear end of each slit 36 ​​as a fulcrum.

[0031] In the first embodiment, as shown in Figures 2 and 18, each slit 36 ​​includes four first slits 37 formed at each of the four corners of the enclosure 26 and two second slits 38 formed at the left-right intermediate portions of the upper and lower wall portions of the enclosure 26. Each first slit 37 is cut deeper in the front-rear direction than each second slit 38. The rear end of each first slit 37 is located at the same position as the rear end of a resilient contact portion 39 (described later) or further rearward than the rear end of the resilient contact portion 39 in the front-rear direction. The rear end of each second slit 38 is located at a position corresponding to the front end of the resilient contact portion 39 in the front-rear direction.

[0032] 2 and 18, the surrounding portion 26 has a plurality of resilient contact portions 39 on each of the upper wall portion, the lower wall portion, and the left and right side wall portions. As shown in FIGS. 2, 14, and 18, each resilient contact portion 39 is formed in pairs on the left and right sides between each first slit 37 and each second slit 38 on the upper wall portion and the lower wall portion. Also, each resilient contact portion 39 is formed one between each first slit 37 on each side wall portion.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 2 , each resilient contact portion 39 is cut outward in a mountain-like shape and raised radially outward between a pair of notches 41 formed in the peripheral wall portion 35. Each notch 41 extends linearly in the front-rear direction on the peripheral wall portion 35. The resilient contact portion 39 is formed between each notch 41 in the shape of a double-supported beam with both front and rear ends fixed. The resilient contact portion 39 can elastically deform radially on the peripheral wall portion 35. Each resilient contact portion 39 has a contact portion 42 that protrudes radially outward. The contact portion 42 corresponds to the apex of the resilient contact portion 39. As shown in FIG. 17 , the mating outer conductor terminal 123 of the mating shielded connector 100 is fitted to the outer periphery of the surrounding portion 26. The contact portion 42 of the resilient contact portion 39 contacts the inner periphery of the mating outer conductor terminal 123. When the shielded connector 10 and the mating shielded connector 100 are fitted together, the outer conductor terminal 13 and the mating outer conductor terminal 123 are electrically connected.

[0034] 2, the extending portion 27 has a band shape extending rearward from the lower wall portion of the peripheral wall portion 35. A barrel piece 55 (described later) of the second outer conductor terminal 25 is attached to the outer periphery of the extending portion 27. A lower end of the folded-back portion 97 of the shield portion 92 is sandwiched and held between the extending portion 27 and the barrel piece 55 (described later) of the second outer conductor terminal 25.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 13 , the second outer conductor terminal 25 has a cover shape and is attached to the rear portion of the first outer conductor terminal 24 from above. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 , the second outer conductor terminal 25 has an engaging portion 43, a first portion 44, a third portion 46, and a second portion 45, in that order from the front end of the second outer conductor terminal 25 to the rear. As shown in FIG. 3 , the engaging portion 43 has a gate-like shape in a front view and a pair of side plate portions 47 facing each other in the left-right direction. Each side plate portion 47 is disposed at the front end of the second outer conductor terminal 25. Each side plate portion 47 is inserted into a guide groove (not shown) in the housing 15 to guide the assembly of the outer conductor terminal 13 to the housing 15. Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 13 , the engaging portion 43 has a lance hole 48 that opens in a rectangular shape in a plan view and a locking protrusion 49 that is bent up from the front end of the lance hole 48. A lance (not shown) of the housing 15 enters the lance hole 48 of the engagement portion 43 and is locked by the locking projection 49, thereby preventing the outer conductor terminal 13 from slipping out rearward from the housing 15.

[0036] The first to third sections 44, 45, 46 change from a U-shape (open shape, see FIGS. 1, 3, and 13) before crimping to the shielded wire 90 to an O-shape (closed shape, see FIGS. 14 to 16) after crimping. The following description of the first to third sections 44, 45, 46 is based on the state after crimping, unless otherwise specified.

[0037] 15 , the first part 44 is crimped to and electrically connected to the folded-back part 97 of the shield part 92. The folded-back part 97 of the shield part 92 is sandwiched and held between the first part 44 and the shield receiving member 14. The first part 44 has a cylindrical shape and surrounds the outer circumferential surface of the folded-back part 97 of the shield part 92 over the entire circumference.

[0038] The second part 45 is crimped and mechanically connected to the sheath 93 of the shielded electric wire 90. The second part 45 has a cylindrical shape and surrounds the outer circumferential surface of the sheath 93 over the entire circumference.

[0039] As shown in Fig. 15, the third portion 46 is disposed between the first portion 44 and the second portion 45 in the front-rear direction. The third portion 46 has a cylindrical shape and is disposed so as to cover an area extending forward from the front end of the sheath 93 of the shielded electric wire 90. As shown in Fig. 14, the third portion 46 is continuous with each of the first portion 44 and the second portion 45 in the front-rear direction with the same diameter and without any steps. The first portion 44 is disposed forward of a punching hole 52, which will be described later. The second portion 45 is disposed rearward of a protrusion 51, which will be described later. In this specification, the boundaries between the first and third portions 44, 45, 46 (see the dashed lines in Fig. 14) are set at the front-rear positions of the punching hole 52 and the protrusion 51.

[0040] The third portion 46 has a plurality of protrusions 51. The protrusions 51 are arranged at intervals, more specifically, at unequal intervals, in the circumferential direction of the third portion 46. In the case of the first embodiment, the protrusions 51 are arranged in pairs, one above the other, at positions visible from both the left and right sides.

[0041] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 , each protrusion 51 is cut and formed rearward of a punch hole 52 formed in the third portion 46 so as to bulge radially inward of the third portion 46. Each punch hole 52 extends linearly in the circumferential direction of the third portion 46. Each protrusion 51 is connected seamlessly to adjacent portions of the third portion 46, excluding each punch hole 52. Each protrusion 51 has a triangular shape when viewed from the radial outside, and gradually expands circumferentially toward the front where the punch hole 52 is located. As shown in FIG. 15 , each protrusion 51 has a cross-sectional shape along the front-to-rear direction and is inclined radially inward toward the front.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 15, the front end surface of each protrusion 51 is configured as a stopper portion 53 that can abut against a stopped portion 62 (described later) of the shield receiving member 14 from behind. As shown in FIG. 3, the stopper portion 53 is a plate thickness surface of the third portion 46, and is formed by cutting out and raising from the punched hole 52. The stopper portion 53 protrudes in a curved shape toward the radially inward direction of the third portion 46. The stopper portion 53 of each protrusion 51 extends in the circumferential direction along the punched hole 52. Also, as shown in FIG. 15, the stopper portion 53 is inclined with respect to the radial direction along a direction perpendicular to the inclination direction of the protrusion 51.

[0043] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 , the first to third sections 44, 45, and 46 each have a base 54 extending in the front-rear direction and a pair of left and right barrel pieces 55 (see FIG. 3 ) protruding downward from the base 54 before crimping. The base 54 and each barrel piece 55 are continuously connected in the front-rear direction except for the punching holes 52 and are shared by the first to third sections 44, 45, and 46. As shown in FIG. 14 , each barrel piece 55 is wound around the shielded electric wire 90. The circumferential ends of each barrel piece 55 form mating ends 56 that fit together in a concave-convex manner at the lower ends of the first to third sections 44, 45, and 46. The mating ends 56 of each barrel piece 55 have an inclined edge 57 at the third section 46 that is inclined in a direction intersecting the circumferential direction. The first to third sections 44, 45, and 46 maintain a closed (cylindrical) shape due to the locking action of the inclined edges 57 at the mating ends 56.

[0044] (Shield receiving member 14) The shield receiving member 14 of the first embodiment changes from a U-shape (open shape, see FIGS. 1, 4, and 6) before being crimped onto the shielded electric wire 90 to an O-shape (closed shape, see FIGS. 7, 15, and 16) after being crimped. The following description of the shield receiving member 14 is based on the state after being crimped, unless otherwise specified.

[0045] As shown in Fig. 7, the shield receiving member 14 has a cylindrical shape. Both circumferential ends of the shield receiving member 14 are arranged opposite each other in a manner that allows them to abut against each other in the front-to-rear direction at the upper end of the shield receiving member 14. As shown in Fig. 15, the folded-back portion 97 of the shield section 92 receives the crimping force of the first section 44 and is brought into close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the shield receiving member 14. The shield receiving member 14 contacts an inner peripheral portion 98 of the shield section 92 on the outer peripheral surface of the insulating member 94.

[0046] As shown in Figures 4, 6, and 7, the shield receiving member 14 has a plurality of ribs 58. The ribs 58 are spaced apart in the front-to-rear direction of the shield receiving member 14 and extend circumferentially. Both circumferential ends of each rib 58 reach near the upper end of the shield receiving member 14. Each rib 58 protrudes radially inward of the shield receiving member 14 and contacts the inner periphery 98 of the shield portion 92 (see Figure 15).

[0047] 4, the shield receiving member 14 has a plurality of recesses 61. Each recess 61 has a rectangular recessed shape when viewed from the radially outer side, and opens to the rear end of the shield receiving member 14. The recesses 61 are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction of the shield receiving member 14, more specifically, at unequal intervals. The protrusions 51 of the third portion 46 are arranged in the recesses 61 of the outer conductor terminal 13 when the outer conductor terminal 13 is crimped.

[0048] The inner end surface (the end surface facing rearward on the front side) of each recess 61 is configured as a stoppered portion 62. The stoppered portion 62 of each recess 61 extends in the circumferential direction. As shown in FIG. 15 , the stoppered portion 62 of each recess 61 gradually inclines rearward from the radially inner side toward the radially outer side in the radial direction (the plate thickness direction of the shield receiving member 14). The left and right surfaces (surfaces facing each other in the left and right direction) of the recess 61 are arranged perpendicular to the stoppered portion 62.

[0049] (Housing 15) Although not shown in detail, the housing 15 of the first embodiment has a fitting portion 63 penetrating in the front-rear direction as shown in Fig. 17. The shield terminal unit 20 is inserted into the fitting portion 63 of the housing 15 from the rear. The housing 15 has a lance (not shown) that can be engaged with the locking protrusion 49 of the second outer conductor terminal 25.

[0050] (Function of the shielded connector 10) The assembly procedure for the shielded connector 10 will be described below. First, as shown in FIG. 5 , the sheath 93 is stripped from the front end of the shielded electric wire 90, exposing the shield portion 92 and each inner electric wire 91 forward of the sheath 93. Next, as shown in FIG. 6 , an open-shaped shield receiving member 14 is positioned forward of the sheath 93. In this state, as shown in FIG. 7 , the shield receiving member 14 is crimped to surround the outer periphery of the shield portion 92. Next, as shown in FIG. 8 , the front end of the shield portion 92 is inverted backward, and the folded-back portion 97 of the shield portion 92 is positioned on the outer periphery of the shield receiving member 14. Furthermore, at an appropriate timing, each inner electric wire 91 is untwisted and the insulating coating 96 is removed to expose the core wire 95 at the front end of each inner electric wire 91. Note that the shield receiving member 14 is positioned forward of the front end of the sheath 93, and a gap may be formed between the shield receiving member 14 and the sheath 93.

[0051] Next, as shown in Fig. 9, each inner conductor terminal 11 is electrically and mechanically crimped and connected to the front end of each inner wire 91. Furthermore, as shown in Figs. 10 and 11, the first dielectric 16 and the second dielectric 17 are assembled from above and below to each of the inner conductor terminals 11 lined up in the left-right direction. As a result, each inner conductor terminal 11 is housed in the dielectric 12 (the first dielectric 16 and second dielectric 17 in the assembled state).

[0052] Then, as shown in FIG. 12 , the dielectric 12 is inserted into the surrounding portion 26 of the first outer conductor terminal 24 from the rear. The dielectric 12 is locked by each retaining portion 29 and is housed in the first outer conductor terminal 24 in a retained state. Next, as shown in FIG. 13 , the open-shaped second outer conductor terminal 25 is placed in the area extending from the rear of the first outer conductor terminal 24 to the front end of the sheath 93. In this state, as shown in FIG. 14 , the second outer conductor terminal 25 is crimped to surround the second outer conductor terminal 25 in the area extending from the folded-back portion 97 to the front end of the sheath 93. At this time, as shown in FIG. 15 , the barrel pieces 55 of the first portion 44 are wrapped around the outer peripheral surface of the folded-back portion 97 of the shield portion 92. The barrel pieces 55 of the third portion 46 are wrapped around the outer peripheral surface of the sheath 93.

[0053] The third portion 46 is disposed at the rear end of the shield receiving member 14 (including any gaps that may be formed between the shield receiving member 14 and the sheath 93). Each barrel piece 55 of the third portion 46 is bent along the outer periphery of the rear end of the shield receiving member 14. At this time, as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 , each protrusion 51 of the third portion 46 fits into each recess 61 of the shield receiving member 14. Each protrusion 51 is disposed rearward and spaced apart from the folded-back portion 97 of the shield portion 92 and in contact with or close to the inner periphery 98 of the shield portion 92. Each protrusion 51 is disposed in a range extending from the front end of the outer periphery of the sheath 93 to the rear end of the shield receiving member 14. The front end of the outer periphery of the sheath 93 comes into contact with and is pressed by each protrusion 51, causing compression deformation radially inward. As shown in FIG. 15 , each protrusion 51 has a pressing surface 65 on its inclined surface facing radially inward, which presses the front end of the outer periphery of the sheath 93.

[0054] 15 , the stopper portion 53 of each convex portion 51 is disposed opposite the stoppered portion 62 of each concave portion 61. In the case of the first embodiment, the planar directions of the stopper portion 53 and the stoppered portion 62 intersect at an acute angle, and the stopper portion 53 is disposed so that the upper corners of the stopper portion 53 come into point contact or line contact with the middle portions of the stoppered portions 62 in the upper and lower directions. In addition, the stopper portions 53 of each convex portion 51 are disposed so as to come into contact with the stoppered portions 62 of the concave portions 61 at intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0055] The shielded electric wire 90 is drawn rearward from the shield terminal unit 20. When the shielded electric wire 90 is pulled rearward, a tensile force acts on the shield receiving member 14, causing it to shift rearward relative to the second outer conductor terminal 25. However, in the case of the first embodiment, the stopper portion 53 of the second outer conductor terminal 25 comes into contact with the stopped portion 62 of the shield receiving member 14, thereby preventing the shield receiving member 14 and the second outer conductor terminal 25 from shifting relative to each other. This prevents the area where the third portion 46 comes into contact with the folded-back portion 97 of the shield portion 92 from decreasing.

[0056] Furthermore, the protrusion 51 is formed to bulge from the third portion 46, and the stopper portion 53 forms the plate thickness surface of the protrusion 51. Therefore, even if the stopper portion 53 hits the stopped portion 62 hard, the protrusion 51 is less likely to deform, and it is possible to more reliably prevent relative positional deviation between the shield receiving member 14 and the second outer conductor terminal 25. Furthermore, since the third portion 46 covers any gap that may be formed between the shield receiving member 14 and the sheath 93, it is also possible to prevent the shield portion 92 from protruding from the second outer conductor terminal 25 during crimping.

[0057] The shielded terminal unit 20 is accommodated in the mating portion 63 of the housing 15. Before the shielded connector 10 is mated with the mating shielded connector 100, the stoppers 34 and the peripheral surface 18 of the dielectric 12 face each other with a radial gap between them in the shielded terminal unit 20. As shown in FIG. 17 , when the shielded connector 10 is mated with the mating shielded connector 100, the hood-shaped mating outer conductor terminal 123 also fits around the outer periphery of the first outer conductor terminal 24. At this time, the contact portions 42 of the resilient contact portions 39 come into contact with the mating outer conductor terminal 123, and the resilient contact portions 39 elastically deform radially inward. The stoppers 34, together with the resilient contact portions 39, also elastically deform radially inward and come into contact with the peripheral surface 18 of the dielectric 12 in the front-rear and circumferential directions, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18 . Each elastic contact portion 39 contacts the mating outer conductor terminal 123, and a radially inward pressing force acts on each retaining portion 34, so that even when the shielded connector 10 is subjected to vibration, each retaining portion 34 can maintain contact with the peripheral surface portion 18 of the dielectric 12.

[0058] When the shielded connector 10 is mated with the mating shielded connector 100, the distance between the tab 112 of the mating inner conductor terminal 111 and each of the fastening portions 34 is maintained constant in the front-to-rear and circumferential directions. As a result, the characteristic impedance is also maintained constant.

[0059] The front end of each retaining portion 34 protrudes forward beyond the dielectric 12 and is located at the same position as or close to the tip surface 124 of the mating dielectric 122 in the front-rear direction. Even if the shielded wire 90 is pulled rearward, for example, and the front surface of the front wall portion 22 of the dielectric 12 moves in a direction away from the tip surface 124 of the mating dielectric 122 as shown in Fig. 17, each retaining portion 34 extending to the vicinity of the tip of the mating dielectric 122 can maintain a state of covering the outer periphery of the base portion of the tab 112 (the base end portion in the protruding direction from the tip surface 124). Therefore, even if the dielectric 12 moves away from the mating dielectric 122, the distance between the tab 112 of the mating internal conductor terminal 111 and each retaining portion 34 can be maintained constant, as shown in Figs. 17 and 18, and disturbances in the characteristic impedance can be minimized.

[0060] As described above, the shielded connector 10 according to the first embodiment includes an inner conductor terminal 11, a dielectric 12 surrounding the inner conductor terminal 11, and a plate-shaped outer conductor terminal 13 surrounding the dielectric 12. The outer conductor terminal 13 has a plurality of resilient contact portions 39 that are resiliently deformable in a radial direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction, and a plurality of slits 36 arranged between the resilient contact portions 39 in the circumferential direction of the outer conductor terminal 13. Each of the resilient contact portions 39 has a contact portion 42 that protrudes radially outward. Each of the slits 36 extends in the front-rear direction and opens at the front end of the outer conductor terminal 13. The outer conductor terminal 13 has a stop portion 34 between each of the slits 36 that abuts against the peripheral surface portion 18 of the dielectric 12 when the contact portion 42 is in contact with the mating outer conductor terminal 123.

[0061] When the contact portion 42 and the mating outer conductor terminal 123 are in contact, the retaining portion 34 of the outer conductor terminal 13 abuts against the peripheral surface 18 of the dielectric 12, thereby restricting the movement of each elastic contact portion 39. This allows the distance from the mating inner conductor terminal 111, located in the space radially inward of the retaining portion 34, to the outer conductor terminal 13 to be kept constant in the front-to-rear direction. This reduces the amount of change in characteristic impedance and improves transmission characteristics. In particular, because the retaining portion 34 is only formed between the slits 36 of the outer conductor terminal 13, costs can be reduced compared to the technology described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,0944,218, which requires welding at the weld seams to restrict the amount of change in characteristic impedance.

[0062] The stopper portion 34 of the first embodiment has a cross-sectional shape along the front-rear direction and a straight shape extending in the front-rear direction. Therefore, it is possible to effectively suppress changes in the characteristic impedance within the length range of the stopper portion 34 extending in the front-rear direction. Moreover, the stopper portion 34 is in face-to-face contact with the peripheral surface portion 18 of the dielectric 12 when the contact portion 42 and the mating outer conductor terminal 123 are in contact. Therefore, even if the shielded connector 10 is subjected to vibration, it is possible to more reliably maintain the state in which the stopper portion 34 is in contact with the peripheral surface portion 18 of the dielectric 12.

[0063] Furthermore, the stopper 34 has a portion that protrudes forward beyond the dielectric 12 in the assembled state. Therefore, even if a gap occurs in the front-to-rear direction between the dielectric 12 and the mating dielectric 122 due to, for example, the shielded wire 90 being pulled backward when the shielded connector 10 and the mating shielded connector 100 are mated, the portion of the stopper 34 that protrudes forward beyond the dielectric 12 can maintain a state in which it surrounds the outer periphery of the mating inner conductor terminal 111 at a certain distance. This makes it possible to more reliably suppress changes in the characteristic impedance between the dielectric 12 and the mating dielectric 122.

[0064] The shielded connector 10 according to the first embodiment includes a shield receiving member 14 that surrounds the front end of the shielded electric wire 90, and an outer conductor terminal 13 that is electrically connected to the shield portion 92 of the shielded electric wire 90. The shield receiving member 14 is held by the shielded electric wire 90. The outer conductor terminal 13 has a first portion 44 that sandwiches the shield portion 92 between itself and the outer periphery of the shield receiving member 14, a second portion 45 that surrounds the outer periphery of the sheath 93 of the shielded electric wire 90, and a surrounding-shaped third portion 46 that is continuous from the first portion 44 to the second portion 45. The third portion 46 has a hole 52 that extends linearly in a circumferential direction that intersects the front-rear direction, and a protrusion 51 that bulges radially inward from the hole 52 behind the hole 52. The protrusion 51 has a stopper portion 53 that faces the stopped portion 62 of the shield receiving member 14 from behind.

[0065] When a pulling force acts on the shielded electric wire 90 in the rearward direction, the stopper portion 53 of the protrusion 51 comes into contact with the stopped portion 62 of the shield receiving member 14, thereby preventing relative positional deviation between the outer conductor terminal 13 and the shielded electric wire 90. Therefore, the state in which the outer conductor terminal 13 is connected to the shield portion 92 of the shielded electric wire 90 can be stably maintained, and a holding force for the outer conductor terminal 13 to hold the shielded electric wire 90 can be obtained.

[0066] In particular, the stopper portion 53 is provided in a shape that bulges radially inward, behind the punched hole 52 that extends linearly in the circumferential direction, in the surrounding-shaped third portion 46 that continues from the first portion 44 to the second portion 45. Therefore, the stopper portion 53 does not form a large hole or space in the outer conductor terminal 13, and protrusion of the shield portion 92 from the outer conductor terminal 13 can be suppressed.

[0067] Furthermore, since the stopped portion 62 is inclined rearward from the inside to the outside in the radial direction of the shield receiving member 14, the contact state between the stopped portion 62 and the stopper portion 53 can be maintained more reliably.

[0068] Furthermore, in the case of the first embodiment, the shield receiving member 14 has a recess 61 that opens at the rear end of the shield receiving member 14, and the protrusion 51 is disposed in the recess 61. In this way, by disposing the protrusion 51 in the recess 61, the relative positions of the outer conductor terminal 13 and the shield receiving member 14 can be determined.

[0069] Furthermore, a plurality of recesses 61 are provided at the rear end of the shield receiving member 14 at intervals in the circumferential direction of the shield receiving member 14. A plurality of protrusions 51 are provided at positions corresponding to the plurality of recesses 61 in the third portion 46 at intervals in the circumferential direction of the third portion 46. This allows each protrusion 51 to come into contact with the shield receiving member 14 at multiple points when a rearward pulling force is applied to the shielded electric wire 90, making it possible to more reliably prevent relative positional displacement between the outer conductor terminal 13 and the shielded electric wire 90.

[0070] Furthermore, the protrusion 51 has a pressing surface 65 that presses the front end of the outer peripheral surface of the sheath 93. In this way, the pressing surface 65 of the protrusion 51 presses the front end of the outer peripheral surface of the sheath 93, thereby preventing the shielded wire 90 from shifting forward relative to the outer conductor terminal 13.

[0071] [Another embodiment of the present disclosure] The first embodiment disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. In the first embodiment, the two inner electric wires are twisted together to form a twisted pair wire. In contrast to this, in other embodiments, at least one inner electric wire may be arranged to extend straight in the front-rear direction. In the first embodiment, the dielectric is composed of a first dielectric and a second dielectric that are separate from each other, but in other embodiments, the dielectric may have an integrated structure. In the first embodiment, the outer conductor terminal is composed of a first outer conductor terminal and a second outer conductor terminal that are separate from each other. In contrast, in other embodiments, the outer conductor terminal may have an integrated structure. In the first embodiment, each stopper is configured as a portion including a resilient contact portion and a notch between adjacent slits in the surrounding portion. In contrast, in another embodiment, each stopper may be configured as a resilient contact portion itself between adjacent slits in the surrounding portion. The resilient contact portion as a stopper may be formed in a cantilever shape by a slit opening at the front end of the surrounding portion. In the case of the above-mentioned embodiment 1, the stopper portion of the convex portion faces the stoppered portion of the concave portion that opens at the rear end of the shield receiving member so as to abut against it. In contrast to this, according to another embodiment, the concave portion may not open at the rear end of the shield receiving member, and the stopper portion of the convex portion may face the stoppered portion of the rear end of the shield receiving member so as to abut against it. In the first embodiment, the stopper portions of the multiple protrusions are configured to face each other so as to abut against the corresponding stopped portions of the shield receiving member. In contrast, in other embodiments, the stopper portion of one protrusion may be configured to face each other so as to abut against one stopped portion of the shield receiving member. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 10...Shielded connector 11...Inner conductor terminal 12...Dielectric 13...Outer conductor terminal 14...Shield support member 15...Housing 16...First dielectric 17...Second dielectric 18…Surrounding part 19...Sloped section 20...Shield terminal unit 21...Rear section 22...Front wall part 23...Tab insertion hole 24...First outer conductor terminal 25...Second outer conductor terminal 26...Encirclement 27...Extending part 28...Matching edge 29...Retaining part 31...Step 32...Slope section 33...Elevation part 34...Stop 35...peripheral wall part 36...Slit 37...First slit 38...Second slit 39...Elastic contact part 41...Notch 42...Contact point 43...Engagement portion 44…Part 1 45…Part 2 46…Part 3 47…Side plate part 48...Lance hole 49...Latching protrusion 51...Convex part 52...Drilling hole 53...Stopper part 54...Base 55...Barrel piece 56...Mating end 57...Sloped edge 58...Rib 61...recess 62...Stopped portion 63...Mating part 65...Pressure surface 90...Shielded wire 91...Internal wire 92...Shield part 93...Sheath 94...Insulating material 95...Core wire 96...Insulating coating 97...Folded section 98…Inner circumference 100...Mating shielded connector 111...Mating internal conductor terminal 112...Tab 122...Mating dielectric 123...Mating outer conductor terminal 124…Tip surface

Claims

1. an inner conductor terminal, a dielectric surrounding the inner conductor terminal, and a plate-shaped outer conductor terminal surrounding the dielectric; the outer conductor terminal has a plurality of elastic contact portions elastically deformable in a radial direction perpendicular to a front-rear direction, and a plurality of slits arranged between the elastic contact portions in a circumferential direction of the outer conductor terminal, The plurality of elastic contact portions have contact points that protrude radially outward, the plurality of slits extend in the front-rear direction and open at the front end of the outer conductor terminal, A shielded connector, wherein the outer conductor terminal has a stopper portion between the plurality of slits that abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the dielectric when the contact portion and the mating outer conductor terminal are in contact.

2. 2. The shielded connector according to claim 1, wherein the stopper portion has a cross-sectional shape along the front-rear direction and a straight shape extending in the front-rear direction.

3. 3. The shielded connector according to claim 2, wherein the stopper portion is in face-to-face contact with an outer peripheral surface of the dielectric when the contact portion and the mating outer conductor terminal are in contact with each other.

4. 4. The shielded connector according to claim 1, wherein the stopper has a portion that protrudes forward from a front end of the dielectric.

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