connector

Abstract

The present invention provides a connector that can ensure shielding performance equivalent to that of a connector in which the rear opening of the outer conductor is closed by a shielding member. [Solution] The interior of the outer conductor 11 has a rear space 55 that is open to the rear of the outer conductor 11, behind the housing holes 54 that house each dielectric 16, 17. Each inner conductor 14, 15 has substrate connection portions 35, 36. Of the inner conductors 14, 15, the substrate connection portion of the first inner conductor 14 is configured as a front substrate connection portion 36, and the substrate connection portion of the second inner conductor 15 is configured as a rear substrate connection portion 35 that is located behind the front substrate connection portion 36. The rear substrate connection portion 35 faces the rear space 55. The shield member 18 is positioned between the front substrate connection portion 36 and the rear substrate connection portion 35 in the front-rear direction. The distance in the front-rear direction from the rear substrate connection portion 35 to the rear end of the outer conductor 11 is greater than four times the distance in the front-rear direction from the front substrate connection portion 36 to the shield member 18.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a connector.

Background Art

[0002] The connector described in Patent Document 1 includes a housing, a shield shell, front and rear partition plates, outer terminals, guide sleeves, and inner terminals. The housing is fitted to a mating housing. The shield shell is made of die-cast and has an upper wall portion, a pair of side wall portions, a front wall portion, left and right partition walls, and a relay wall portion. The shield shell is open at the rear and below. The front and rear partition plates are rectangular flat metal plates. The front and rear partition plates are assembled to the shield shell and partition the inner space of the shield shell into a rear side and a front side. The outer terminal is a metal plate in a cylindrical shape and is inserted into a terminal accommodation hole of the housing. The guide sleeve is made of resin and has a sleeve main body portion extending in the front-rear direction (referred to as the "main body portion" in Patent Document 1) and a sleeve hanging portion extending downward from the rear end portion of the sleeve main body portion (referred to as the "hanging portion" in Patent Document 1). The guide sleeve has a large guide sleeve (guide sleeve 50A) and a small guide sleeve (guide sleeve 50B). The sleeve main body portion of the large guide sleeve is inserted into the upper outer terminal. The sleeve main body portion of the small guide sleeve is inserted into the lower outer terminal. The inner terminal has a rod-shaped terminal main body portion extending in the front-rear direction (referred to as the "main body portion" in Patent Document 1) and a rod-shaped terminal hanging portion extending downward from the rear end portion of the terminal main body portion (referred to as the "hanging portion" in Patent Document 1). The terminal main body portion is inserted into the sleeve main body portion. The terminal hanging portion is arranged so as to be contactable with the sleeve hanging portion from the rear. The tip of the terminal hanging portion is inserted into a through hole of the circuit board and soldered to a conductor pattern of the circuit board for connection. Each of the front and rear terminal hanging portions is arranged in each of the front and rear spaces partitioned by the front and rear partition plates in the inner space of the shield shell. Although Patent Documents 2 and 3 also disclose shield connectors attached to a circuit board, they do not have a corresponding component to the above-described front and rear partition plates. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-8309 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-83728 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-109738 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0004] In the case of Patent Document 1, the rear end position of the shield shell, that is, the rear end positions of the upper wall and each side wall, are located behind the rear terminal hanging portion. Therefore, it is presumed that even if the rear of the rear terminal hanging portion is open, shielding (noise shielding) can be ensured within an acceptable range. However, compared to the distance in the front-to-back direction from the front terminal hanging portion to the shield member, the distance in the front-to-back direction from the rear terminal hanging portion to the rear end position of the shield shell is small, so it is presumed that the same level of shielding as if the rear opening of the shield shell were closed has not yet been ensured. On the other hand, it is also possible to close the rear opening of the shield shell with a shield member, but this would increase the number of parts.

[0005] Therefore, the object of this disclosure is to provide a connector that can ensure shielding performance equivalent to that of a connector in which the rear opening of the outer conductor is closed by a shielding member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The connector of this disclosure comprises a plurality of inner conductors, a plurality of dielectrics housing the plurality of inner conductors, an outer conductor housing the plurality of dielectrics, and a plate-shaped shielding member, wherein the interior of the outer conductor has a rear space portion that is open to the rear of the outer conductor, behind the housing holes housing the plurality of dielectrics, each of the plurality of inner conductors has a substrate connection portion that extends downward from the rear surface of the corresponding dielectric, the substrate connection portions of some of the plurality of inner conductors are configured as front substrate connection portions, the substrate connection portions of the other inner conductors are configured as rear substrate connection portions that are located behind the front substrate connection portions, the rear substrate connection portions face the rear space, the shielding member is located between the front substrate connection portions and the rear substrate connection portions in the front-rear direction, and the distance in the front-rear direction from the rear substrate connection portion to the rear end of the outer conductor is greater than four times the distance in the front-rear direction from the front substrate connection portion to the shielding member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a connector that can ensure shielding performance equivalent to that of a connector in which the rear opening of the outer conductor is closed by a shielding member. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing the connector according to Embodiment 1 mounted on a circuit board. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the connector according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the connector according to Embodiment 1, seen from diagonally downward and rearward. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a bottom view showing an enlarged view of the structure on the lower side of the outer conductor in the connector according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a rear view of the housing in the connector according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a front view of the outer conductor in the connector according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a bottom view of the outer conductor in the connector according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a rear view of the outer conductor in the connector according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of the connector according to Embodiment 1, taken along line AA in Figure 8. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the connector according to Embodiment 1, in which the guide portion is in contact with the inner surface of the housing hole. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the state in which the guide portion is inserted into the guide receiving portion and the protrusion is fitted into the recess in the connector according to Embodiment 1, during the process of assembling the dielectric to the outer conductor. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a partially broken side view showing an enlarged view of the connector according to Embodiment 1, in which the guide portion is inserted into the guide receiving portion and the protrusion is fitted into the recess during the process of assembling the dielectric to the outer conductor. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] [Description of Embodiments in this Disclosure] First, the embodiments of this disclosure will be listed and described. The connector disclosed herein is (1) The device comprises a plurality of inner conductors, a plurality of dielectrics housing the plurality of inner conductors, an outer conductor housing the plurality of dielectrics, and a plate-shaped shield member, wherein the interior of the outer conductor has a rear space portion that is open to the rear of the outer conductor, behind the housing holes housing the plurality of dielectrics, each of the plurality of inner conductors has a substrate connection portion that extends downward from the rear surface of the corresponding dielectric, the substrate connection portions of some of the plurality of inner conductors are configured as front substrate connection portions, the substrate connection portions of the other inner conductors are configured as rear substrate connection portions that are located behind the front substrate connection portions, the rear substrate connection portions face the rear space, the shield member is positioned between the front substrate connection portion and the rear substrate connection portion in the front-rear direction, and the distance in the front-rear direction from the rear substrate connection portion to the rear end of the outer conductor is greater than four times the distance in the front-rear direction from the front substrate connection portion to the shield member.

[0010] Thus, because the distance in the front-to-back direction from the rear board connection to the rear end of the outer conductor is greater than four times the distance in the front-to-back direction from the front board connection to the shielding member, the shielding performance of the outer conductor can be adjusted to be equivalent to that of a shield where the rear opening of the outer conductor is closed by the shielding member (hereinafter referred to as "shielding performance equivalent to rear shielding"). Therefore, there is no need to provide a shielding member behind the rear board connection to close the rear opening, which reduces the number of parts and keeps costs down.

[0011] (2) In the connector described in (1) above, the connector is provided with a housing on which the outer conductor is mounted, wherein the outer conductor protrudes rearward from the housing, and it is preferable that the distance in the front-rear direction from the rear end of the shielding member to the rear end of the outer conductor is greater than the distance in the front-rear direction from the front end of the shielding member to the front end of the outer conductor. With the configuration described in (2) above, it becomes easier to adjust the shielding performance of the outer conductor to be equivalent to that of rear shielding, and it also becomes easier to set the center of gravity of the connector on the side where the outer conductor is located. For this reason, for example, when the connector is mounted on a circuit board, the stability of the connector's orientation can be ensured.

[0012] (3) In the connector according to (1) or (2) above, the distance in the front - rear direction from the rear substrate connection portion to the rear end of the outer conductor is preferably greater than 6 times the distance in the front - rear direction from the front substrate connection portion to the shield member. According to the configuration of (3) above, the shielding property of the outer conductor can be surely set to a shielding property equivalent to rear - surface shielding.

[0013] (4) In the connector according to (3) above, the distance in the front - rear direction from the rear substrate connection portion to the rear end of the outer conductor is preferably greater than 6 times and less than 7 times the distance in the front - rear direction from the front substrate connection portion to the shield member. According to the configuration of (4) above, it is possible to obtain a shielding property equivalent to rear - surface shielding without the outer conductor becoming unnecessarily large in the front - rear direction.

[0014] [Details of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] Specific examples of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to these examples, but is indicated by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0015] <Embodiment 1> The connector 10 according to this embodiment 1, as shown in Figure 1, is a board connector mounted on a circuit board 100 and is a shielded connector equipped with an outer conductor 11 that has a shielding function. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the connector 10 is composed of an outer conductor 11, a housing 12, a ground connection member 13, inner conductors 14, 15, dielectrics 16, 17, a shielding member 18, and an outer conductor tube 19. The connector 10 is mated to a mating connector (not shown). As shown in Figure 1, the inner conductors 14, 15 are housed in the dielectrics 16, 17. The dielectrics 16, 17 are housed in the outer conductor 11 and the outer conductor tube 19, respectively. The ground connection member 13 is attached to the housing 12. The shielding member 18 is attached to the outer conductor 11. In the following description, in the front-to-back direction, the side of the connector 10 that is mated to the mating connector is considered the front. In the up-to-down direction, the side on which the connector 10 is mounted relative to the circuit board 100 is considered the upper side. In Figures 1 and 2, the symbols X, Y, and Z represent forward, right, and upward, respectively. These directional references are for convenience only and do not necessarily coincide with the directional references when the connector 10 is mounted on a vehicle or the like (not shown).

[0016] (Housing 12) The housing 12 is made of synthetic resin and has a rectangular external shape overall, as shown in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 1, the housing 12 has a base wall 21 with its wall surface facing in the front-rear direction and a rectangular tubular hood portion 22 that protrudes forward from the base wall 21. Multiple insertion holes 23 are formed in the base wall 21, penetrating in the front-rear direction. As shown in Figure 5, four insertion holes 23 are formed in the base wall 21, divided into two upper and lower rows and two left and right rows. When viewed from the rear, each insertion hole 23 is formed with a regular hexagonal opening shape (cross-sectional shape) with rounded vertices that is close to a circle. The outer conductor tube 19 is inserted into the insertion hole 23 from the front. As shown in Figure 1, multiple protruding ring portions 24 are formed on the front surface of the base wall 21, protruding into the interior of the hood portion 22. The front end of each insertion hole 23 is formed inside each protruding ring portion 24.

[0017] As shown in Figure 5, a fitting recess 25 is recessed in the rear surface of the base wall 21. Each insertion hole 23 opens to the back surface of the fitting recess 25. Multiple recesses 26 are opened on the inner circumferential surface of the fitting recess 25 of the base wall 21 at intervals in the circumferential direction. Two recesses 26 are formed on each of the top, bottom, left, and right surfaces of the inner circumferential surface of the fitting recess 25. The fitting protrusions 56 of the outer conductor 11, which will be described later, are fitted into the fitting recess 25. Each protrusion 57 of the outer conductor 11, which will be described later, is fitted into each recess 26.

[0018] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the base wall 21 has an upward-facing end face 27 between the upper end of the rear surface of the base wall 21 and the portion having the fitting recess 25. Although not shown in detail, a mounting groove 28 into which the ground connecting member 13 can be attached is opened in the upward-facing end face 27 of the base wall 21. The mounting groove 28 is formed in a slit shape that extends in the left-right direction when viewed from above. The lower end of the mounting groove 28 opens to the inner circumferential surface of the fitting recess 25.

[0019] (Ground connection member 13) The ground connection member 13 is made of a conductive metal plate. As shown in Figure 2, the ground connection member 13 has a flat mounting portion 31 with its plate surface facing in the front-rear direction, and a plurality of elastically deformable elastic contact portions 32 that contact the wall surface of a metal housing (ground member) (not shown). The ground connection member 13 also has a connecting portion 33 that extends from the upper end of the mounting portion 31 to the base of each elastic contact portion 32. The connecting portion 33 is flat with its plate surface facing in the vertical direction. As shown in Figure 1, the connecting portion 33 is placed on the upper surface of the housing 12. The mounting portion 31 is inserted into the mounting groove 28 of the housing 12 from above and held in place. As shown in Figure 2, a pair of left and right protrusions 34 are formed at the lower end of the mounting portion 31. With the mounting portion 31 inserted into the mounting groove 28, each protrusion 34 is positioned in the fitting recess 25 and contacts the outer conductor tube 19.

[0020] (Internal conductors 14, 15) The inner conductors 14 and 15 are conductive metal members (metal wires) and are formed in a pin or tab shape. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the inner conductors 14 and 15 have mating connection portions 37 extending in the front-rear direction and substrate connection portions 35 and 36 extending downward from the rear end of the mating connection portion 37. The inner conductors 14 and 15 are formed in an L-shape when viewed from the side. In this embodiment 1, the inner conductor consists of a first inner conductor 14 and a second inner conductor 15 which is shorter than the first inner conductor 14. The mating connection portion 37 of the first inner conductor 14 is longer in the front-rear direction than the mating connection portion 37 of the second inner conductor 15. The substrate connection portion of the first inner conductor 14 (rear substrate connection portion 35, described later) is longer in the vertical direction than the substrate connection portion of the second inner conductor 15 (front substrate connection portion 36, described later).

[0021] As shown in Figure 1, in the assembled state in which the inner conductors 14 and 15 are housed in the dielectrics 16 and 17, and the dielectrics 16 and 17 are housed in the outer conductor 11, the front end of the mating connector 37 is positioned to protrude into the inside of the hood 22. When the mating connector is fitted into the inside of the hood 22, the front end of the mating connector 37 comes into contact with a mating inner conductor (not shown) provided in the mating connector, and the inner conductors 14 and 15 are connected to the mating inner conductor.

[0022] The board connection portion of the first inner conductor 14 (rear board connection portion 35) is located behind the board connection portion of the second inner conductor 15 (front board connection portion 36) in the assembled state described above. In the following description, the board connection portion of the first inner conductor 14 will be referred to as the "rear board connection portion 35," and the board connection portion of the second inner conductor 15 will be referred to as the "front board connection portion 36."

[0023] The rear board connection portion 35 has a shape that extends vertically as a whole. The rear board connection portion 35 has a plate-shaped rear wide portion 38 with its plate surface facing left and right, and a pin-shaped rear board connection body portion 39 that protrudes downward from the lower rear end of the rear wide portion 38.

[0024] The front board connection portion 36 also has a shape that extends vertically as a whole. The front board connection portion 36 has a front wide portion 41 with the board surface facing left and right, and a pin-shaped front board connection body portion 42 that protrudes downward from the lower rear end of the front wide portion 41. As shown in Figure 1, both the rear board connection body portion 39 and the front board connection body portion 42 are inserted into the through-holes 110 of the corresponding circuit board 100 and connected by soldering to a conductive portion (not shown) formed on the circuit board 100.

[0025] (Dielectric 16, 17) As shown in Figure 1, the dielectrics 16 and 17 are insulating synthetic resin materials that are interposed between the inner conductors 14 and 15 and the outer conductor 11, and play a role in maintaining an insulating state between the inner conductors 14 and 15 and the outer conductor 11. As shown in Figure 2, the dielectrics 16 and 17 have a cylindrical tubular portion 43 extending in the front-rear direction and a prismatic lead portion 44 extending downward from the rear end of the tubular portion 43. The dielectrics 16 and 17 are formed in an L-shape when viewed from the side. An insertion recess 46 extending in the vertical direction is open on the rear surface of the lead portion 44.

[0026] As shown in Figure 2, guide portions 45 are formed on the left and right end faces of the lead portion 44 of the second dielectric 17, which will be described later. As shown in Figure 12, the guide portions 45 have a rib shape extending in the front-rear direction and are formed along the entire length of the lead portion 44 in the front-rear direction. As shown in Figure 11, the cross-sectional shape of the guide portion 45 (shape when cut in a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction) is curved. The guide portions 45 are formed in pairs on the left and right end faces of the lead portion 44, spaced apart in the vertical direction. As shown in Figure 2, rib-shaped retaining portions 81 corresponding to each guide portion 45 are formed on the left and right end faces of the lead portion 44 of the first dielectric 16, which will be described later. In addition, a pair of left and right recesses 47 are formed at the lower ends of the left and right end faces of the lead portion 44. Each recess 47 has a groove shape extending in the front-rear direction and opens to the front and rear surfaces of the lower end of the lead portion 44. In this embodiment 1, each recess 47 is formed in a cross-sectional corner recess shape so as to cut off the lower end corners on both the left and right sides of the pull-out portion 44, as shown in Figure 10.

[0027] The dielectric is composed of a first dielectric 16 and a second dielectric 17 which is shorter than the first dielectric 16. The cylindrical portion 43 of the first dielectric 16 is longer in the front-to-back direction than the cylindrical portion 43 of the second dielectric 17. The leading portion 44 of the first dielectric 16 is longer in the up-to-down direction than the leading portion 44 of the second dielectric 17.

[0028] The mating connection portion 37 of the first inner conductor 14 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 43 of the first dielectric 16 from the rear, with its front end protruding into the hood portion 22 from the front end of the cylindrical portion 43. Similarly, the mating connection portion 37 of the second inner conductor 15 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 43 of the second dielectric 17 from the rear, with its front end protruding into the hood portion 22 from the front end of the cylindrical portion 43.

[0029] The rear wide portion 38 of the first inner conductor 14 is inserted from the rear into the insertion recess 46 of the lead portion 44 of the first dielectric 16. As shown in Figure 1, the rear substrate connection body portion 39 of the first inner conductor 14 protrudes downward from the insertion recess 46 of the lead portion 44 of the first dielectric 16 and is inserted into the corresponding through-hole 110. The front wide portion 41 of the second inner conductor 15 is inserted from the rear into the insertion recess 46 of the lead portion 44 of the second dielectric 17. The front substrate connection body portion 42 of the second inner conductor 15 protrudes downward from the insertion recess 46 of the lead portion 44 of the second dielectric 17 and is inserted into the corresponding through-hole 110.

[0030] As shown in Figure 4, the axial center of the rear substrate connection body portion 39 of the first inner conductor 14 and the axial center of the front substrate connection body portion 42 of the second inner conductor 15 are located in the front-to-rear center of the insertion recess 46 when viewed from below in the assembled state.

[0031] (Shield member 18) The shielding member 18 is a conductive metal plate. As shown in Figure 2, the shielding member 18 is a rectangular flat plate, and its surface is positioned in the front-to-back direction. As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the shielding member 18, when assembled to the outer conductor 11, is positioned between the respective lead-out portions 44 of the first dielectric 16 and the second dielectric 17. The shielding member 18 is positioned behind the front substrate connection portion 36 located on the lead-out portion 44 of the second dielectric 17. This shielding member 18 ensures shielding behind the first inner conductor 14.

[0032] (Outer conductor tube 19) The outer conductor tube 19 is made of a conductive metal sheet material and is formed by bending (pressing) the metal sheet material into a cylindrical shape. As shown in Figure 2, the outer conductor tube 19 has a through hole 48 that penetrates in the front-to-back direction. The front part 49 of the outer conductor tube 19 is formed to be larger in diameter than the rear part 51. The outer conductor tube 19 has a radial step portion 52 between the front part 49 and the rear part 51. The rear part 51 of the outer conductor tube 19 is inserted from the front into the insertion hole 23 of the housing 12 and is held in place by the housing 12. As shown in Figure 1, the step portion 52 abuts against the front end of the protruding ring portion 24 of the housing 12, preventing the outer conductor tube 19 from coming out of the housing 12 to the rear. In this embodiment 1, there are a total of four outer conductor tubes 19 so that they can be inserted into each of the four insertion holes 23. Each outer conductor tube 19 is the same shape as the others.

[0033] (Outer conductor 11) The outer conductor 11 is a conductive rigid body made of die-cast zinc alloy, aluminum alloy, etc., derived from casting. As shown in Figure 2, the front, rear, top, bottom, and left and right sides of the outer conductor 11 each have a rectangular external shape. Multiple housing holes 54, 63 are formed inside the outer conductor 11. As shown in Figures 6 and 9, the housing holes have a circular opening shape (cross-sectional shape) and a main body hole 54 that extends in the front-to-back direction. There are a total of four main body holes 54 formed in the outer conductor 11, divided into two upper and lower rows and two left and right rows. As shown in Figure 9, the front end of each main body hole 54 opens to the front of the outer conductor 11, and the rear end communicates with the rear space 55, which will be described later. As shown in Figure 1, the cylindrical portions 43 of the corresponding dielectrics 16, 17 are inserted into and housed in the main body holes 54 from the rear.

[0034] As shown in Figure 6, a fitting projection 56 is formed protruding from the front surface of the outer conductor 11. The fitting projection 56 is formed in a square shape with rounded corners when viewed from the front. The front surface of the fitting projection 56 is arranged along the vertical and horizontal directions. Each main body hole 54 opens to the front surface of the fitting projection 56. Multiple protrusions 57 are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the fitting projection 56. Each protrusion 57 is square in shape when viewed from the front, and two protrusions are provided on each of the top surface, bottom surface, and left and right sides of the fitting projection 56. As shown in Figure 7, each protrusion 57 on the left and right sides has a locking claw 59. The locking claw 59 protrudes briefly outward to the left and right from the tip of the protrusion 57 in the direction of projection.

[0035] As shown in Figure 9, of the two main body holes 54, the upper main body hole 54 has its rear end positioned at or near the front-to-back center of the outer conductor 11 within the outer conductor 11. The lower main body hole 54 has its rear end positioned at a position corresponding to the front-to-back center of the upper main body hole 54 within the outer conductor 11. The cylindrical portion 43 of the first dielectric 16 is housed in the upper main body hole 54. The cylindrical portion 43 of the second dielectric 17 is housed in the lower main body hole 54.

[0036] A fitting hole 63 is formed inside the outer conductor 11 as part of the housing hole. The fitting hole 63 intersects with the rear end of the lower main body hole 54 and extends downward from the lower main body hole 54. The fitting hole 63 also opens to the lower surface of the outer conductor 11 and, like the main body hole 54, is formed in pairs on both the left and right sides, flanking the partition wall portion 65, which will be described later. As shown in Figure 10, the lead portion 44 of the second dielectric 17 is inserted into the fitting hole 63 from the rear. As shown in Figure 1, the inner front surface of the fitting hole 63 (the front surface facing rear) is configured as a front stop surface 64 against which the lead portion 44 of the second dielectric 17 abuts.

[0037] As shown in Figure 8, a partition wall 65 is formed inside the outer conductor 11. Each body hole 54 adjacent to each other in the left-right direction is separated by the partition wall 65. In addition, each body hole 54 is partitioned on the left and right outer sides by side wall portions 66 formed on both the left and right sides of the outer conductor 11.

[0038] As shown in Figure 9, a rear space 55 is formed inside the outer conductor 11 behind the upper main body hole 54. The rear space 55 is open to the rear through a rear opening 67 that opens to the rear surface of the outer conductor 11, and is also open downward through a bottom opening 68 that opens to the bottom surface of the outer conductor 11. In this embodiment 1, as shown in Figures 3, 4, 7, and 8, the rear space 55 is formed in pairs on both the left and right sides of the partition wall 65 inside the outer conductor 11. That is, as shown in Figure 8, each rear space 55 is surrounded by the upper wall 69, side wall 66, and partition wall 65 of the outer conductor 11. The outer circumference of the upper end of each rear space 55 is curved in an arch shape along the bottom surface of the upper wall 69.

[0039] As shown in Fig. 9, the front-to-back length of the rear space portion 55 is the same as or longer than the front-to-back length of the upper main body hole 54. Also, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, in the assembled state of the connector 10, the front-to-back separation distance from the rear end of the forward wide portion 41 of the second inner conductor 15 (in the case of Embodiment 1, the rearmost end of the forward substrate connection portion 36) to the front end of the shield member 18 (in the case of Embodiment 1, the front plate surface of the shield member 18) is defined as LF, and the front-to-back separation distance from the rear end of the rearward wide portion 38 of the first inner conductor 14 (in the case of Embodiment 1, the rearmost end of the rearward substrate connection portion 35) to the rear end of the outer conductor 11 (corresponding to the formation position of the rear surface opening 67, and in the case of Embodiment 1, the rearmost end of the side wall portion 66) is defined as LR. In this case, it is set such that LR is greater than 4 times LF (4LF < LR). Preferably, LR is set to be greater than 5 times LF (5LF < LR). More preferably, LR is set to be greater than 6 times LF (6LF < LR). Even more preferably, LR is set to be greater than 6 times LF and less than 7 times LF (6LF < LR < 7LF). In the case of Embodiment 1, since LR is sufficiently longer than LF, the outer conductor 11 can secure high shielding performance (shielding property).

[0040] As shown in Fig. 9, each main body hole 54 adjacent in the vertical direction is partitioned by the shelf wall portion 71. As shown in Fig. 7, inside the outer conductor 11, a slit-shaped holding groove 72 extending in the left-right direction in a bottom view is formed. The holding groove 72 is formed at a position corresponding to the rear end portion of the lower main body hole 54 in the front-to-back direction. The upper end portion of the holding groove 72 is recessed on the lower surface of the rear end portion of the shelf wall portion 71. On the inner surfaces of the left and right side wall portions 66, both end portions on the left and right sides of the holding groove 72 are recessed so as to extend in the vertical direction. As shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the shield member 18 is inserted and held in the holding groove 72 from below.

[0041] As shown in Figure 8, the inner surfaces of the side wall 66 and the partition wall 65 are opposing surfaces 73 that face each other across the rear space 55. Multiple guide receiving portions 74 are formed on these opposing surfaces 73. As shown in Figures 3 and 9, each guide receiving portion 74 has a groove shape extending in the front-rear direction on the opposing surface 73, with its front end communicating with a retaining groove 72 and its rear end opening to the rear through a rear opening 67. In short, each guide receiving portion 74 is formed with the same front-rear length as the rear space 55. As shown in Figure 11, each guide receiving portion 74 has a cross-sectional angle concave shape that is longer in the vertical direction than in the left-right direction. Also, as shown in Figure 8, each guide receiving portion 74 is arranged in pairs at the same height in the vertical direction and spaced apart in the vertical direction on the opposing surface 73. As shown in Figure 11, until the cylindrical portion 43 of the second dielectric 17 is fitted into the lower main body hole 54, the guide portion 45 of the second dielectric 17 is received in contact with the guide receiving portion 74.

[0042] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, a pair of protrusions 75 are formed on the rear lower end of the opposing surface 73 of the outer conductor 11. As shown in Figures 7 and 9, each protrusion 75 is formed in a rib shape that extends briefly in the front-rear direction at the rear lower end of the opposing surface 73 of the outer conductor 11. Each protrusion 75 faces the rear opening 67 and the bottom opening 68, respectively, and narrows the width of each opening in the left-right direction. The left-right separation distance (minimum opposing distance) of the pair of protrusions 75 is smaller than the left-right thickness of the lower rear end (including each protrusion 75) of the partition wall 65 and the side wall 66. By narrowing the opening width of the rear opening 67 and the bottom opening 68, each protrusion 75 prevents the outer conductors 11 from becoming entangled with each other, for example, during plating or transport, by preventing the partition wall 65 or the side wall 66 from entering the rear space 55. Each projection 75 is formed only near the rear end of the opposing surface 73. The front end of each projection 75 is set at a position rearward from the retaining groove 72. Before each dielectric 16, 17 is inserted into the corresponding main body hole 54, each projection 75 contacts the recess 47 of each dielectric 16, 17 in a fitted state.

[0043] As shown in Figures 3, 4, and 7, four legs 77 are formed protruding from the four corners of the lower surface of the outer conductor 11. Each leg 77 is cylindrical and, as shown in Figure 1, is inserted into a fixing hole 120 formed in the circuit board 100 and fixed by soldering. Also, as shown in Figure 7, a plurality of mounting portions 79 are formed on the lower surface of the outer conductor 11, extending along the edge of the rear opening 67. The lower end surface of each mounting portion 79 is formed flat. The lower end surface of each mounting portion 79 faces the surface of the circuit board 100 so as to be able to contact it and is connected by soldering to a ground conductive portion (not shown) formed on the circuit board 100.

[0044] (Function of connector 10) Next, an example of the assembly procedure for the connector 10 will be described. First, the rear portion 51 of each outer conductor tube 19 is inserted from the front into each insertion hole 23 of the base wall 21 of the housing 12, and each outer conductor tube 19 is held in the housing 12. Then, the ground connection member 13 is inserted from above into the mounting groove 28 of the housing 12. Each protrusion 34 of the ground connection member 13 contacts the outer circumferential surface of each outer conductor tube 19.

[0045] Next, the outer conductor 11 is assembled to the housing 12 by fitting the fitting projection 56 of the outer conductor 11 into the fitting recess 25 of the housing 12. Here, the rear portion 51 of the outer conductor tube 19 is fitted and held inside each main body hole 54 of the fitting projection 56 from the front. The outer conductor 11 is connected to a housing (ground member) (not shown) via the outer conductor tube 19 and the ground connecting member 13.

[0046] Furthermore, each protrusion 57 fits into each recess 26. In addition, the locking claws 59 of each protrusion 57 on both the left and right sides are locked in place by biting into the inner surface of the corresponding recess 26. As a result, the outer conductor 11 is held in a state where it is prevented from coming out of the housing 12 to the rear.

[0047] Next, the second dielectric 17 is inserted from the rear into the lower body hole 54 of the outer conductor 11. Here, compared to the first dielectric 16, the second dielectric 17 has to travel a longer distance inside the rear space 55 before being inserted into the lower body hole 54, and it must also pass over the retaining groove 72 towards the end of the movement process. For this reason, it is difficult for the second dielectric 17 to maintain a stable movement posture (insertion posture) until it is inserted into the lower body hole 54. However, in this embodiment 1, once the lead portion 44 of the second dielectric 17 is inserted into the rear space 55, as shown in Figures 11 and 12, each guide portion 45 of the second dielectric 17 fits into each guide receiving portion 74 of the outer conductor 11 and can slide along the inner surface of each guide receiving portion 74, guiding the movement of the second dielectric 17 toward the lower body hole 54. In particular, since the front-to-back length of each guide portion 45 is greater than the groove width of the retaining groove 72 in the front-to-back direction, each guide portion 45 can pass through the retaining groove 72 without getting caught on the groove surface of the retaining groove 72. As a result, the movement posture of the second dielectric 17 is less likely to be disrupted, and the cylindrical portion 43 of the second dielectric 17 can be inserted into the lower main body hole 54 quickly and stably. Moreover, when the lead portion 44 of the second dielectric 17 is inserted into the rear space portion 55, the protrusions 75 of the outer conductor 11 fit into the recesses 47 of the second dielectric 17, so that the second dielectric 17 is supported by the protrusions 75, thereby reliably suppressing disruption of the movement posture of the second dielectric 17.

[0048] When the cylindrical portion 43 of the second dielectric 17 is inserted into the lower main body hole 54 in the correct position, the front part of the cylindrical portion 43 is fitted into the through hole 48 of the rear part 51 of the outer conductor tube 19. Also, the lead portion 44 of the second dielectric 17 is fitted into the fitting hole 63, and the front surface of the lead portion 44 is positioned to be in contact with the front stop surface 64 of the fitting hole 63. As shown in Figure 11, each guide portion 45 of the second dielectric 17 is press-fitted (including crushing) into the left and right inner end faces (inner surfaces) of the fitting hole 63 to ensure a tight fit. As a result, the second dielectric 17 is stably held by the outer conductor 11.

[0049] Around the time the second dielectric 17 is assembled to the outer conductor 11, the second inner conductor 15 is housed in the second dielectric 17. The mating connection portion 37 of the second inner conductor 15 is inserted into the inside of the cylindrical portion 43, and the front substrate connection portion 36 of the second inner conductor 15 is inserted into the insertion recess 46 of the lead portion 44 of the second dielectric 17.

[0050] Next, the shield member 18 is inserted into the retaining groove 72 of the outer conductor 11 from below. The shield member 18 is press-fitted into the retaining groove 72 of the outer conductor 11 and held in place. The front surface of the shield member 18 faces the rear surface of the lead-out portion 44 of the second dielectric 17, while maintaining a distance behind the front wide portion 41 of the second inner conductor 15. The rear surface of the shield member 18 is positioned at the same front-rear position as the rear end of the shelf wall portion 71.

[0051] Next, the first dielectric 16 is inserted from the rear into the upper main body hole 54 of the outer conductor 11. As shown in Figure 1, when the cylindrical portion 43 of the first dielectric 16 is inserted into the upper main body hole 54 in the normal position, the front part of the cylindrical portion 43 is fitted into the through hole 48 of the rear part 51 of the outer conductor tube 19, similar to the second dielectric 17. The lead portion 44 of the second dielectric 17 is positioned at the front end of the rear space portion 55 so as to be able to contact the rear surface of the shield member 18. Then, each holding portion 81 of the first dielectric 16 is pressed (including crushing) against the opposing surface 73 of the outer conductor 11 and comes into close contact, and the first dielectric 16 is held by the outer conductor 11. The first inner conductor 14 is housed in the first dielectric 16 at the timing before or after the first dielectric 16 is assembled to the outer conductor 11. The mating connection portion 37 of the first inner conductor 14 is inserted into the inside of the cylindrical portion 43, and the rear substrate connection portion 35 of the first inner conductor 14 is inserted into the insertion recess 46 of the lead portion 44 of the first dielectric 16. The front portion of the lead portion 44 of the second dielectric 17 (the portion in front of the insertion recess 46) is sandwiched between the rear substrate connection portion 35 of the first inner conductor 14 and the shielding member 18.

[0052] Thereafter, each leg portion 77 is inserted into each fixing hole 120, the front substrate connection main body portion 42 of the second inner conductor 15 is inserted into the corresponding through hole 110, and the rear substrate connection main body portion 39 of the first inner conductor 14 is inserted into the corresponding through hole 110. Then, through a soldering process such as reflow soldering, the connector 10 is mounted on the circuit board 100.

[0053] Now, the inventors measured the shielding attenuation of a plurality of types of connectors including this connector 10 based on the international standard IEC62153-4-7. As a result, as described above, when the longitudinal separation distance LR from the rear end of the rear substrate connection portion 35 of the first inner conductor 14 to the rear end of the outer conductor 11 (rear surface opening 67) is greater than four times the longitudinal separation distance LF from the rear end of the front substrate connection portion 36 of the second inner conductor 15 to the front end of the shield member 18 (4LF < LR), it was found that shielding performance equivalent to closing the rear surface opening of the outer conductor 11 with a shielding member such as a shield member (hereinafter referred to as "shielding performance equivalent to rear surface shielding") can be obtained. In particular, when LR is greater than six times LF, it was found that a shielding attenuation amount equal to or less than the shielding attenuation amount calculated when the rear surface opening of the shield member 18 is shielded with the shield member 18 can be obtained. It was also confirmed that the shielding attenuation amount levels off when LR is greater than seven times LF. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, when the longitudinal separation distance (LR) from the rear substrate connection portion 35 to the rear end of the outer conductor 11 is greater than six times and less than seven times the longitudinal separation distance (LF) from the front substrate connection portion 36 to the shield member 18, it was found that the outer conductor 11 does not become unnecessarily large in the longitudinal direction and shielding performance equivalent to rear surface shielding can be obtained, which is suitable.

[0054] In this embodiment 1, the distance between the rear end of the shielding member 18 and the rear end of the outer conductor 11 in the front-rear direction is set to be greater than the distance between the front end of the shielding member 18 and the front end of the outer conductor 11 in the front-rear direction. In short, the shielding member 18 is positioned inside the outer conductor 11, forward of the front-rear center of the outer conductor 11. This makes it easier to adjust the shielding performance of the outer conductor 11 to be equivalent to that of rear shielding, and also makes it easier to set the center of gravity of the connector 10 on the side where the outer conductor 11 is located. Therefore, when the connector 10 is mounted on the circuit board 100, the stability of the orientation of the connector 10 can be ensured.

[0055] Furthermore, in this embodiment 1, the outer conductor 11 has a projection 75 at the rear lower end of the opposing surface 73 (inner surface) facing the rear space 55, which protrudes in such a way as to narrow the left-right opening width of the rear opening 67 and the lower opening 68. With this, for example, when multiple outer conductors 11 are placed in a barrel (not shown) during plating, the partition wall portion 65 or side wall portion 66 of one outer conductor 11 will interfere with the projection 75 of one outer conductor 11, preventing the other outer conductor 11 from entering the rear space 55 of one outer conductor 11, thus preventing the outer conductors 11 from becoming entangled with each other.

[0056] Furthermore, the protrusion 75 is configured to contact the dielectrics 16 and 17 moving in the rear space 55 from below. This prevents the dielectrics 16 and 17 from falling downward from the rear space 55 during the moving process.

[0057] Furthermore, the protrusion 75 is configured to fit into a recess 47 formed on the outer surface of the dielectric 16, 17, which moves in the rear space 55. This allows the dielectric 16, 17 to move smoothly in the rear space 55 without rattling in the left-right direction.

[0058] Furthermore, the projection 75 is provided only at the rear lower end of the opposing surface 73 of the outer conductor 11, and is set back from the substrate connection portions 35 and 36. This prevents the substrate connection portions 35 and 36 from being electrically connected to the projection 75, making it easier to avoid a situation where the outer conductor 11 and the inner conductors 14 and 15 are electrically connected.

[0059] Furthermore, according to this embodiment 1, the second dielectric 17 has a guide portion 45, and the outer conductor 11 has a guide receiving portion 74 on the opposing surface 73 (inner surface) facing the rear space portion 55, which receives the guide portion 45 and guides the cylindrical portion 43 of the second dielectric 17 to the main body hole 54 (housing hole). With this, during the assembly process of the second dielectric 17 to the outer conductor 11, the cylindrical portion 43 of the second dielectric 17 can smoothly enter the corresponding main body hole 54.

[0060] In particular, the guide receiving portion 74 is formed in a groove shape extending in the front-rear direction on the opposing surface 73 of the outer conductor 11, and the guide portion 45 is formed in a rib shape extending in the front-rear direction on the outer surface of the second dielectric 17. When the second dielectric 17 is housed in the outer conductor 11, the guide portion 45 is in contact with the inner surface of the fitting hole 63 (housed hole) and holds it in place. Therefore, the guide portion 45 can serve both the function of guiding the second dielectric 17 into the main body hole 54 and the function of holding the second dielectric 17 in place on the outer conductor 11.

[0061] Furthermore, a plate-shaped shielding member 18 is positioned between the front substrate connection portion 36 and the rear substrate connection portion 35. The outer conductor 11 has a retaining groove 72 for holding the shielding member 18. The retaining groove 72 is in communication with the rear space portion 55. The length of the guide portion 45 in the front-rear direction exceeds the groove width of the retaining groove 72 in the front-rear direction. This allows the contact between the guide portion 45 and the guide receiving portion 74 to be maintained until the cylindrical portion 43 of the second dielectric 17 enters the corresponding main body hole 54. Therefore, the guide portion 45 is not caught on the groove surface of the retaining groove 72, and the guide portion 45 can smoothly enter the corresponding main body hole 54.

[0062] [Other embodiments of this disclosure] Embodiment 1 disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. In the first embodiment described above, the substrate connection portions 35 and 36 of the four inner conductors 14 and 15 were arranged side by side in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions when viewed from the bottom of the outer conductor 11. In contrast, according to other embodiments, the substrate connection portions 35 and 36 of two inner conductors may be arranged side by side in the front-to-back direction when viewed from the bottom of the outer conductor. In the first embodiment described above, the outer conductor 11 was formed separately from the outer conductor tube 19. In contrast, according to other embodiments, the outer conductor may be formed integrally with the outer conductor tube. For example, the outer conductor may be a die-cast member integrated with the cylindrical portion corresponding to the outer conductor tube. In the first embodiment described above, the rear space 55 was formed in pairs on both the left and right sides of the partition wall 65 inside the outer conductor 11. In contrast, according to other embodiments, the rear space may be formed only once inside the outer conductor between a pair of side walls. Alternatively, multiple partition walls may be formed in the outer conductor, and three or more rear spaces may be formed between side walls and partition walls, and between adjacent partition walls. In the first embodiment described above, the rear space 55 was formed in pairs on both the left and right sides of the partition wall 65 inside the outer conductor 11. In contrast, according to other embodiments, the rear space may be formed only once between a pair of side walls inside the outer conductor. Furthermore, when multiple partition walls are formed in the outer conductor, three or more rear spaces may be formed between side walls and partition walls, and between adjacent partition walls. In the first embodiment described above, the guide portion 45 was provided protruding from the outer surface of the dielectric 17, and the guide receiving portion 74 was recessed in the opposing surface 73 of the outer conductor 11. In contrast, according to other embodiments, the opposite may be true to the first embodiment, with the guide portion recessed in the outer surface of the dielectric and the guide receiving portion protruding from the opposing surface of the outer conductor. In the first embodiment described above, the lower surface of the projection 75 was located on the lower end surface (lower opening 68) of the outer conductor 11, and the rear surface of the projection 75 was located on the rear end surface (rear opening 67) of the outer conductor 11. In contrast, according to other embodiments, the lower surface of the projection may be located above the lower end surface of the outer conductor, and the rear surface of the projection may be located in front of the rear end surface of the outer conductor. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0063] 10… Connectors 11…Outer conductor 12… Housing 13…Ground connection member 14…First inner conductor (inner conductor) 15…Second inner conductor (inner conductor) 16…First Dielectric (Dielectric) 17…Second Dielectric (Dielectric) 18... Shielding component 19…Outer conductor tube 21...Base wall 22…Food Department 23…Insertion hole 24… protruding ring 25…Matching recess 26…dent 27… Upward end face 28… Mounting groove 31... Mounting part 32...Elastic contact area 33... Connecting part 34...Protruding part 35...Rear circuit board connection section (circuit board connection section) 36…Front circuit board connection section (circuit board connection section) 37...Partner connection part 38…Rear wide part 39...Main unit for connecting the rear circuit board 41...Front wide section 42...Front circuit board connection main unit 43...Cylindrical part 44…Drawer part 45… Guide section 46…Insertion recess 47…recess 48…Through hole 49...Front part 51... Rear 52... Stepped section 54…Main body hole (storage hole) 55...Rear space part 56…Matching protrusion 57…Tsubosho 59… Locking claw 63… Fitting hole (storage hole) 64... Front stopping surface 65...Bulkhead part 66... ​​Side wall section 67…Rear opening 68…Bottom opening 69...Top wall part 71...Shelf wall part 72...Retaining groove 73... Opposing surface (inner surface facing the rear space) 74... Guide receiving section 75… protrusion 77...legs 79…Implementation Department 81...Holding part 100... Circuit board 110... Through hole 120…Fixing hole LF…The distance in the front-to-back direction from the rear end of the rear board connection to the rear end of the outer conductor. LR... The distance between the rear end of the front substrate connection part and the front end of the shielding member in the front-to-back direction.

Claims

1. It comprises a plurality of inner conductors, a plurality of dielectrics housing the plurality of inner conductors, an outer conductor housing the plurality of dielectrics, and a plate-shaped shielding member, The interior of the outer conductor has a rear space portion that is open to the rear of the outer conductor, located behind the accommodation holes that house the plurality of dielectrics. Each of the inner conductors has a substrate connection portion that extends downward from the rear surface of the corresponding dielectric, Of the multiple internal conductors, the substrate connection portion of some of the internal conductors is configured as a front substrate connection portion, and the substrate connection portions of the other internal conductors are configured as rear substrate connection portions located behind the front substrate connection portion. The rear substrate connection portion faces the rear space portion, The shield member is positioned between the front substrate connection portion and the rear substrate connection portion in the front-rear direction. A connector in which the distance in the front-to-back direction from the rear end of the rear substrate connection portion to the rear end of the outer conductor is greater than four times the distance in the front-to-back direction from the rear end of the front substrate connection portion to the front end of the shielding member.

2. The housing comprises the outer conductor to which the outer conductor is attached, The outer conductor protrudes rearward from the housing, The connector according to claim 1, wherein the distance in the front-rear direction from the rear end of the shield member to the rear end of the outer conductor is greater than the distance in the front-rear direction from the front end of the shield member to the front end of the outer conductor.

3. The connector according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the distance in the front-rear direction from the rear end of the rear substrate connection portion to the rear end of the outer conductor is greater than six times the distance in the front-rear direction from the rear end of the front substrate connection portion to the front end of the shield member.

4. The connector according to claim 3, wherein the distance in the front-rear direction from the rear end of the rear substrate connection portion to the rear end of the outer conductor is greater than six times and less than seven times the distance in the front-rear direction from the rear end of the front substrate connection portion to the front end of the shield member.

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