Shield terminal

Abstract

To provide a shielded terminal that can improve transmission performance. [Solution] The shield terminal 10 comprises two internal conductors 11, a dielectric 12 that houses the two internal conductors 11, and an impedance adjusting member 13 that maintains the electric wires 101 connected to each of the two internal conductors 11 at a constant distance from each other. The impedance adjusting member 13 is positioned and held by the dielectric 12.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to shield terminals.

Background Art

[0002] The connector described in Patent Document 1 includes an inner conductor connected to an electric wire, a dielectric that houses the inner conductor, and an impedance adjustment member crimped to the electric wire. The inner conductor has a base portion and an insulation barrel piece that rises from the base portion and is crimped to the covering of the electric wire. The impedance adjustment member is crimped to two parallel electric wires behind the dielectric.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When the impedance adjustment member is crimped to the electric wire, if the relative position between the impedance adjustment member and the inner conductor shifts in the extending direction of the electric wire, the stability of the impedance is impaired, and there is a concern that the transmission performance will be affected. Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a shield terminal capable of improving transmission performance.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The shield terminal of the present disclosure includes two inner conductors, a dielectric that houses the two inner conductors, and an impedance adjustment member that maintains a constant interval between electric wires connected to each of the two inner conductors, and the impedance adjustment member is positioned and held by the dielectric.

Effects of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a shield terminal that can improve transmission performance. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the shield terminal according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the shield terminal according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the first dielectric and the first adjustment member in the shield terminal according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the second dielectric and the second adjustment member in the shield terminal according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the state in which the first adjustment member is positioned and held on the first dielectric in the shield terminal according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the shield terminal according to Embodiment 1, showing a portion cut at a position (rear) where the thickness in the vertical direction of the locking portion is small. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the shield terminal according to Embodiment 1, showing a portion cut at a position (front) where the thickness of the locking portion in the vertical direction is large. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] [Description of Embodiments in this Disclosure] First, the embodiments of this disclosure will be listed and described.

[0009] The shield terminals in this disclosure are (1) The device comprises two internal conductors, a dielectric that houses the two internal conductors, and an impedance adjusting member that maintains the wires connected to each of the two internal conductors at a constant interval, wherein the impedance adjusting member is positioned and held by the dielectric.

[0010] Since the inner conductor is housed in a dielectric and the impedance adjusting member is positioned and held within the dielectric, the position between the inner conductor and the impedance adjusting member can be kept constant in the direction of the wire's extension. As a result, impedance stability can be ensured, and transmission performance can be improved. Furthermore, the crimping process of the impedance adjusting member to the wire can be omitted, simplifying the work process.

[0011] (2) In the shield terminal described in (1) above, the dielectric is composed of a first dielectric and a second dielectric paired in an up-and-down direction intersecting the extension direction of the electric wire, the impedance adjusting member is composed of a first adjusting member and a second adjusting member paired in the up-and-down direction, the first adjusting member is positioned and held by the first dielectric, the second adjusting member is positioned and held by the second dielectric, and a holding space for holding the electric wire is provided between the first adjusting member and the second adjusting member.

[0012] According to the configuration described in (2) above, the electric wire can be positioned and fixed in the holding space provided between the first adjustment member and the second adjustment member, thereby further improving the transmission characteristics.

[0013] (3) In the shield terminal described in (1) or (2) above, it is preferable that the dielectric has a concave receiving surface along the outer surface of the impedance adjusting member and a locking portion that prevents the impedance adjusting member from detaching from the receiving surface.

[0014] According to the configuration described in (3) above, for example, the impedance adjustment member can be stably positioned and held by the dielectric even in a vibrating environment.

[0015] (4) In the shield terminal described in (3) above, it is preferable that the impedance adjusting member has chamfered surfaces at the outer corners at both ends in the left-right direction, and the locking portion has a shape that protrudes inward in the left-right direction from each of the ends of the receiving surface in the left-right direction, and has a locking surface that is arranged along the chamfered surface.

[0016] According to the configuration of (4) above, since the mating part of the locking part is the chamfered surface generally provided in the impedance adjusting member, there is no need to perform special processing on the impedance adjusting member, and the configuration of the impedance adjusting member can be simplified.

[0017] (5) In the shield terminal described in (4) above, it is preferable that the locking part is fixed by contacting the chamfered surface.

[0018] According to the configuration of (5) above, since the locking part is fixed to the chamfered surface, the impedance adjusting member is held on the receiving surface without rattling. [Details of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] Specific examples of embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to this exemplification, and is shown by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0019] [Embodiment 1] The shield terminal 10 of the first embodiment is connected to the terminal of the cable 100 through which a communication signal is transmitted. In the case of the first embodiment, the cable 100 is a STP (Shielded Twisted Pair) cable. As shown in FIG. 1, the shield terminal 10 includes two inner conductors 11, a dielectric 12 that houses each inner conductor 11, an impedance adjusting member 13 held by the dielectric 12, an outer conductor 14 that houses the dielectric 12, and an outer conductor cover 15 attached to the outer conductor 14. In the following description, the vertical direction is synonymous with the height direction, and the horizontal direction is synonymous with the width direction. X, Y, and Z in FIG. 1 represent the front, right, and upper directions, respectively. These direction references are for convenience and do not necessarily match the direction references in the state where the shield terminal 10 is mounted on a vehicle or the like not shown in the figure.

[0020] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the cable 100 comprises two electric wires 101, a shielding body 102 such as a braided wire that covers the outer circumference of each electric wire 101 collectively, and an insulating sheath 103 that covers the outer circumference of the shielding body 102. The electric wires 101 are insulated wires and consist of a conductive core wire 104 and an insulating sheath 105 that covers the outer circumference of the core wire 104. In this embodiment 1, each electric wire 101 is a twisted pair wire. At the front end of the cable 100, the sheath 103 is removed and each electric wire 101 is exposed.

[0021] (Internal conductor 11) The inner conductor 11 is formed by bending a conductive metal plate. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the inner conductor 11 is a male terminal. The inner conductor 11 has a long, narrow tab 16 extending forward, a cylindrical terminal body 17 connected to the rear of the tab 16, and a barrel-shaped wire connection part 18 connected to the rear of the terminal body 17. As shown in Figure 2, the wire connection part 18 is crimped and connected to the exposed core wire 104 and insulation 105 at the front end of the electric wire 101.

[0022] (Outer conductor 14) The outer conductor 14 is formed by bending a conductive metal plate. As shown in Figure 1, the outer conductor 14 has a cylindrical fitting cylinder portion 19 with its axis oriented in the front-rear direction. The dielectric 12 is inserted and housed inside the fitting cylinder portion 19 from the rear. As shown in Figure 2, when the dielectric 12 is housed in the rear part of the fitting cylinder portion 19, the tab 16 of the inner conductor 11 is positioned to protrude from the front part of the fitting cylinder portion 19.

[0023] The outer conductor 14 has a strip-shaped shield connection portion 20 that extends rearward from the lower rear end edge of the fitting cylinder portion 19. The shield connection portion 20 is positioned below the shield body 102 and is connected to the shield body 102 by the clamping force of the outer conductor cover 15.

[0024] (Outer conductor cover 15) The outer conductor cover 15 is formed by bending a conductive metal plate. As shown in Figure 2, the rear part of the fitting cylinder 19 is positioned inside the front part of the outer conductor cover 15. As shown in Figure 1, the upper wall of the front part of the outer conductor cover 15 has an opening hole 21 that opens in the vertical direction and a lance locking portion 22 that protrudes upward from the front edge of the opening hole 21. The lance locking portion 22 locks the shield terminal 10 to the lance of the housing of a mating connector (not shown).

[0025] A shield barrel portion 23 is formed at the rear of the outer conductor cover 15. As shown in Figure 2, the shield barrel portion 23 is crimped and connected to the shield body 102 of the cable 100, with the shield connection portion 20 of the outer conductor 14 positioned on the inside. Note that the outer conductor cover 15 shown in Figure 1 is shown in its deformed state after being crimped to the shield body 102 of the cable 100, for the sake of drawing convenience.

[0026] (Impedance adjusting member 13) The impedance adjusting member 13 is formed by bending a conductive metal plate. The impedance adjusting member 13 consists of a first adjusting member 24 and a second adjusting member 25 that are paired in the vertical direction. In this embodiment 1, the first adjusting member 24 and the second adjusting member 25 have the same shape and are arranged in opposite directions. In the following, the configuration of the first adjusting member 24 will be described in detail, and the configuration of the second adjusting member 25 will be described as necessary. Also, in the following, the vertical orientation of the first adjusting member 24 and the second adjusting member 25 will be opposite.

[0027] As shown in Figure 3, the first adjustment member 24 has two adjustment body parts 26 that hold the insulation 105 of each wire 101 exposed at the front end of the cable 100, and a connecting part 27 that connects each adjustment body part 26. The front-to-back dimension of the first adjustment member 24 is longer than the left-to-right dimension of the first adjustment member 24.

[0028] The upper surface of the adjustment body portion 26 of the first adjustment member 24 is the first wire holding surface 28. As shown in Figure 4, the lower surface of the adjustment body portion 26 of the second adjustment member 25 is the second wire holding surface 29. The cross-sectional shapes of the first wire holding surface 28 and the second wire holding surface 29 (cross-sectional shapes cut along the left-right direction) are arc-shaped, following the outer surface of the electric wire 101. When the first adjustment member 24 and the second adjustment member 25 are assembled together, a holding space 30 is formed between the first wire holding surface 28 and the second wire holding surface 29 to hold the electric wire 101 (see Figure 2).

[0029] The connecting portion 27 has a curved shape that bulges upward and connects each adjustment body portion 26 in the left-right direction. The connecting portion 27 is formed so that the front portion is wider in the left-right direction than the rear portion. Therefore, the impedance adjustment member 13 is wider in the left-right direction at the front portion than at the rear portion.

[0030] The connecting portion 27 is formed to incline upward as it extends forward. Therefore, when the first adjustment member 24 and the second adjustment member 25 are assembled together, the vertical distance between the first adjustment member 24 and the second adjustment member 25 gradually decreases as it extends forward.

[0031] The left and right end faces of the first adjustment member 24, that is, the left end face of the left adjustment body portion 26 and the right end face of the right adjustment body portion 26, are positioned facing upward. The left and right end faces of the first adjustment member 24 have opposing surfaces 31 on the inside in the left and right direction, and chamfered surfaces 32 at the outer corners in the left and right direction that are inclined downwards with respect to the left and right direction (see Figures 6 and 7). The length (width) of the chamfered surface 32 in the inclination direction is longer than the length (width) of the opposing surface 31 in the left and right direction. The chamfered surface 32 is inclined at an angle greater than 45 degrees with respect to imaginary lines extending the opposing surface 31 outwards to the left and right (see angle A in Figure 6).

[0032] (Dielectric 12) The dielectric 12 is made of an insulating synthetic resin and has a shape that is elongated in the front-to-back direction relative to the left-to-right direction. The dielectric 12 is separable in the vertical direction and consists of a lower member, the first dielectric 33, and an upper member, the second dielectric 34. The basic configuration of the first dielectric 33 and the second dielectric 34 is the same. Therefore, the configuration of the first dielectric 33 will be described in detail below, and the configuration of the second dielectric 34 will be described as necessary. Note that in the following, the vertical orientation of the first dielectric 33 and the second dielectric 34 will be reversed.

[0033] As shown in Figure 3, the first dielectric 33 is constructed by sequentially connecting an inner conductor receiving portion 35, an intermediate portion 36, and a holding portion 37 from the front to the rear.

[0034] The inner conductor receiving portion 35 is a plate-shaped portion that receives the two inner conductors 11. The two inner conductors 11 are held in a position between the inner conductor receiving portion 35 of the first dielectric 33 and the inner conductor receiving portion 35 of the second dielectric 34. As shown in Figure 4, the inner conductor receiving portion 35 of the second dielectric 34 has a partition wall 38 that separates the two inner conductors 11, and a holding projection 39 (inner conductor positioning portion) that restricts the two inner conductors 11 from falling out is formed at a position opposite the upper end of the partition wall 38. The tabs 16 of the inner conductors 11 protrude forward from the front end of the inner conductor receiving portion 35.

[0035] The intermediate portion 36 has a plate-like portion that is continuous with the inner conductor receiving portion 35, and further has a locking portion 40 that protrudes upward from the intermediate portion in the left-right direction of the plate-like portion. The locking portion 40 is locked into the locked portion 41 of the second dielectric 34. The locked portion 41 is formed as a through hole that penetrates vertically at a position corresponding to the locking portion 40 (see Figure 1). When the first dielectric 33 and the second dielectric 34 are assembled, the locking portion 40 is inserted into the inside of the locked portion 41 and locked in place.

[0036] As shown in Figure 3, the retaining portion 37 is plate-shaped and has a concave upper surface that follows the outer surface of the impedance adjustment member 13. The upper surface of the retaining portion 37 is configured as a receiving surface 42 that receives the impedance adjustment member 13. In detail, the receiving surface 42 is a curved surface that curves along the outer circumference of each adjustment body portion 26 and is provided in pairs in the left-right direction corresponding to each adjustment body portion 26. The portion between each receiving surface 42 is the portion that faces the connecting portion 27 and extends in the front-rear direction between the upper ends of each receiving surface 42. The portion between each receiving surface 42 is inclined so that the height increases as it goes forward. The receiving surface 42 is formed to become wider in the left-right direction as it goes forward. The impedance adjustment member 13 is prevented from coming out of the retaining portion 37 to the rear by the receiving surface 42 becoming wider towards the front. Furthermore, the impedance adjustment member 13 is prevented from coming out of the retaining portion 37 upward by the locking portion 44, which will be described later.

[0037] The front end surface of the holding portion 37 is configured as a front stop surface 43. The front stop surface 43 is an end surface facing rearward and is arranged along the vertical and horizontal directions. The front stop surface 43 is also the rear end surface of the intermediate portion 36. In this embodiment 1, the front stop surface 43 is perpendicular to the front end of each receiving surface 42. The impedance adjusting member 13 contacts the front stop surface 43, thereby suppressing forward movement (position displacement).

[0038] The holding portion 37 has a pair of locking portions 44 on the left and right sides that protrude inward from both ends in the left-right direction of each receiving surface 42 (the upper ends of each receiving surface 42, specifically the left end of the left receiving surface 42 and the right end of the right receiving surface 42). In this embodiment 1, one locking portion 44 is arranged on the front and rear sides of the receiving surface 42, spaced apart in the front-rear direction. The front locking portion 44 is connected to the front stop surface 43. The front locking portion 44 is positioned forward of the rear end of the holding portion 37. The locking portions 44 that form a pair in the left-right direction have a symmetrical shape in that direction.

[0039] As shown in Figure 3, each locking portion 44 is rib-shaped and extends in the front-rear direction. The tip of each locking portion 44 is rounded (see Figure 6). The thickness (vertical dimension) of each locking portion 44 increases as it moves forward. The amount of inward protrusion of each locking portion 44 increases as it moves forward.

[0040] The lower surface of each locking portion 44 is configured as a locking surface 45 that contacts the chamfered surface 32. Specifically, the lower surface of each locking portion 44 intersects and contacts the chamfered surface 32 at the rear where the thickness in the vertical direction is small (see Figure 6), and contacts the chamfered surface 32 in a surface contact state along the front where the thickness in the vertical direction is large (see Figure 7). The locking surface 45 is inclined downward as it goes forward. The locking surface 45 is formed so that its area increases as it goes forward. When the impedance adjustment member 13 is assembled to the dielectric 12, the locking surface 45 faces the chamfered surface 32 of the impedance adjustment member 13 so as to be able to contact it.

[0041] (Assembly procedure for shield terminal 10) Next, the shield terminal 10 will explain an example of the assembly procedure. The sheath 103 is stripped from the end of the cable 100 to expose the twisted pair wires 101. The twists are untwisted at the end of each wire 101, and the insulation 105 is stripped to expose the core wires 104. The wire connection portion 18 of the inner conductor 11 is crimped onto the exposed core wires 104.

[0042] Separately, the impedance adjusting member 13 is attached to the dielectric 12. That is, the first adjusting member 24 and the second adjusting member 25 are attached to the first dielectric 33 and the second dielectric 34, respectively. In detail, the outer surface of the impedance adjusting member 13 (the surface opposite to the first wire holding surface 28 and the second wire holding surface 29) is brought closer to the receiving surface 42 of the dielectric 12. Then, the side of the outer surface of the impedance adjusting member 13 that faces outward in the left-right direction comes into contact with each locking part 44, and each locking part 44 is elastically deformed. The front part of each locking part 44 is crushed. When the outer surface of the impedance adjusting member 13 reaches the position where it contacts the receiving surface 42, the locking surface 45 of each locking part 44 faces the chamfered surface 32. As shown in Figure 6, the rear part of each locking part 44 faces the chamfered surface 32 either in contact with it or with a gap. In contrast, the amount of inward protrusion of each locking part 44 increases as it goes forward. Therefore, the front portion of each locking portion 44 is firmly in contact with and fixed to the chamfered surface 32 (see Figure 7). As a result, the impedance adjusting member 13 is assembled to the dielectric 12 in a state where it is prevented from detaching from the receiving surface 42 by each locking portion 44 (see Figure 5).

[0043] Next, each wire 101 is placed on the second wire holding surface 29 of the second adjustment member 25, and each inner conductor 11 is placed on the inner conductor receiving portion 35. The first dielectric 33 and the second dielectric 34 in this state are then joined together and assembled. At this point, the opposing surfaces 31 of the first adjustment member 24 and the second adjustment member 25 face each other so that they can contact each other.

[0044] Next, the dielectric 12 is inserted into the fitting cylinder portion 19 of the outer conductor 14 from the rear. Once the dielectric 12 is housed in the fitting cylinder portion 19, the outer conductor cover 15 is lowered from above toward the outer conductor 14. The shield barrel portion 23 of the outer conductor cover 15 is crimped onto the shield body 102 of the cable 100 with the shield connection portion 20 of the outer conductor 14 positioned on the inside. This completes the assembly of the shield terminal 10.

[0045] (Function of shield terminal 10) Next, the function of the shield terminal 10 will be explained. In this embodiment 1, the inner conductor 11 is housed in the dielectric 12, and the impedance adjusting member 13 is positioned and held in the dielectric 12. Compared to the case where the impedance adjusting member is crimped to the electric wire for positioning, the position between the inner conductor 11 and the impedance adjusting member 13 can be kept constant in the direction of extension (front-to-back direction) of the electric wire 101. As a result, impedance stability can be ensured, and transmission performance can be improved. In addition, the crimping process of the impedance adjusting member 13 to the electric wire 101 can be omitted, simplifying the work process.

[0046] The dielectric 12 is composed of a first dielectric 33 and a second dielectric 34 that are paired in the vertical direction, and the impedance adjusting member 13 is composed of a first adjusting member 24 and a second adjusting member 25 that are paired in the vertical direction. The first adjusting member 24 is positioned and held by the first dielectric 33, and the second adjusting member 25 is positioned and held by the second dielectric 34. A holding space 30 for holding the electric wire 101 is provided between the first adjusting member 24 and the second adjusting member 25. Therefore, the electric wire 101 can be positioned and fixed in the holding space 30 provided between the first adjusting member 24 and the second adjusting member 25, thereby further improving the transmission characteristics.

[0047] The dielectric 12 has a concave receiving surface 42 that curves along the outer surface of the impedance adjusting member 13, and a locking portion 44 that prevents the impedance adjusting member 13 from detaching from the receiving surface 42. Therefore, the state in which the impedance adjusting member 13 is positioned and held by the dielectric 12 can be stably maintained even in a vibrating environment.

[0048] The impedance adjusting member 13 has chamfered surfaces 32 at the outer corners of both ends in the left-right direction. The locking portion 44 has a shape that protrudes inward in the left-right direction from each of the left-right ends of the receiving surface 42 and has a locking surface 45 that is positioned along the chamfered surface 32. Therefore, since the locking mating surface of the locking portion 44 is the chamfered surface 32 that is generally provided on the impedance adjusting member 13, there is no need to perform any special processing on the impedance adjusting member 13, and the structure of the impedance adjusting member 13 can be simplified.

[0049] The locking portion 44 is fixed in contact with the chamfered surface 32 (see Figure 7). This ensures that the impedance adjustment member 13 is held securely on the receiving surface 42 without any wobbling. [Other embodiments of this disclosure]

[0050] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. In this first embodiment, the dielectric 12 houses two internal conductors 11. In contrast, in other embodiments, the dielectric may house three or more internal conductors. In this first embodiment, the first adjustment member 24 and the second adjustment member 25 have the same shape. In contrast, in other embodiments, the first adjustment member and the second adjustment member do not have to have the same shape. In this first embodiment, the chamfered surface 32 is formed by a C-chamfer that slopes from the outer surface to the inner surface of the adjustment body 26. In contrast, in other embodiments, the chamfered surface does not have to be formed by a C-chamfer. For example, the chamfered surface may have a curved shape formed by an R-chamfer. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0051] 10...Shield terminal 11...Inner conductor 12…Dielectrics 13…Impedance adjustment component 14…Outer conductor 15…Outer conductor cover 16... Tabs 17...Terminal body 18…Wire connection section 19... Fitting cylinder 20... Shield connection part 21...Opening hole 22...Lance locking part 23... Shield barrel section 24...First adjustment member 25...Second adjustment member 26... Adjustment main body 27...Connection part 28...First wire holding surface 29…Second wire holding surface 30…Holding space 31… Opposite side 32... Chamfered surface 33…First Dielectric 34…Second Dielectric 35...Inner conductor receiving section 36…Middle section 37...Holding part 38...Bulkhead 39…Retaining protrusion 40... Rock Club 41... Locked part 42... Receiving surface 43... Front stopping surface 44... Locking part 45… Locking surface 100... Cable 101...Electric wire 102...Shield Body 103...Sheath 104... Core wire 105...covering

Claims

1. It comprises two inner conductors, a dielectric that houses the two inner conductors, and an impedance adjusting member that maintains the wires connected to each of the two inner conductors at a constant interval. The impedance adjusting member is a shield terminal that is positioned and held by the dielectric.

2. The dielectric is composed of a first dielectric and a second dielectric that form a pair in the vertical direction intersecting the extension direction of the electric wire. The impedance adjusting member is composed of a first adjusting member and a second adjusting member that are paired in the vertical direction. The first adjustment member is positioned and held by the first dielectric, The second adjustment member is positioned and held by the second dielectric, The shield terminal according to claim 1, wherein a holding space for holding the electric wire is provided between the first adjusting member and the second adjusting member.

3. The shield terminal according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the dielectric has a concave receiving surface along the outer surface of the impedance adjusting member and a locking portion that prevents the impedance adjusting member from detaching from the receiving surface.

4. The impedance adjusting member has chamfered surfaces at the outer corners of both ends in the left-right direction. The shield terminal according to claim 3, wherein the locking portion has a shape that protrudes inward in the left-right direction from each of the left and right ends of the receiving surface and has a locking surface that is arranged along the chamfered surface.

5. The shield terminal according to claim 4, wherein the locking portion is fixed in contact with the chamfered surface.

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