Coaxial connectors, coaxial terminals, and coaxial terminals with cables.

The coaxial connector's innovative groove design addresses impedance and tensile strength issues by minimizing insulator deformation and ensuring secure braid engagement, enhancing signal transmission and assembly efficiency.

JP7869048B2Active Publication Date: 2026-06-02HIROSE ELECTRIC CO LTD

Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
HIROSE ELECTRIC CO LTD
Filing Date
2022-07-01
Publication Date
2026-06-02

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing coaxial connectors cause impedance changes and reduced tensile strength in coaxial cables due to deformation of the insulator during crimping, especially when used with foamed polyethylene cables, and can lead to poor contact and increased part count or assembly complexity when using sleeves.

Method used

The coaxial connector design features elongated grooves on the crimping portion with specific inclination angles and configurations to minimize insulator deformation and ensure braid engagement without a sleeve, maintaining impedance stability and tensile strength.

Benefits of technology

This design effectively suppresses impedance changes, maintains tensile strength, and prevents braid cutting while reducing the number of parts and assembly steps.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Patent Text Reader

Abstract

To suppress a change in impedance of a coaxial cable in a caulked portion of braiding without using a sleeve, suppress reduction in a tensile strength of the coaxial cable with respect to a coaxial connector or a coaxial terminal, and suppress a contact defect between an external terminal and the braiding caused by cutoff of a strand of the braiding.SOLUTION: An external terminal 11 of a coaxial connector comprises a braiding crimp section 16 crimping braiding of a coaxial cable. A plurality of long grooves 21 extending in a lateral direction is provided on an inner surface of the braiding crimp section 16. Each long groove 21 includes: a front side face 21B extended backward while being tilted from a portion positioned at a front side of a bottom of the long groove 21 to the bottom of the long groove 21 on the inner surface of the braiding crimp section 16; and a rear side face 21C extended forward while being tilted from a portion positioned at a rear side of the bottom of the long groove 21 to the bottom of the long groove 21 on the inner surface of the braiding crimp section 16. A tilt angle of the rear side face 21C is larger than a tilt angle of the front side face 21B.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a coaxial connector and coaxial terminal attached to a coaxial cable, and a coaxial terminal with a cable.

Background Art

[0002] A coaxial cable has an inner conductor, an insulator provided on the outer peripheral side of the inner conductor, a braid as an outer conductor provided on the outer peripheral side of the insulator, and a sheath covering the outer peripheral side of the braid. The coaxial cable has a structure in which the inner conductor is electromagnetic shielded by the braid and is suitable for transmitting high-frequency signals. There are coaxial cables with a single-wire inner conductor and those with a stranded wire formed by twisting seven strands of the inner conductor. Also, the braid is formed by braiding a plurality of strands. Thin metal wires (for example, copper wires) are used for the strands of the braid. The diameter of the strands of the braid is usually smaller than the diameter of the single-wire inner conductor and smaller than the diameter of the strands of the stranded wire inner conductor. Further, polyethylene or foamed polyethylene is used for the insulator. A foamed polyethylene coaxial cable using foamed polyethylene as the insulator has a smaller attenuation amount of high-frequency signals than a polyethylene-filled coaxial cable using polyethylene as the insulator. From this point, for the transmission of high-frequency signals such as those in the 6 GHz band, which are frequently used recently, the foamed polyethylene coaxial cable is more advantageous than the polyethylene-filled coaxial cable.

[0003] On the other hand, a coaxial connector attached to a coaxial cable has an inner terminal, an outer terminal provided on the outer peripheral side of the inner terminal via an insulating member, and a housing that houses the inner terminal, the insulating member, and the outer terminal. The inner conductor of the coaxial cable is connected to the inner terminal, and the braid of the coaxial cable is connected to the outer terminal. The coaxial connector has a structure in which the inner terminal is electromagnetic shielded by the outer terminal and is suitable for transmitting high-frequency signals, similar to the coaxial cable.

[0004] In many coaxial connectors, the external terminal has a crimping section (barrel) that crimps and fastens the end of the coaxial cable's braid. When connecting the braid to the external terminal, an external force is applied to the plate-shaped crimping section, causing it to plastically deform into a cylindrical shape so as to surround the end of the braid, and the inner surface of the cylindrical crimping section is pressed against the outer surface of the end of the braid. This fixes the end of the braid to the external terminal and electrically connects the braid to the external terminal.

[0005] Furthermore, some coaxial connectors have grooves formed on the inner surface of the crimping portion of the external terminal. When the end of the braid is crimped to the crimping portion of the external terminal, the strands of the braid enter into the grooves formed on the inner surface of the crimping portion. This increases the holding force of the braid by the crimping portion, and increases the tensile strength of the coaxial cable relative to the coaxial connector. For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2008-287899 (Patent Document 1) describes an external conductor terminal in which a mesh-like knurled groove is formed on the inner surface of the crimping portion.

[0006] Furthermore, some coaxial connectors have a sleeve (or ferrule) that is fitted between the insulator and the braid at the end of the coaxial cable. The sleeve is formed in a cylindrical shape from a rigid material. Before crimping the braid to the crimping portion of the external terminal, the sleeve is fitted between the insulator provided on the outer circumference of the internal conductor of the coaxial cable and the braid. Then, the braid with the sleeve fitted is crimped to the crimping portion of the external terminal. This prevents deformation of the insulator of the coaxial cable due to the pressing force applied to the crimping portion for crimping. For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-197068 (Patent Document 2) describes a shielded connection structure equipped with such a sleeve. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2008-287899 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2005-197068 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] When transmitting high-frequency signals by attaching a coaxial connector to a coaxial cable without using the sleeve described above, the following problems arise.

[0009] When the end of the braided section of a coaxial cable is crimped to the crimping section of the external terminal of a coaxial connector, an external force is applied to the crimping section, pressing the inner surface of the crimping section against the outer surface of the end of the braid. This pressing force during crimping causes the insulator provided between the internal conductor and the braid to deform together with the braid (see Figure 4(d) in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2008-287899). As a result, the distance between the internal conductor and the braid changes at the portion where the braid is crimped by the crimping section of the external terminal (the crimped portion), and the impedance of the coaxial cable changes. In particular, since the foamed polyethylene used as the insulator in foamed polyethylene coaxial cables is softer than the polyethylene used as the insulator in solid polyethylene coaxial cables, when a coaxial connector is attached to a foamed polyethylene coaxial cable, the degree of deformation of the insulator due to the pressing force during crimping becomes larger, and as a result, the degree of change in the impedance of the coaxial cable at the crimped portion becomes larger. When the impedance of a coaxial cable changes at the crimped portion, an impedance mismatch occurs between the coaxial cable and the coaxial connector, degrading the transmission characteristics of high-frequency signals.

[0010] To suppress changes in the impedance of the coaxial cable at the crimped portion, it is conceivable to reduce the pressing force applied to the crimped portion of the external terminal during crimping by increasing the crimp height of the crimping device used for crimping the braid to the external terminal, thereby suppressing deformation of the insulator. However, a reduction in the pressing force during crimping reduces the holding power of the braid by the crimped portion, which reduces the tensile strength of the coaxial cable to the coaxial connector. Furthermore, in the coaxial connector described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-287899, in which a mesh-like knurled groove is formed on the inner surface of the crimped portion of the external terminal, a reduction in the pressing force during crimping may prevent the strands of the braid from sufficiently entering the groove on the inner surface of the crimped portion. As a result, the tensile strength of the coaxial cable to the coaxial connector may decrease.

[0011] In this regard, as shown in Figure 13, one possible method is to make the shape of the groove 92 formed on the inner surface 91A of the crimping portion 91 of the external terminal a sawtooth shape, with one side surface 92A of the groove 92 perpendicular to the inner surface 91A of the crimping portion 91. With this method, the strands of the braided wires will be more likely to enter the groove 92 during crimping, and the strands of the braided wires that have entered the groove 92 will be more likely to catch on the side surface 92A of the groove 92. As a result, it may be possible to ensure sufficient holding force of the braid by the crimping portion even if the pressing force applied to the crimping portion of the external terminal is reduced during crimping.

[0012] However, if the groove 92 formed on the inner surface 91A of the crimping portion 91 is made serrated so that the side surface 92A of the groove 92 is perpendicular to the inner surface 91A of the crimping portion 91, the corner 92B where the inner surface 91A of the crimping portion 91 and the side surface 92A of the groove 92 connect becomes sharp. Also, if the diameter of the strands of the braid is smaller than the diameter of the strands of the internal conductor of the stranded wire, the strands of the braid are weaker than the strands of the internal conductor. Therefore, during crimping, or when using a coaxial connector attached to a coaxial cable, the strands of the braid may be cut by contact with the corner 92B, potentially causing poor contact between the external terminal and the braid.

[0013] On the other hand, as in the shield connection structure described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2005-197068, if a sleeve is fitted between the insulator and the braid at the end of the coaxial cable, and then the braid is crimped to the crimping portion of the external terminal, it is possible to prevent the pressing force applied to the external terminal during crimping from being applied to the insulator, thereby preventing deformation of the insulator. However, this method has the disadvantage that, because a sleeve is used, the number of parts in the coaxial connector increases, the coaxial connector becomes larger, or the number of steps required to attach the coaxial connector to the coaxial cable increases.

[0014] The present invention has been made in view of the problems described above, for example, and the object of the present invention is to provide a coaxial connector, a coaxial terminal, and a coaxial terminal with a cable that can suppress changes in the impedance of the coaxial cable at the crimped portion of the braid without using a sleeve to be fitted between the insulator and the braid of the coaxial cable, can suppress a decrease in the tensile strength of the coaxial cable to the coaxial connector or coaxial terminal, and can suppress poor contact between the external terminal and the braid due to the cutting of strands of the braid. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] To solve the above problems, the present invention First The coaxial connector is a coaxial connector attached to a coaxial cable, comprising: an internal terminal to which the internal conductor of the coaxial cable is connected; an external terminal provided on the outer circumference of the internal terminal to which a braid forming the external conductor of the coaxial cable is connected; and a housing that houses the internal terminal and the external terminal, wherein the external terminal has a contact portion provided on one axial side of the external terminal that contacts the terminal of an object to be connected to the coaxial cable via the coaxial connector; and a crimping portion provided on the other axial side of the external terminal that crimps the braid and crimps it to the external terminal, wherein the inner surface of the crimping portion that contacts the braid has a surface arranged in the axial direction of the external terminal and the axial direction of the external terminal orthogonalMultiple elongated grooves are provided, each extending in a direction such that the crimping portion is inclined from a portion located on the inner surface of the crimping portion on one axial side of the external terminal relative to the bottom of the elongated groove, to the bottom of the elongated groove, and extending in the direction on the other axial side of the external terminal; and a second elongated groove is inclined from a portion located on the inner surface of the crimping portion on the other axial side of the external terminal relative to the bottom of the elongated groove, to the bottom of the elongated groove, and the inclination angle of the second elongated groove with respect to the inner surface of the crimping portion is greater than the inclination angle of the first elongated groove with respect to the inner surface of the crimping portion. The inclination angle of the second side surface with respect to the inner surface of the crimped portion is 60 degrees or more and less than 80 degrees. It is characterized by the following: In the first coaxial connector of the present invention described above, in each of the elongated grooves, one end of the first side surface and one end of the second side surface are connected to each other at the bottom of the elongated groove, and the cross-sectional shape of each elongated groove may be a triangle with vertices at the connection point between one end of the first side surface and one end of the second side surface, the connection point between the first side surface and the inner surface of the crimping portion, and the connection point between the second side surface and the inner surface of the crimping portion. The depth of each elongated groove may be between half and twice the diameter of the strands forming the braid. The crimping portion surrounds and crimps the braid by plastically deforming a metal plate extended in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the external terminal into a cylindrical shape, and each elongated groove may extend from one end to the other end of the crimping portion in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the external terminal when the crimping portion is unfolded into a flat plate shape.

[0016] To solve the above problems, the second coaxial connector of the present invention is a coaxial connector attached to a coaxial cable, comprising: an internal terminal to which the internal conductor of the coaxial cable is connected; an external terminal provided on the outer circumference side of the internal terminal to which a braid forming the external conductor of the coaxial cable is connected; and a housing that houses the internal terminal and the external terminal, wherein the external terminal has a contact portion provided on one axial side of the external terminal that contacts the terminal of an object to be connected to which the coaxial cable is connected via the coaxial connector; and a crimping portion provided on the other axial side of the external terminal that crimps the braid and crimps it to the external terminal, wherein the inner surface of the crimping portion that contacts the braid is provided with a plurality of elongated grooves arranged in the axial direction of the external terminal and extending in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the external terminal, the plurality of elongated grooves each extending parallel to each other, and each elongated groove is inclined from a portion located on one axial side of the external terminal than the bottom of the elongated groove on the inner surface of the crimping portion to the bottom of the elongated groove. The crimping portion has a first side surface extending in the direction of the other axial side of the external terminal, and a second side surface extending in the direction of the one axial side of the external terminal, while being inclined from a portion located on the other axial side of the external terminal than the bottom of the long groove on the inner surface of the crimping portion to the bottom of the long groove, wherein the inclination angle of the second side surface with respect to the inner surface of the crimping portion is greater than the inclination angle of the first side surface with respect to the inner surface of the crimping portion, and the crimping portion has multiple long grooves that penetrate the crimping portion and extend in the same direction as the extension direction of each long groove. An elongated hole is formed that partially overlaps one or more of the elongated grooves, and in the elongated hole, the side surface on the other axial side of the external terminal is located between a first connection position where the first side surface of one of the plurality of elongated grooves that partially overlaps with the elongated hole is connected to the inner surface of the crimping portion, and a second connection position where the second side surface of the one elongated groove is connected to the inner surface of the crimping portion, and is located closer to the second connection position than to the first connection position. In the second coaxial connector of the present invention described above, in each of the elongated grooves, one end of the first side surface and one end of the second side surface are connected to each other at the bottom of the elongated groove, and the cross-sectional shape of each elongated groove may be a triangle with vertices at the connection point between one end of the first side surface and one end of the second side surface, the connection point between the first side surface and the inner surface of the crimping portion, and the connection point between the second side surface and the inner surface of the crimping portion. The depth of each elongated groove may be between half and twice the diameter of the strands forming the braid. Furthermore, each elongated groove may extend in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the external terminal. Furthermore, the crimping portion surrounds and crimps the braid by plastically deforming a metal plate extended in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the external terminal into a cylindrical shape, and each elongated groove may extend from one end to the other end of the crimping portion in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the external terminal when the crimping portion is unfolded into a flat plate shape.

[0017] To solve the above problems, the present invention First The coaxial terminal is a coaxial terminal attached to a coaxial cable, comprising an internal terminal to which the internal conductor of the coaxial cable is connected, and an external terminal provided on the outer circumference side of the internal terminal to which the braid forming the external conductor of the coaxial cable is connected, wherein the external terminal has a contact portion provided on one axial side of the external terminal that contacts the terminal of an object to which the coaxial cable is connected via the coaxial terminal, and a crimping portion provided on the other axial side of the external terminal that crimps the braid and crimps it to the external terminal, wherein the inner surface of the crimping portion that contacts the braid has a surface arranged in the axial direction of the external terminal and the axial direction of the external terminal orthogonal Multiple elongated grooves are provided, each extending in a direction such that the crimping portion is inclined from a portion located on the inner surface of the crimping portion on one axial side of the external terminal relative to the bottom of the elongated groove, to the bottom of the elongated groove, and extending in the direction on the other axial side of the external terminal; and a second elongated groove is inclined from a portion located on the inner surface of the crimping portion on the other axial side of the external terminal relative to the bottom of the elongated groove, to the bottom of the elongated groove, and the inclination angle of the second elongated groove with respect to the inner surface of the crimping portion is greater than the inclination angle of the first elongated groove with respect to the inner surface of the crimping portion. The inclination angle of the second side surface with respect to the inner surface of the crimped portion is 60 degrees or more and less than 80 degrees. characterized in that. To solve the above problems, the second coaxial terminal of the present invention is a coaxial terminal attached to a coaxial cable, comprising an internal terminal to which the internal conductor of the coaxial cable is connected, and an external terminal provided on the outer circumference side of the internal terminal to which a braid forming the external conductor of the coaxial cable is connected, wherein the external terminal has a contact portion provided on one axial side of the external terminal that contacts the terminal of an object to be connected to which the coaxial cable is connected via the coaxial terminal, and a crimping portion provided on the other axial side of the external terminal that crimps the braid and crimps it to the external terminal, wherein the inner surface of the crimping portion that contacts the braid is provided with a plurality of elongated grooves arranged in the axial direction of the external terminal and extending in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the external terminal, the plurality of elongated grooves each extending parallel to each other, and each elongated groove inclined from a portion located on one axial side of the external terminal than the bottom of the elongated groove on the inner surface of the crimping portion to the bottom of the elongated groove, and extending in the direction on the other axial side of the external terminal The crimping portion has an elongated first side surface and a second side surface that extends in a direction toward one side of the external terminal in the axial direction, while being inclined from a portion located on the inner surface of the crimping portion toward the bottom of the long groove toward the bottom of the long groove, wherein the inclination angle of the second side surface with respect to the inner surface of the crimping portion is greater than the inclination angle of the first side surface with respect to the inner surface of the crimping portion, the crimping portion has an elongated hole formed therein that penetrates the crimping portion, extends in the same direction as the elongation direction of each long groove, and partially overlaps with one or more of the long grooves, wherein the side surface of the elongated hole on the axial side of the external terminal is located between a first connection position in the axial direction of the external terminal where the first side surface of one of the long grooves that partially overlaps with the elongated hole connects to the inner surface of the crimping portion and a second connection position where the second side surface of the one long groove connects to the inner surface of the crimping portion, and is located closer to the second connection position than to the first connection position.

[0018] In order to solve the above problems, the First coaxial terminal with a cable is a coaxial terminal with a cable including a coaxial cable and a coaxial terminal attached to the coaxial cable. The coaxial cable includes an inner conductor and a braid provided on the outer peripheral side of the inner conductor via an insulator. The coaxial terminal includes an inner terminal to which the inner conductor is connected and an outer terminal provided on the outer peripheral side of the inner terminal to which the braid is connected. The outer terminal has a contact portion provided on one axial side portion of the outer terminal and contacting a terminal of an object to be connected to the coaxial terminal with a cable, and a caulking portion provided on the other axial side portion of the outer terminal for caulking the braid and crimping it to the outer terminal. On the inner surface of the caulking portion that contacts the braid, a plurality of long grooves are provided extending in the axial direction of the outer terminal and in the direction of the axial direction of the outer terminal. Each of the long grooves has a first side surface that extends in the direction of the other axial side of the outer terminal while inclining from a portion located on the one axial side of the outer terminal with respect to the bottom of the long groove to the bottom of the long groove on the inner surface of the caulking portion, and a second side surface that extends in the direction of the one axial side of the outer terminal while inclining from a portion located on the other axial side of the outer terminal with respect to the bottom of the long groove to the bottom of the long groove on the inner surface of the caulking portion. The inclination angle of the second side surface with respect to the inner surface of the caulking portion is larger than the inclination angle of the first side surface with respect to the inner surface of the caulking portion. orthogonal characterized in that. The inclination angle of the second side surface with respect to the inner surface of the crimped portion is 60 degrees or more and less than 80 degrees. characterized in that. To solve the above problems, the second coaxial terminal with cable of the present invention is a coaxial terminal with cable comprising a coaxial cable and a coaxial terminal attached to the coaxial cable, wherein the coaxial cable comprises an internal conductor and a braid provided on the outer circumference of the internal conductor via an insulator, the coaxial terminal comprises an internal terminal to which the internal conductor is connected and an external terminal provided on the outer circumference of the internal terminal to which the braid is connected, the external terminal has a contact portion provided on one axial side of the external terminal that contacts the terminal of an object to be connected to which the coaxial terminal with cable is connected, and a crimping portion provided on the other axial side of the external terminal that crimps the braid and crimps it to the external terminal, the inner surface of the crimping portion that contacts the braid is provided with a plurality of elongated grooves arranged in the axial direction of the external terminal and extending in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the external terminal, the plurality of elongated grooves each extend parallel to each other, and each elongated groove extends from a portion located on one axial side of the external terminal beyond the bottom of the elongated groove on the inner surface of the crimping portion to the length The crimping portion has a first side surface that extends in the direction of the other axial side of the external terminal while sloping toward the bottom of the groove, and a second side surface that extends in the direction of the one axial side of the external terminal while sloping toward the bottom of the long groove on the inner surface of the crimping portion, the inclination angle of the second side surface with respect to the inner surface of the crimping portion is greater than the inclination angle of the first side surface with respect to the inner surface of the crimping portion, and the crimping portion has a portion that penetrates the crimping portion and extends in the same direction as the extension direction of each long groove, An elongated hole is formed that partially overlaps with one or more of the multiple elongated grooves, and the other axial side of the external terminal in the elongated hole is located between a first connection position where the first side of one of the multiple elongated grooves that partially overlaps with the elongated hole is connected to the inner surface of the crimping portion, and a second connection position where the second side of the one elongated groove is connected to the inner surface of the crimping portion, and is located closer to the second connection position than to the first connection position.

Effect of the Invention

[0019] According to the present invention, without using a sleeve mounted between the insulator and the braid of a coaxial cable, it is possible to suppress a change in the impedance of the coaxial cable in the caulked portion of the braid, suppress a decrease in the tensile strength of the coaxial cable with respect to a coaxial connector or a coaxial terminal, and suppress a poor contact between an external terminal and the braid due to cutting of the strands of the braid.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view showing a coaxial connector of an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is an exploded view of a coaxial connector of an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is an explanatory view showing a coaxial cable. [Figure 4] It is a perspective view showing a coaxial terminal in a coaxial connector of an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] It is a longitudinal sectional view of the coaxial terminal in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] It is an exploded view of the coaxial terminal in FIG. 4. [Figure 7] It is an explanatory view showing a braid caulking portion of the coaxial terminal in FIG. 4. [Figure 8] It is a sectional view showing a long groove and a long hole formed in the braid caulking portion in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] It is a cross-sectional view of the coaxial terminal in FIG. 4. [Figure 10] In the longitudinal section of the coaxial terminal in FIG. 5, it is a sectional view showing a portion where the braid caulking portion is arranged. [Figure 11] It is an explanatory view showing another embodiment of a braid caulking portion of a coaxial terminal in a coaxial connector of the present invention. [Figure 12] It is a sectional view showing another embodiment of a long groove formed in a braid caulking portion of a coaxial terminal in a coaxial connector of the present invention. [Figure 13] It is a sectional view showing a caulking portion of an external terminal in which a serrated groove is formed such that one side surface of the groove is perpendicular to the inner surface of the caulking portion.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0021] The embodiments of the present invention will be described below. Hereinafter, a right-angle type coaxial connector equipped with four coaxial terminals and a power terminal will be given as an example of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] (Coaxial connector) First, let's describe the coaxial connector as a whole. Figure 1 shows a coaxial connector 1, which is an embodiment of the coaxial connector of the present invention. Figure 2 shows the coaxial connector 1 in a disassembled state. As shown in Figure 2, the coaxial connector 1 comprises four coaxial terminals 2, a power terminal 27, and a housing 29. The coaxial connector 1 is connected to a mating coaxial connector (not shown). The mating coaxial connector has four coaxial terminals that connect to the four coaxial terminals 2 of the coaxial connector 1, and a power terminal that connects to the power terminal 27 of the coaxial connector 1. The mating coaxial connector is a specific example of the "object to be connected".

[0023] In the coaxial connector 1, each coaxial terminal 2 is formed in an L-shape. The four coaxial terminals 2 are attached to the ends of four coaxial cables 41, respectively. Of the four coaxial terminals 2, two are located in the lower section of the housing 29, and the remaining two are located in the upper section of the housing 29. The power terminal 27 is also formed in an L-shape. The power terminal 27 is attached to the end of the power cable 49, which is a single-core cable. The power terminal 27 is located in the upper section of the housing 29. Note that the coaxial terminal 2 is an embodiment of the coaxial terminal of the present invention. Furthermore, a structure comprising a coaxial cable 41 and coaxial terminals 2 attached to the coaxial cable 41 is an embodiment of the coaxial terminal with cable of the present invention.

[0024] The housing 29 is a component that houses four coaxial terminals 2 and a power terminal 27, and has a housing body 30, a spacer 35, and a cover 38, each formed from an insulating material such as resin. The housing body 30 is provided with a lower housing section 31 that houses two coaxial terminals 2 located in the lower part of the housing 29. Also, as shown in Figure 1, the front of the housing body 30 is provided with four coaxial terminal insertion holes 32 into which the four coaxial terminals of the mating coaxial connector are each inserted. The tips of the outer contact portions 13 of the four coaxial terminals 2 housed in the housing 29 face the four coaxial terminal insertion holes 32. Also, the front of the housing body 30 is provided with a power terminal insertion hole 33 into which the power terminal of the mating coaxial connector is inserted. The tip of the contact portion 28 of the power terminal 27 housed in the housing 29 faces the power terminal insertion hole 33. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the rear of the housing body 30 is provided with a cable outlet section 34 for pulling out two coaxial cables 41 attached to two coaxial terminals 2 housed in the lower housing section 31 to the outside of the housing 29.

[0025] The spacer 35 is provided with an upper housing section 36 that accommodates two coaxial terminals 2 and a power terminal 27 located in the upper part of the housing 29. Although not shown in the figure, the front of the spacer 35 is provided with a total of three insertion holes for inserting the outer contact portions 13 of the two coaxial terminals 2 and the contact portion 28 of the power terminal 27, which are housed in the upper housing section 36. The rear of the spacer 35 is provided with a cable outlet section 37 for pulling out the two coaxial cables 41 attached to the two coaxial terminals 2 housed in the upper housing section 36, and the power cable 49 attached to the power terminal 27, to the outside of the housing 29.

[0026] The housing 29 can be assembled as follows: First, the two lower coaxial terminals 2 are mounted in the lower housing section 31 of the housing body 30. Next, the spacer 35 is mounted on the housing body 30 with the two lower coaxial terminals 2 installed. Next, the two upper coaxial terminals 2 and the power terminal 27 are mounted in the upper housing section 36 of the spacer 35. Finally, the cover 38 is mounted on the housing body 30 with the four coaxial terminals 2, the power terminal 27 and the spacer 35 installed.

[0027] Here, the coaxial cable 41 will be described. Figure 3(A) shows the end of the coaxial cable 41 after termination. Figure 3(B) shows a cross-section of the coaxial cable 41. Figure 3(C) shows a magnified view of the portion of the cross-section of the coaxial cable 41 where the braid 46 is located. As shown in Figures 3(A) to 3(C), the coaxial cable 41 comprises an inner conductor 42, an insulator 44, a metal foil 45, a braid 46, and a sheath 48. The inner conductor 42 is a stranded wire formed by twisting together seven strands 43 made of a metal such as copper. The insulator 44 is formed in a cylindrical shape from foamed polyethylene and is placed on the outer circumference of the inner conductor 42, surrounding the inner conductor 42. The metal foil 45 and the braid 46 form the outer conductor of the coaxial cable 41. The metal foil 45 is a foil made of a metal such as aluminum or copper and is placed on the outer circumference of the insulator 44, surrounding the insulator 44. The braid 46 is formed by braiding together multiple strands 47 made of a metal such as copper, and is positioned on the outer periphery of the metal foil 45, surrounding the metal foil 45. The sheath 48 is made of a resin material such as polyvinyl chloride, and is positioned on the outer periphery of the braid 46, surrounding the braid 46.

[0028] The diameter K of the strands 47 of the braid 46 (see Figure 3(C)) is smaller than the diameter of the strands 43 of the inner conductor 42. In this embodiment, the diameter of the strands 43 of the inner conductor 42 is, for example, 0.32 mm, while the diameter of the strands 47 of the braid 46 is, for example, 0.08 mm.

[0029] (coaxial terminal) Next, we will explain the coaxial terminals 2. The four coaxial terminals 2 provided by the coaxial connector 1 are all the same in shape and structure, although they differ slightly in length and diameter. Therefore, we will only explain the coaxial terminal 2 located on the lower right side of Figure 2, and omit the explanation of the other coaxial terminals 2.

[0030] Figure 4 shows the external appearance of the coaxial terminal 2 located on the lower right side in Figure 2. Note that the orientation of the coaxial terminal 2 in Figure 4 is upside down compared to the orientation of the coaxial terminal 2 in Figure 2. Also, when describing the front (Fd), back (Bd), left (Ld), right (Rd), up (Ud), and down (Dd) directions of the coaxial terminal 2, follow the arrows drawn in Figures 4 to 12. Figure 5 shows a cross-section of the coaxial terminal 2 in Figure 4, cut by a plane that passes through its left-right center and extends in the front-back and up-down directions. Note that in Figure 5, the detailed shapes of the strands 43 of the internal conductor 42 and the strands 47 of the braid 46 of the coaxial cable 41 are omitted. Figure 6 shows the coaxial terminal 2 in Figure 4 in a disassembled state.

[0031] As shown in Figure 5, the coaxial terminal 2 has an internal terminal 3, an external terminal 11, and an insulating member 6. The internal terminal 3 is formed in an L shape from a conductive material, specifically a metal (for example, a copper alloy such as phosphor bronze). The internal terminal 3 has an internal contact portion 4 that contacts the internal terminal of the mating coaxial connector, and an internal conductor crimping portion 5 that crimps and fastens the end of the internal conductor 42 of the coaxial cable 41. In Figure 5, the cylindrical portion extending vertically at the front of the internal terminal 3 is the internal contact portion 4, and the portion extending horizontally at the rear of the internal terminal 3 is the internal conductor crimping portion 5. Note that the internal terminal 3 shown in Figure 6 is the internal terminal 3 shown in Figure 5 rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise.

[0032] The insulating member 6 is made of an insulating material, specifically a resin (for example, polybutylene terephthalate). The insulating member 6 is formed into an L shape by bending the bent portion 7 by 90 degrees. In Figure 5, the insulating member 6 has a front cylindrical portion 8 that extends vertically at the front of the insulating member 6, and a rear cylindrical portion 9 that extends in the front-rear direction at the rear of the insulating member 6. The front cylindrical portion 8 is formed in a cylindrical shape and is positioned on the outer circumference of the internal contact portion 4, surrounding the internal contact portion 4. The rear cylindrical portion 9 is formed in a rectangular cylindrical shape and is positioned on the outer circumference of the internal conductor crimping portion 5, surrounding the internal conductor crimping portion 5. Note that the insulating member 6 shown in Figure 6 is in a state where the bent portion 7 is not bent.

[0033] The external terminal 11 is made of a conductive material, specifically a metal (for example, a copper alloy such as phosphor bronze). The external terminal 11 is formed by press-forming a metal plate into a straight, elongated shape as shown in Figure 6. Then, when attaching the coaxial terminal 2 to the coaxial cable 41, the assembly worker bends the bent portion 12 by 90 degrees to form an L-shape as shown in Figure 4.

[0034] The external terminal 11 has an outer contact portion 13 that contacts the external terminal of the mating coaxial connector, an insulating member support portion 14 that supports the insulating member 6, a braid crimping portion 16 that crimps and fastens the braid 46 of the coaxial cable 41, and a sheath crimping portion 25 that crimps and fastens the sheath 48 of the coaxial cable 41. The outer contact portion 13 is formed in a cylindrical shape and is located at the front of the external terminal 11 (one side in the axial direction). As shown in Figure 4, the outer contact portion 13 extends in the vertical direction when the bent portion 12 of the external terminal 11 is bent at a 90-degree angle. As shown in Figure 5, the outer contact portion 13 is located on the outer circumference of the front cylindrical portion 8 of the insulating member 6 and surrounds the front cylindrical portion 8.

[0035] The insulating member support portion 14 is positioned at the front of the portion that extends rearward from the lower part (base end) of the outer contact portion 13 at the external terminal 11, and is connected to the outer contact portion 13. Before attaching the coaxial terminal 2 to the coaxial cable 41, the insulating member support portion 14 is formed as a plate-like shape bent in a roughly U-shape. When attaching the coaxial terminal 2 to the coaxial cable 41, the rear cylindrical portion 9 of the insulating member 6 is positioned between the left and right parts of the insulating member support portion 14, and the stopper portions 15 formed at both the left and right ends of the insulating member support portion 14 are bent inward. This secures the rear cylindrical portion 9 of the insulating member 6 within the insulating member support portion 14.

[0036] The braided crimp section 16 is located at the rear of the external terminal 11 (the axial side), specifically behind the insulating member support section 14, and is connected to the insulating member support section 14. Details of the braided crimp section 16 will be described later.

[0037] The sheath crimping section 25 is positioned behind the braid crimping section 16 and is connected to the braid crimping section 16. Before attaching the coaxial terminal 2 to the coaxial cable 41, the sheath crimping section 25 is formed as a plate-like shape that is bent in a roughly U-shape. When attaching the coaxial terminal 2 to the coaxial cable 41, the end of the sheath 48 of the coaxial cable 41, which has been terminated, is placed between the left and right sides of the sheath crimping section 25, and an external force is applied to the sheath crimping section 25, causing it to plastically deform so as to grip the end of the sheath 48. As a result, the end of the sheath 48 is fixed to the sheath crimping section 25.

[0038] (Braided crimped section) At the external terminal 11 of the coaxial terminal 2, the braided crimp portion 16 is formed in a roughly U-shaped plate form, as shown in Figure 6, before the coaxial terminal 2 is attached to the coaxial cable 41. Figure 7(A) shows the braided crimp portion 16 in an unfolded state. Figure 7(A) also shows the inner surface of the unfolded braided crimp portion 16 (the surface facing upward in Figure 6). Figure 7(B) shows the cross-section of the braided crimp portion 16 cut along the cutting line VII-VII in Figure 7(A), viewed from the left (bottom in Figure 7(A)).

[0039] When the braided crimping section 16 is unfolded, it becomes a flat metal plate extending in the left-right direction (a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the external terminal 11), as shown in Figure 7(A). In this unfolded state, the braided crimping section 16 has a base 17 whose front end is connected to the insulating member support section 14 and whose rear end is connected to the sheath crimping section 25, a first gripping section 18 protruding to the left from the middle of the left side of the base 17 in the front-rear direction, a second gripping section 19 protruding to the right from the front of the right side of the base 17, and a third gripping section 20 protruding to the right from the rear of the right side of the base 17.

[0040] Furthermore, when attaching the coaxial terminal 2 to the coaxial cable 41, the end of the braided 46 of the coaxial cable 41, which is exposed from the sheath 48 due to the termination process, is passed between the left and right parts of the braided crimping part 16, which is bent into a roughly U-shape, and placed on the base 17 of the braided crimping part 16. Then, an external force is applied to the braided crimping part 16, causing it to plastically deform into a cylindrical shape so as to surround the outer circumferential surface of the end of the braid 46 all around, and the inner surface of the cylindrically deformed braided crimping part 16 is pressed against the outer circumferential surface of the end of the braid 46. As a result, the braid 46 is crimped and fixed to the braided crimping part 16, and the braid 46 and the external terminal 11 are electrically connected.

[0041] Furthermore, in this state where the braided crimping portion 16 is deformed and crimping the braid 46, the inner surface of the base portion 17 is in contact with the braid 46. Also, as shown in Figure 4, the first gripping portion 18 is positioned between the second gripping portion 19 and the third gripping portion 20, and the inner surfaces of the first gripping portion 18, the second gripping portion 19, and the third gripping portion 20 are in contact with the braid 46. In addition, the edge of the first gripping portion 18 is close to the edge of the second gripping portion 19 and the edge of the third gripping portion 20, respectively, but the first gripping portion 18 does not overlap with either the second gripping portion 19 or the third gripping portion 20. A gap G is formed between the edge of the first gripping portion 18 and the edge of the second gripping portion 19, and between the edge of the first gripping portion 18 and the edge of the third gripping portion 20.

[0042] (Long groove in the braided crimped section) As shown in Figures 7(A) and 7(B), multiple (for example, 10) elongated grooves 21 are formed on the inner surface 16A of the braided crimped portion 16. The multiple elongated grooves 21 are spaced apart in the front-to-back direction (the axial direction of the external terminal 11). Furthermore, the multiple elongated grooves 21 extend parallel to each other in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the external terminal 11. In addition, when the braided crimped portion 16 is unfolded into a flat plate shape, each elongated groove 21 extends linearly from the left end to the right end of the braided crimped portion 16.

[0043] Figure 8(A) shows an enlarged cross-section of the elongated groove 21. As shown in Figure 8(A), the front side surface 21B of each elongated groove 21 extends backward (in the direction of the other axial side of the external terminal 11) while sloping from the portion located in front of the bottom 21A of the elongated groove 21 (on one axial side of the external terminal 11) on the inner surface 16A of the braided crimping portion 16 to the bottom 21A of the elongated groove 21. The rear side surface 21C of each elongated groove 21 extends forward (in the direction of the one axial side of the external terminal 11) while sloping from the portion located behind the bottom 21A of the elongated groove 21 (on the other axial side of the external terminal 11) on the inner surface 16A of the braided crimping portion 16 to the bottom 21A of the elongated groove 21. Note that the front side surface 21B of each elongated groove 21 is a specific example of the "first side surface," and the rear side surface 21C of each elongated groove 21 is a specific example of the "second side surface."

[0044] The inclination angle E of the front side surface 21B with respect to the inner surface 16A of the braided crimping portion 16, and the inclination angle F of the rear side surface 21C with respect to the inner surface 16A of the braided crimping portion 16, are both less than 90 degrees. Furthermore, the inclination angle F is greater than the inclination angle E. In addition, the inclination of the front side surface 21B with respect to the inner surface 16A of the braided crimping portion 16 is preferably gentle in order to guide the strands 47 of the braid 46 into the long groove 21. In this embodiment, the inclination angle E of the front side surface 21B with respect to the inner surface 16A of the braided crimping portion 16 is approximately 10 degrees, but this inclination angle E is preferably 5 degrees or more and less than 45 degrees. Furthermore, the inclination of the rear side surface 21C with respect to the inner surface 16A of the braided crimping portion 16 is preferably steep in order to catch the strands 47 of the braid 46 that have entered the long groove 21 on the rear side surface 21C. However, to prevent the strands 47 of the braid 46 from being cut by hitting the corner 21D where the inner surface 16A and the rear side surface 21C of the braided crimping portion 16 are connected, the inclination angle F of the rear side surface 21C with respect to the inner surface 16A of the braided crimping portion 16 is approximately 75 degrees, but this inclination angle F is preferably 60 degrees or more and less than 80 degrees.

[0045] Furthermore, in each elongated groove 21, the lower end of the front side surface 21B and the lower end of the rear side surface 21C are directly connected to each other at the bottom 21A of the elongated groove 21. In addition, the cross-sectional shape of each elongated groove 21 is a triangle with vertices at the connection point A between the front side surface 21B and the rear side surface 21C, the connection point B between the front side surface 21B and the inner surface 16A of the braided crimped portion 16, and the connection point C between the rear side surface 21C and the inner surface 16A of the braided crimped portion 16.

[0046] Furthermore, the depth D of each long groove 21 is preferably set to a value of at least half and at most twice the diameter K of the strands 47 of the braided 46 in order to catch the strands 47 of the braided 46 in the long groove 21. In this embodiment, the depth D of each long groove 21 is set to a value approximately equal to the diameter K of the strands 47 of the braided 46. Furthermore, the width W (length in the front-to-back direction) of the opening of each long groove 21 is preferably set to a value greater than the diameter K of the strands 47 of the braided 46, and more preferably set to a value of about 1.5 to 10 times the diameter K of the strands 47 of the braided 46, in order to make it easier for the strands 47 of the braided 46 to enter the long groove 21. In this embodiment, the width W of the opening of each long groove 21 is set to about 3 to 5 times the diameter K of the strands 47 of the braided 46.

[0047] (Elongated holes in the braided crimped section) As shown in Figures 7(A) and 7(B), the braided crimping section 16 has a plurality (for example, three) of elongated holes 22. Each elongated hole 22 penetrates the braided crimping section 16. The plurality of elongated holes 22 are spaced apart in the front-to-back direction and extend in the same direction as the elongated groove 21. In this embodiment, each elongated hole 22 is formed in the base 17 of the braided crimping section 16. Also, as shown in Figure 7(A), when the braided crimping section 16 is unfolded, the left-to-right positions of two adjacent elongated holes 22 are different. Specifically, of the three elongated holes 22, the frontmost elongated hole 22 and the rearmost elongated hole 22 are positioned to the right of the intermediate elongated hole 22. In this embodiment, the width (length in the front-to-back direction) of each elongated hole 22 is greater than the width of the elongated groove 21.

[0048] Each elongated hole 22 has the function of reducing the pressing force transmitted from the braided crimping section 16 to the insulator 44 via the braided 46 by allowing a portion of the braided 46 to escape outwards when the braided 46 is crimped to the braided crimping section 16. In other words, when the outer surface of the braided 46 is pressed by the inner surface of the braided crimping section 16 for crimping, a portion of the braided 46 enters the elongated hole 22. In this way, by allowing a portion of the braided 46 to escape into the elongated hole 22 when the braided 46 is pressed, and deforming the braided 46 so that it partially protrudes outwards, the pressing force transmitted from the braided crimping section 16 to the insulator 44 via the braided 46 can be reduced.

[0049] Furthermore, each elongated hole 22 partially overlaps with one or more of the multiple elongated grooves 21. Figure 8(B) shows an enlarged cross-section of the elongated hole 22. In Figure 8(B), the position in the front-rear direction where the front side surface 21B of one of the multiple elongated grooves 21 that partially overlaps with the elongated hole 22 connects to the inner surface 16A of the braided crimping portion 16 is defined as the first connection position P, and the position in the front-rear direction where the rear side surface 21C of the said elongated groove 21 connects to the inner surface 16A of the braided crimping portion 16 is defined as the second connection position Q. In this case, the arrangement of each elongated hole 22 is set such that the rear side surface 22A of the elongated hole 22 (the side on the axial side of the external terminal 11 in the elongated hole 22) is located between the first connection position P and the second connection position Q in the front-rear direction, and the rear side surface 22A is closer to the second connection position Q than to the first connection position P.

[0050] (The function of long grooves and long holes) Figure 9 shows a cross-section of the coaxial terminal 2, cut along the cutting line IX-IX in Figure 5, viewed from the rear (right in Figure 5). Figure 10 shows a magnified view of the longitudinal section of the coaxial terminal 2 shown in Figure 5, specifically the area where the braided crimp portion 16 is located.

[0051] In this embodiment, when the braid 46 of the coaxial cable 41 is crimped to the braid crimping portion 16 of the coaxial terminal 2, the degree of plastic deformation of the braid crimping portion 16 is adjusted, for example, by adjusting the crimp height of the crimping device, thereby suppressing deformation of the insulator 44 of the coaxial cable 41 due to the pressing force of the crimping. Specifically, regarding the crimping of the braid of the coaxial cable by the braid crimping portion of the coaxial terminal, the crimp height of the crimping device is determined for each type of coaxial cable, but in this embodiment, the braid 46 of the coaxial cable 41 is crimped to the braid crimping portion 16 of the coaxial terminal 2 with a crimp height that is larger than the normal crimp height determined for the coaxial cable 41. As a result, the degree of plastic deformation of the braid crimping portion 16 during crimping is smaller than usual, and the deformation of the insulator 44 due to the pressing force of the crimping is reduced. Hereinafter, the method of crimping the braid 46 of the coaxial cable 41 to the braid crimp section 16 with the normal crimp height specified for the coaxial cable 41 will be referred to as "normal crimping," and the method of crimping the braid 46 to the braid crimp section 16 with a crimp height greater than the normal crimp height specified for the coaxial cable 41 will be referred to as "loose crimping."

[0052] When the braid 46 is crimped to the braid crimping section 16 by loose crimping, the degree of deformation of the insulator 44 in the portion of the braid 46 crimped by the braid crimping section 16 (crimped portion) is small. Therefore, in the coaxial cable 41, the distance M between the internal conductor 42 and the metal foil 45 in the crimped portion does not change much from the distance between the internal conductor 42 and the metal foil 45 that is set in advance for the coaxial cable 41 (the distance between the internal conductor 42 and the metal foil 45 when no external force is applied to the coaxial cable 41). As a result, the amount of change in the impedance of the coaxial cable 41 in the crimped portion with respect to the impedance set in advance for the coaxial cable 41 (for example, 50Ω) is small compared to the case where the insulator is greatly deformed due to large plastic deformation of the crimped portion, as shown in Figure 4(d) of Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-287899. Therefore, impedance mismatch caused by crimping the braid 46 to the braid crimping section 16 can be suppressed.

[0053] Furthermore, when the braid 46 is crimped to the braid crimping portion 16 by loose crimping, the force with which the inner surface of the braid crimping portion 16 presses against the outer surface of the braid 46 is smaller compared to when the braid 46 is crimped to the braid crimping portion 16 by normal crimping. Therefore, if no grooves are formed on the inner surface of the braid crimping portion 16, the holding force of the braid 46 by the braid crimping portion 16 will be low when using loose crimping, and there is a risk that sufficient tensile strength of the coaxial cable 41 to the coaxial connector 1 or coaxial terminal 2 cannot be obtained. Furthermore, even if a mesh-like knurled groove, as described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2008-287899, were formed on the inner surface of the braided crimping portion 16, when loose crimping is performed, the force with which the inner surface of the braided crimping portion 16 presses against the outer surface of the braid 46 would be insufficient, making it difficult for the strands 47 of the braid 46 to enter the mesh-like knurled groove. As a result, the number of strands 47 that enter the mesh-like knurled groove decreases, and consequently, the holding force of the braid 46 cannot be increased by the mesh-like knurled groove, which may result in insufficient tensile strength of the coaxial cable 41 to be obtained for the coaxial connector 1 or coaxial terminal 2. In contrast, in the coaxial connector 1 of this embodiment, a plurality of long grooves 21 having the above configuration are formed on the inner surface of the braided crimping portion 16. Therefore, even when the braid 46 is crimped to the braid crimping portion 16 by loose crimping, as shown in Figure 10, many strands 47 in the braid 46 enter the long groove 21, and many strands 47 in the braid 46 get caught in the long groove 21. As a result, the long groove 21 can increase the holding force of the braid 46, and sufficient tensile strength of the coaxial cable 41 to the coaxial connector 1 or coaxial terminal 2 can be obtained.

[0054] In other words, each long groove 21 has a front side surface 21B that extends from a portion located in front of the bottom 21A of the long groove 21 on the inner surface 16A of the braiding crimping section 16 to the bottom 21A of the long groove 21, so that even when loose crimping is performed, the strands 47 of the braid 46 can be reliably guided into the long groove 21. Furthermore, each long groove 21 has a rear side surface 21C that extends from a portion located behind the bottom 21A of the long groove 21 on the inner surface 16A of the braiding crimping section 16 to the bottom 21A of the long groove 21, so that even when loose crimping is performed, the strands 47 of the braid 46 that have entered the long groove 21 can easily get caught on the rear side surface 21C. Furthermore, by setting the depth D of each long groove 21 to a value of at most half and at most twice the diameter K of the strands 47 of the braid 46, it is possible to make it easier for the strands 47 of the braid 46 to catch in the long groove 21 even when using loose crimping.

[0055] Furthermore, the multiple elongated grooves 21 are arranged in the front-to-back direction and extend parallel to each other in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the external terminal 11, so even when loose crimping is performed, many strands 47 in the braid 46 can be caught in the elongated grooves 21. Also, when the braid crimping section 16 is unfolded, each elongated groove 21 extends in a straight line from the left end to the right end of the braid crimping section 16, so even when loose crimping is performed, many strands 47 of the braid 46 can be caught in the elongated grooves 21 at many points on the inner surface of the braid crimping section 16.

[0056] Furthermore, the inclination angle F of the rear side surface 21C of each long groove 21 is less than 90 degrees. This prevents the strands 47 of the braid 46 from being cut by hitting the corner 21D where the inner surface 16A of the braid crimping portion 16 and the rear side surface 21C connect, when the braid 46 is crimped or when the coaxial connector 1 attached to the coaxial cable 41 is used (for example, when the coaxial cable 41 is strongly pulled away from the coaxial connector 1). Therefore, poor contact between the external terminal 11 and the braid 46 can be suppressed. In other words, if the inclination angle of the rear side surface of each long groove were 90 degrees, the corner where the inner surface of the braid crimping portion and the rear side surface connect would become sharp. Also, since the diameter K of the strands 47 of the braid 46 is smaller than the diameter of the strands 43 of the internal conductor 42, their strength is lower compared to the strands 43 of the internal conductor 42. Therefore, there is a risk that the strands 47 of the braid 46 may be cut by hitting a sharp corner. In contrast, in the coaxial connector 1 of this embodiment, the inclination angle F of the rear side surface 21C of each long groove 21 is less than 90 degrees, so the corner 21D where the inner surface 16A of the braid crimping portion 16 and the rear side surface 21C connect is not sharp compared to the case where this inclination angle is 90 degrees. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the strands 47 of the braid 46 from being cut by hitting the corner 21D.

[0057] Furthermore, each elongated hole 22 formed in the braided crimping section 16 partially overlaps with one or more of the multiple elongated grooves 21. As shown in Figure 8(B), the arrangement of each elongated hole 22 is such that the rear side surface 22A of the elongated hole 22 is located between the first connection position P and the second connection position Q in the front-rear direction, and the rear side surface 22A is closer to the second connection position Q than to the first connection position P. By setting the arrangement of each elongated hole 22 in this way, the rear side surface 22A of the elongated hole 22 is positioned directly in front of the rear side surface 21C of the elongated groove 21 that partially overlaps with the elongated hole 22. As a result, when the braided 46 is crimped to the braided crimping section 16, the strands 47 of the braided 46 that have entered the elongated hole 22 come out of the elongated hole 22, and the strands 47 are more likely to get caught on the rear side surface 21C of the elongated groove 21 that partially overlaps with the elongated hole 22. Therefore, the holding force of the braid 46 by the braid crimping portion 16 can be increased, and the tensile strength of the coaxial cable 41 relative to the coaxial connector 1 or coaxial terminal 2 can be increased.

[0058] As described above, according to the structure (coaxial terminal with cable) of this embodiment, which comprises a coaxial connector 1, a coaxial terminal 2, or a coaxial cable 41 and a coaxial terminal 2 attached to the coaxial cable 41, it is possible to suppress changes in the impedance of the coaxial cable 41 at the crimped portion of the braid 46 without using a sleeve to be installed between the insulator 44 of the coaxial cable 41 and the braid 46, thereby suppressing a decrease in the tensile strength of the coaxial cable 41 to the coaxial connector 1 or coaxial terminal 2, and suppressing poor contact between the external terminal 11 and the braid 46 due to the cutting of the strands 47 of the braid 46.

[0059] In the above embodiment, each long groove 21 extends from one end to the other in the left-right direction on the inner surface of the braided crimping portion 16 when the braided crimping portion 16 is unfolded. However, as shown in Figure 11, groove-less portions 63 may be provided at the left and right ends of the inner surface of the braided crimping portion 61 where the long grooves 62 are not formed. If the width (length in the left-right direction) of the groove-less portions 63 is significantly smaller than the length in the left-right direction of the braided crimping portion 61 when unfolded into a flat plate shape, then each long groove 62 can be said to extend from the left end to the right end on the inner surface of the braided crimping portion 61.

[0060] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the lower end of the front side surface 21B and the lower end of the rear side surface 21C of the long groove 21 are directly connected, but a bottom surface 72A may be provided in the long groove 72, as shown in the braided crimping portion 71 in Figure 12.

[0061] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the left and right ends of the braided crimping portion 16 do not overlap when the braided crimping portion 16 is crimping the braid 46. However, the left and right ends of the braided crimping portion 16 may overlap when the braided crimping portion 16 is crimping the braid 46.

[0062] Furthermore, the coaxial connector of the present invention can be applied to coaxial connectors other than right-angle type coaxial connectors. Also, the coaxial connector of the present invention can be applied to coaxial connectors equipped with one, two, three, or five or more coaxial terminals. Furthermore, the coaxial terminal of the present invention is not limited to L-shaped coaxial terminals, but can also be applied to straight coaxial terminals. Additionally, the coaxial cable to which the coaxial terminal of the present invention is attached may be a coaxial cable having a single-wire internal conductor, a coaxial cable having multiple braids, or a coaxial cable without metal foil.

[0063] Furthermore, the present invention may be modified as appropriate, without contradicting the gist or idea of ​​the invention as can be read from the claims and the specification as a whole, and coaxial connectors, coaxial terminals and coaxial terminals with cables, with such modifications, are also included in the technical concept of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 1 Coaxial connector 2 coaxial terminal 3 Internal terminal 11 External terminals 13 Outer contact part (contact part) 16, 61, 71 Braided crimped section (crimped section) 16A Inner surface 21, 62, 72 Long groove 21A bottom 21B Front side (first side) 21C Rear side (second side) 22 Slotted holes 22A Rear side 41 Coaxial Cable 42 Internal conductor 44 Insulator 46 Braid 47 strands

Claims

1. A coaxial connector that is attached to a coaxial cable, The internal terminal to which the internal conductor of the coaxial cable is connected, An external terminal provided on the outer circumference of the internal terminal, to which a braid forming the outer conductor of the coaxial cable is connected, The system comprises a housing that accommodates the internal terminals and the external terminals, The aforementioned external terminal is, A contact portion is provided on one axial side of the external terminal and contacts the terminal of the object to be connected to which the coaxial cable is connected via the coaxial connector, It has a crimping portion provided on the axial side of the external terminal, which crimps the braid and fastens it to the external terminal, The inner surface of the crimping portion that comes into contact with the braid is provided with a plurality of elongated grooves arranged in the axial direction of the external terminal and extending in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the external terminal. Each of the aforementioned long grooves is On the inner surface of the crimping portion, a first side surface extends in the direction of the other axial side of the external terminal, while being inclined from a portion located on one axial side of the external terminal than the bottom of the long groove to the bottom of the long groove, The inner surface of the crimping portion has a second side surface that extends in the direction of one side of the external terminal in the axial direction, while being inclined from a portion located on the other axial side of the external terminal than the bottom of the long groove toward the bottom of the long groove, The inclination angle of the second side surface with respect to the inner surface of the crimped portion is greater than the inclination angle of the first side surface with respect to the inner surface of the crimped portion. A coaxial connector characterized in that the inclination angle of the second side surface with respect to the inner surface of the crimped portion is 60 degrees or more and less than 80 degrees.

2. A coaxial connector that is attached to a coaxial cable, The internal terminal to which the internal conductor of the coaxial cable is connected, An external terminal provided on the outer circumference of the internal terminal, to which a braid forming the outer conductor of the coaxial cable is connected, The system comprises a housing that accommodates the internal terminals and the external terminals, The aforementioned external terminal is, A contact portion is provided on one axial side of the external terminal and contacts the terminal of the object to be connected to which the coaxial cable is connected via the coaxial connector, It has a crimping portion provided on the axial side of the external terminal, which crimps the braid and fastens it to the external terminal, The inner surface of the crimping portion that comes into contact with the braid is provided with a plurality of elongated grooves that are aligned in the axial direction of the external terminal and extend in directions intersecting the axial direction of the external terminal. The aforementioned multiple elongated grooves extend parallel to each other, Each of the aforementioned long grooves is On the inner surface of the crimping portion, a first side surface extends in the direction of the other axial side of the external terminal, while being inclined from a portion located on one axial side of the external terminal than the bottom of the long groove to the bottom of the long groove, The inner surface of the crimping portion has a second side surface that extends in the direction of one side of the external terminal in the axial direction, while being inclined from a portion located on the other axial side of the external terminal than the bottom of the long groove toward the bottom of the long groove, The inclination angle of the second side surface with respect to the inner surface of the crimped portion is greater than the inclination angle of the first side surface with respect to the inner surface of the crimped portion. The crimping portion has an elongated hole formed therein, which penetrates the crimping portion, extends in the same direction as the extension direction of each of the elongated grooves, and partially overlaps with one or more of the elongated grooves. A coaxial connector characterized in that, in the elongated hole, the side surface of the external terminal on the other axial side is located between a first connection position in the axial direction of the external terminal where the first side surface of one of the plurality of elongated grooves that partially overlaps with the elongated hole is connected to the inner surface of the crimping portion, and a second connection position where the second side surface of the same elongated groove is connected to the inner surface of the crimping portion, and is located closer to the second connection position than to the first connection position.

3. In each of the aforementioned elongated grooves, one end of the first side surface and one end of the second side surface are connected to each other at the bottom of the elongated groove. The coaxial connector according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the cross-sectional shape of each of the long grooves is a triangle with vertices at the connection point between one end of the first side surface and one end of the second side surface, the connection point between the first side surface and the inner surface of the crimping portion, and the connection point between the second side surface and the inner surface of the crimping portion.

4. The coaxial connector according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the depth of each of the long grooves is at most half and less than twice the diameter of the strands forming the braid.

5. The coaxial connector according to claim 2, characterized in that each of the long grooves extends in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the external terminal.

6. The crimping portion surrounds and crimps the braid by plastically deforming a metal plate, which is extended in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the external terminal, into a cylindrical shape. The coaxial connector according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each of the long grooves extends from one end to the other end of the crimping portion in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the external terminal when the crimping portion is unfolded into a flat plate shape.

7. A coaxial terminal that is attached to a coaxial cable, The internal terminal to which the internal conductor of the coaxial cable is connected, The coaxial cable comprises an external terminal provided on the outer circumference of the internal terminal, to which a braid forming the outer conductor of the coaxial cable is connected, The aforementioned external terminal is, A contact portion is provided on one axial side of the external terminal and contacts the terminal of the object to which the coaxial cable is connected via the coaxial terminal, It has a crimping portion provided on the axial side of the external terminal, which crimps the braid and fastens it to the external terminal, The inner surface of the crimping portion that comes into contact with the braid is provided with a plurality of elongated grooves arranged in the axial direction of the external terminal and extending in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the external terminal. Each of the aforementioned long grooves is On the inner surface of the crimping portion, a first side surface extends in the direction of the other axial side of the external terminal, while being inclined from a portion located on one axial side of the external terminal than the bottom of the long groove to the bottom of the long groove, The inner surface of the crimping portion has a second side surface that extends in the direction of one side of the external terminal in the axial direction, while being inclined from a portion located on the other axial side of the external terminal than the bottom of the long groove toward the bottom of the long groove, The inclination angle of the second side surface with respect to the inner surface of the crimped portion is greater than the inclination angle of the first side surface with respect to the inner surface of the crimped portion. A coaxial terminal characterized in that the inclination angle of the second side surface with respect to the inner surface of the crimped portion is 60 degrees or more and less than 80 degrees.

8. A coaxial terminal that can be attached to a coaxial cable, The internal terminal to which the internal conductor of the coaxial cable is connected, The coaxial cable comprises an external terminal provided on the outer circumference of the internal terminal, to which a braid forming the outer conductor of the coaxial cable is connected, The aforementioned external terminal is, A contact portion is provided on one axial side of the external terminal and contacts the terminal of the object to which the coaxial cable is connected via the coaxial terminal, It has a crimping portion provided on the axial side of the external terminal, which crimps the braid and fastens it to the external terminal, The inner surface of the crimping portion that comes into contact with the braid is provided with a plurality of elongated grooves that are aligned in the axial direction of the external terminal and extend in directions intersecting the axial direction of the external terminal. The aforementioned multiple elongated grooves extend parallel to each other, Each of the aforementioned long grooves is On the inner surface of the crimping portion, a first side surface extends in the direction of the other axial side of the external terminal, while being inclined from a portion located on one axial side of the external terminal than the bottom of the long groove to the bottom of the long groove, The inner surface of the crimping portion has a second side surface that extends in the direction of one side of the external terminal in the axial direction, while being inclined from a portion located on the other axial side of the external terminal than the bottom of the long groove toward the bottom of the long groove, The inclination angle of the second side surface with respect to the inner surface of the crimped portion is greater than the inclination angle of the first side surface with respect to the inner surface of the crimped portion. The crimping portion has an elongated hole formed therein, which penetrates the crimping portion, extends in the same direction as the extension direction of each of the elongated grooves, and partially overlaps with one or more of the elongated grooves. A coaxial terminal characterized in that, in the elongated hole, the side surface of the external terminal on the other axial side is located between a first connection position in the axial direction of the external terminal where the first side surface of one of the plurality of elongated grooves that partially overlaps with the elongated hole is connected to the inner surface of the crimping portion, and a second connection position where the second side surface of the same elongated groove is connected to the inner surface of the crimping portion, and is located closer to the second connection position than to the first connection position.

9. A coaxial cable and a coaxial terminal with a cable, the coaxial terminal being attached to the coaxial cable, The coaxial cable comprises an inner conductor and a braid provided on the outer circumference of the inner conductor via an insulator. The coaxial terminal comprises an internal terminal to which the internal conductor is connected, and an external terminal provided on the outer circumference side of the internal terminal to which the braid is connected. The aforementioned external terminal is, A contact portion is provided on one axial side of the external terminal, which contacts the terminal of the object to which the cable-attached coaxial terminal is connected, It has a crimping portion provided on the axial side of the external terminal, which crimps the braid and fastens it to the external terminal, The inner surface of the crimping portion that comes into contact with the braid is provided with a plurality of elongated grooves arranged in the axial direction of the external terminal and extending in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the external terminal. Each of the aforementioned long grooves is On the inner surface of the crimping portion, a first side surface extends in the direction of the other axial side of the external terminal, while being inclined from a portion located on one axial side of the external terminal than the bottom of the long groove to the bottom of the long groove, The inner surface of the crimping portion has a second side surface that extends in the direction of one side of the external terminal in the axial direction, while being inclined from a portion located on the other axial side of the external terminal than the bottom of the long groove toward the bottom of the long groove, The inclination angle of the second side surface with respect to the inner surface of the crimped portion is greater than the inclination angle of the first side surface with respect to the inner surface of the crimped portion. A coaxial terminal with a cable, characterized in that the inclination angle of the second side surface with respect to the inner surface of the crimped portion is 60 degrees or more and less than 80 degrees.

10. A coaxial terminal with a cable, comprising a coaxial cable and a coaxial terminal attached to the coaxial cable, The coaxial cable comprises an inner conductor and a braid provided on the outer circumference of the inner conductor via an insulator. The coaxial terminal comprises an internal terminal to which the internal conductor is connected, and an external terminal provided on the outer circumference side of the internal terminal to which the braid is connected. The aforementioned external terminal is, A contact portion is provided on one axial side of the external terminal, which contacts the terminal of the object to which the cable-attached coaxial terminal is connected, It has a crimping portion provided on the axial side of the external terminal, which crimps the braid and fastens it to the external terminal, The inner surface of the crimping portion that comes into contact with the braid is provided with a plurality of elongated grooves that are aligned in the axial direction of the external terminal and extend in directions intersecting the axial direction of the external terminal. The aforementioned multiple elongated grooves extend parallel to each other, Each of the aforementioned long grooves is On the inner surface of the crimping portion, a first side surface extends in the direction of the other axial side of the external terminal, while being inclined from a portion located on one axial side of the external terminal than the bottom of the long groove to the bottom of the long groove, The inner surface of the crimping portion has a second side surface that extends in the direction of one side of the external terminal in the axial direction, while being inclined from a portion located on the other axial side of the external terminal than the bottom of the long groove toward the bottom of the long groove, The inclination angle of the second side surface with respect to the inner surface of the crimped portion is greater than the inclination angle of the first side surface with respect to the inner surface of the crimped portion. The crimping portion has an elongated hole formed therein, which penetrates the crimping portion, extends in the same direction as the extension direction of each of the elongated grooves, and partially overlaps with one or more of the elongated grooves. A coaxial terminal with a cable, characterized in that, in the elongated hole, the other axial side of the external terminal is located between a first connection position in the axial direction of the external terminal where the first side of one of the plurality of elongated grooves that partially overlaps with the elongated hole is connected to the inner surface of the crimping portion, and a second connection position where the second side of the same elongated groove is connected to the inner surface of the crimping portion, and is located closer to the second connection position than to the first connection position.