connector

Abstract

To suppress deterioration of transmission characteristics.SOLUTION: A connector A includes a terminal module 30 that includes a communication cable 37 configured by embedding a pair of signal wires 39 in an insulating sheath 38, and in which the tip regions of the pair of signal wires 39 extending from a tip surface 38S of a sheath 38 as electric wire exposed portions 39E, and a dielectric 31 that accommodates a pair of signal terminal fittings 35 individually fixed to the pair of electric wire exposed portions 39E, and in which the electric wire exposed portions 39E are led out from a signal electric wire lead-out port 33 of the dielectric 31, and a housing 10 that houses the tip region of the communication cable 37 and the dielectric 31. A stopper 25 is formed in the housing 10 to prevent the tip 38T of the sheath 38 from approaching the signal electric wire lead-out port 33.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a connector.

Background Art

[0002] In differential signal transmission, a twisted pair wire formed by twisting two electric wires is used as a communication line. Patent Document 1 discloses a connector including a twisted pair wire, a terminal portion connected to terminal portions of a pair of electric wires constituting the twisted pair wire, and a connector body that houses the pair of terminal portions. At the terminal portion of the twisted pair wire, the twist of the electric wire is untwisted in order to crimp the terminal portion. The terminal portion is inserted into the connector body from the rear. At this time, in the working method of inserting the pair of terminal portions simultaneously, there is a concern that the insertion of the terminal portion may become incorrect. Therefore, after inserting one terminal portion into the connector body, it is preferable to once move the other terminal portion to the rear of the connector body and then insert it into the connector body.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In order to insert a pair of terminal portions separately, as the untwisted length of the electric wire, a dimension corresponding to at least the entire length of the terminal portion is required. However, when the electric wire is put in an untwisted state, the interval between the electric wires tends to widen. When the interval between the electric wires widens, the transmission characteristics deteriorate.

[0005] The connector of the present disclosure has been completed based on the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to suppress deterioration of transmission characteristics. [[ID= 41]]

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The connector disclosed herein is A communication cable comprising a pair of signal wires embedded in an insulating sheath, with the tip regions of the pair of signal wires extending from the tip surface of the sheath as exposed wire portions, and a terminal holding member housing a pair of terminal fittings individually fixed to the pair of exposed wire portions, with the exposed wire portions leading out from the wire outlet of the terminal holding member, The tip region of the communication cable and the pair Terminal fittings It comprises a housing that houses the terminal holding member which houses the terminal holding member, The housing is provided with a stopper that prevents the tip surface of the sheath from approaching the wire outlet. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, the degradation of transmission characteristics can be suppressed. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the connector of Example 1. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the connector shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the connector of Example 1 with the terminal module, the integrated rubber stopper, and the rubber stopper retaining member attached to the housing body. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a rear view of the housing body shown in Figure 1. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a back cross-sectional view showing the connector of Embodiment 1 with the communication cable routed within the routing space. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a side cross-sectional view showing the connector of Embodiment 1 with the communication cable routed within the routing space. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a plan cross-sectional view of the connector shown in Figure 1. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a perspective view of the connector in Example 2. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is an exploded perspective view of the connector shown in Figure 8. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a perspective view showing the connector of Embodiment 2 with the terminal module, the integrated rubber stopper, and the rubber stopper retaining member attached to the housing body. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a rear view of the housing body shown in Figure 8. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a plan cross-sectional view of the connector shown in Figure 8. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a side cross-sectional view of the connector shown in Figure 8. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] [Description of Embodiments in this Disclosure] First, embodiments of this disclosure will be listed and described. Any combination of the following embodiments, insofar as they do not contradict each other, is also included as a form for carrying out the invention.

[0010] The connector disclosed herein is (1) A communication cable comprising a pair of signal wires embedded in an insulating sheath, with the tip regions of the pair of signal wires extending from the tip surface of the sheath as exposed wire portions, and a terminal holding member housing a pair of terminal fittings individually fixed to the pair of exposed wire portions, with the exposed wire portions leading out from the wire outlet of the terminal holding member, the tip region of the communication cable, and the pair Terminal fittingsA housing that houses the terminal holding member that houses the same, and a stopper is formed on the housing to restrict the tip surface of the sheath from approaching the wire outlet. According to the configuration of the present disclosure, by providing the stopper, the tip surface of the sheath is prevented from approaching the wire outlet of the terminal holding member. Therefore, it is possible to suppress buckling such that the pair of signal lines are separated between the wire outlet and the tip surface of the sheath. That is, it is possible to suppress buckling such that the pair of signal lines are separated at the wire exposed portion due to the distance between the wire outlet and the tip surface of the sheath being shorter than the length of the portion of the pair of signal lines from the wire outlet to the tip surface of the sheath. Therefore, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to suppress deterioration of transmission characteristics caused by separation of the pair of signal lines. In addition, it is possible to manage the length of the portion of the communication cable routed outside the housing.

[0011] (2) It is preferable that the tip surface of the sheath abuts against the stopper. According to this configuration, the shape of the housing can be simplified compared to a structure that restricts movement by sandwiching the sheath.

[0012] (3) In (2), a wiring groove in which the wire exposed portion is routed and a housing recess that is wider than the wiring groove and houses the tip portion of the sheath are formed in the housing, and it is preferable that a step portion formed at the boundary between the wiring groove and the housing recess functions as the stopper. According to this configuration, the shape of the housing can be simplified compared to the case where a dedicated independent-shaped stopper is formed separately from the step portion.

[0013] (4)(3) In this case, the housing has a box shape with an opening at the rear surface, and includes a housing body having a module accommodation chamber into which the terminal holding member is inserted from the rear, the cable routing groove, and the accommodation recess, and a cover that is assembled to close the opening with respect to the housing body. The accommodation recess has an opening at the rear. It is preferable that the cover is formed with a detachment regulation portion that regulates the detachment of the front end surface of the sheath from the stopper when the front end surface of the sheath is regulated in movement by the stopper and is displaced rearward. According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent the front end portion of the sheath from being displaced rearward and detached from the stopper.

[0014] (5)(4) In this case, it is preferable that the width dimension of the cable routing groove is smaller than the outer diameter of the sheath, and in a rear view of the housing when viewed from the rear, a part of the detachment regulation portion is arranged so as to overlap the cable routing groove. According to this configuration, when the communication cable is accommodated in the housing body from the rear, if the front end surface of the sheath is located on the cable routing groove side rather than the stopper side, the sheath is located at a position facing the stopper, that is, rearward of the position where the movement is regulated by the stopper. In this case, when the cover is assembled to the housing body, the detachment regulation portion interferes with the front end portion of the sheath, so that the cover cannot be assembled to the housing body at a normal position. Therefore, it is possible to detect whether the sheath is arranged at a normal position based on whether the cover can be assembled to the housing body.

[0015] (6)(4) or (5) In this case, it is preferable that the terminal holding member houses other terminal fittings fixed to an electric wire different from the signal wire, and the detachment regulation portion is arranged so as to partition the cable routing path of the signal wire and the cable routing path of the other electric wire in the housing body. According to this configuration, there is no need to form a dedicated partition portion for partitioning the cable routing space of the signal wire and the cable routing space of the other electric wire in the housing body. Thereby, the shape of the housing body can be simplified.

[0016] [Details of the embodiments of this disclosure] [Example 1] Connector A of Embodiment 1, which embodies the present disclosure, will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 7. The present invention is not limited to these examples, but is shown in the claims, and all modifications within the meaning and scope of equivalence to the claims are included. In Embodiment 1, the front-to-back direction is defined as direction F in Figures 1 to 3, 6, and 7. The up-and-down direction is defined as direction H in Figures 1 to 6. The left-to-right direction is defined as direction R in Figures 1 to 5 and 7. The left-to-right direction and the width direction are used synonymously.

[0017] Connector A in this embodiment 1 comprises a housing 10 and a terminal module 30. In a side view of connector A, viewed from the side, connector A as a whole has a vertically elongated block shape.

[0018] The housing 10 is constructed by assembling a housing body 11, a cover 40, a single rubber stopper 43, a rubber stopper holding member 46, and a rear seal member 47. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the housing body 11 is a box-shaped member having an opening 12 on its rear surface. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, a cable routing hole 13 is formed in the lower wall of the housing body 11, penetrating vertically through the lower wall. As shown in Figures 4 to 6, a module housing chamber 14 is formed at the upper end of the housing body 11. The front end of the module housing chamber 14 opens to the front of the housing body 11. The rear end of the module housing chamber 14 opens to the rear within the housing body 11. A fitting portion 17 is formed at the upper front end of the housing body 11, which is fitted to a mating connector (not shown) by attaching a front seal member 15 and a front member 16.

[0019] Inside the housing body 11, a cable routing space 19 is formed that communicates with the rear end of the module housing chamber 14. The cable routing space 19 consists of a region behind the module housing chamber 14 and a region of the housing body 11 below the module housing chamber 14. A pair of power lines 36 and one communication cable 37 are routed vertically within the cable routing space 19. A cable routing groove 20 and a housing recess 22 are formed at the upper end of the cable routing space 19.

[0020] The cable routing groove 20 is a groove that opens in both the vertical and rear directions. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, in a rear view of the housing body 11, the upper end of the cable routing groove 20 is located slightly below the module housing chamber 14. The cable routing groove 20 is positioned off-center to the left in the width direction from the widthwise center 11C of the housing body 11. As shown in Figure 6, the groove bottom surface 21 of the cable routing groove 20 is inclined in an overhang shape such that the lower end is located further forward than the upper end.

[0021] The accommodating recess 22 is a recess that opens downwards and to the rear. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the accommodating recess 22, like the cable routing groove 20, is positioned off-center to the left in the width direction from the widthwise center 11C of the housing body 11. The cable routing groove 20 and the accommodating recess 22 are positioned adjacent to each other in the vertical direction. The upper end of the accommodating recess 22 communicates with the lower end of the cable routing groove 20. In a rear view, the width dimension of the accommodating recess 22 is greater than the width dimension of the cable routing groove 20. As shown in Figure 6, the back surface 23 (front) of the accommodating recess 22 is located in front of the groove bottom surface 21 of the cable routing groove 20. The boundary between the lower end of the accommodating recess 22 and the lower end of the cable routing groove 20 forms a stepped portion 24. The portion of the stepped portion 24 facing into the accommodating recess 22 functions as a stopper 25. When the accommodating recess 22 is viewed from below, the stopper 25 has a "U-shape" that opens to the rear.

[0022] As shown in Figure 2, the terminal module 30 includes a dielectric 31, a pair of signal terminal fittings 35, a pair of power supply terminal fittings 34, a pair of power lines 36, and a communication cable 37. The dielectric 31 is constructed, for example, by assembling multiple components. The pair of power supply terminal fittings 34 and the pair of signal terminal fittings 35 are housed within the dielectric 31. On the rear surface of the dielectric 31, a pair of power supply wire outlets 32 and a pair of signal wire outlets 33, spaced apart in the width direction, are formed. The pair of power supply wire outlets 32 open into the upper region of the rear surface of the dielectric 31. The pair of signal wire outlets 33 open into the lower region of the rear surface of the dielectric 31. The terminal module 30 is inserted into the module housing chamber 14 from the rear of the housing body 11.

[0023] The pair of power lines 36 are made of insulated wires. A power supply terminal fitting 34 is fixed to the end of each power line 36. The power lines 36 are led out to the rear from the power supply wire outlet 32 ​​of the dielectric 31. The pair of power lines 36 led out from the power supply wire outlet 32 ​​are routed vertically within the right half of the routing space 19.

[0024] The communication cable 37 is a conductive path for differential communication and has a circular cross-section sheath 38 and a pair of signal wires 39 embedded within the sheath 38. The signal wires 39 are made of insulated wires. Within the sheath 38, the pair of signal wires 39 are twisted together to form a twisted pair wire (not shown). At the tip of the communication cable 37, the sheath 38 is removed, and the tips of the pair of signal wires 39 are exposed. The portion of the signal wires 39 that protrudes from the tip surface 38S of the sheath 38 and is untwisted is defined as the exposed wire portion 39E. A signal terminal fitting 35 is fixed to the tip of each exposed wire portion 39E. The exposed wire portions 39E are led out to the rear from the signal wire outlet 33 of the dielectric 31.

[0025] The communication cable 37 is routed vertically within the left half of the routing space 19. The tip 38T of the sheath 38 is housed in the housing recess 22 with its tip surface 38S facing upward. The tip surface 38S of the sheath 38 is positioned to abut or be in close proximity to the stopper 25 from below. A pair of exposed wires 39E (signal wires 39) led out from the signal wire outlet 33 are housed in the routing groove 20. In the routing groove 20, the pair of exposed wires 39E are arranged side by side, parallel to each other and in close proximity, with their axes oriented vertically. Of the pair of exposed wires 39E, the portion between the signal wire outlet 33 and the upper end of the routing groove 20 is routed diagonally with respect to both the vertical and width directions when viewed from the rear.

[0026] The cover 40 is attached to the housing body 11 so as to close the opening 12. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the cover 40 has a plate-shaped main body portion 41 that closes the opening 12 and a release restricting portion 42 that protrudes from the front surface of the plate-shaped main body portion 41. When the cover 40 is attached to the housing body 11, Withdrawal Regulation Department 42 It is housed within the cable routing space 19. As shown in Figure 7, the release restricting portion 42 is positioned to the left of the center in the width direction of the cover 40. As shown in Figure 6, the release restricting portion 42 is positioned to cover the lower end region of the cable routing groove 20, the housing recess 22, and the region below the housing recess 22 from the rear.

[0027] The bulk rubber stopper 43 is liquid-tightly attached to the cable routing hole 13 of the housing body 11. As shown in Figure 2, the bulk rubber stopper 43 has a pair of first seal holes 44 and one second seal hole 45 that penetrate the bulk rubber stopper 43 vertically. A pair of power lines 36 are liquid-tightly inserted through the pair of first seal holes 44. A communication cable 37 is liquid-tightly inserted through the second seal hole 45. The rubber stopper retaining member 46 is attached to the lower end of the housing body 11. The rubber stopper retaining member 46 is a member that prevents the bulk rubber stopper 43 from detaching downward from the cable routing hole 13.

[0028] Next, the assembly procedure for connector A will be explained. With the sheath 38 of the communication cable 37 and the power line 36 inserted together into the rubber stopper 43, the signal terminal fitting 35 is crimped onto the signal line 39, and the power supply terminal fitting 34 is fixed onto the power line 36. Next, the terminal module 30 is assembled by housing the signal terminal fitting 35 and the power supply terminal fitting 34 inside the dielectric 31. After that, the assembled terminal module 30 is passed through the cable routing hole 13 from below the housing body 11, through the cable routing space 19, and pulled out to the rear outside the housing body 11 through the opening 12. After that, the dielectric 31 is inserted into the module housing chamber 14 from the rear.

[0029] Next, the two power lines 36 are housed in the right-hand region of the wiring space 19 and routed vertically. The communication cable 37 is housed in the left-hand region of the wiring space 19 and routed vertically. When routing the communication cable 37, the tip 38T of the sheath 38 of the communication cable 37 is housed in the housing recess 22, and the two exposed wire portions 39E are housed in the wiring groove 20. Furthermore, the portion of the exposed wire portion 39E above the wiring groove 20 is routed diagonally in both the vertical and width directions between the upper end of the wiring groove 20 and the signal wire outlet 33. Between the tip surface 38S of the sheath 38 and the signal wire outlet 33, the two exposed wire portions 39E are routed with almost no excess length. Therefore, even between the cable routing groove 20 and the signal wire outlet 33, the two exposed wire portions 39E are not separated by a large distance in the width direction.

[0030] After routing the power lines 36 and communication cables 37 within the routing space 19, the rubber stopper 43 is moved upward and attached to the routing hole 13 while holding the power lines 36 and communication cables 37 in place so as not to move upward relative to the housing body 11. Then, the rubber stopper holding member 46 is attached to the lower end of the housing body 11.

[0031] Next, the cover 40, on which the rear seal member 47 is attached, is mounted to the rear surface of the housing body 11. This ensures that the opening 12 on the rear surface of the housing body 11 is liquid-tightly closed by the plate-shaped body portion 41 of the cover 40 and the rear seal member 47. With this, the assembly of connector A is completed.

[0032] When the bulk rubber stopper 43 is moved upward, there is a concern that the communication cable 37 may be pushed upward. If the tip 38T of the sheath 38 moves above the stopper 25, the exposed wire portion 39E will deform by buckling between the tip surface 38S of the sheath 38 and the signal wire outlet 33, and as a result, the two exposed wire portions 39E will separate, which is a concern as it may degrade the transmission characteristics. However, in this embodiment 1, the tip surface 38S of the sheath 38 abuts against the stopper 25 from below, preventing the communication cable 37 (tip 38T of the sheath 38) from moving upward within the cable routing space 19. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the degradation of transmission characteristics caused by the separation of the pair of exposed wire portions 39E.

[0033] When the cover 40 is attached to the housing body 11, the release restricting portion 42 formed on the cover 40 enters the cable routing space 19 and comes into contact with the tip portion 38T of the sheath 38 from the rear, or approaches it from the rear. As a result, the rearward movement of the communication cable 37 is restricted, so that the sheath 38 is held in a state where it is housed in the housing recess 22, and the exposed portion of the wire 39E is held in a state where it is housed in the cable routing groove 20.

[0034] Furthermore, since the width dimension of the cable routing groove 20 is set to be smaller than the outer diameter of the tip 38T of the sheath 38, the sheath 38 cannot be housed in the cable routing groove 20 when the tip 38T of the sheath 38 is positioned above the stopper 25. In this case, the tip 38T of the sheath 38 will be positioned behind the position where it is housed in the housing recess 22, that is, the position facing the stopper 25. Here, in a rear view, the release restricting part 42 is positioned to overlap not only the housing recess 22 but also the cable routing groove 20. Therefore, when attempting to attach the cover 40 to the housing body 11, if the tip surface 38S of the sheath 38 is positioned above the stopper 25, the release restricting part 42 will interfere with the tip 38T of the sheath 38 during the attachment process, making it impossible to assemble the cover 40 to the housing body 11. This allows detection that the tip 38T of the sheath 38 has come out of the housing recess 22.

[0035] As shown in Figure 7, in a top-down cross-sectional view of a horizontally cut connector A, the power line 36 is routed in the area to the right of the widthwise center 11C in the routing space 19. On the other hand, the sheath 38 of the communication cable 37 is routed in the area to the left of the widthwise center 11C in the routing space 19. The detachment restriction section 42 is positioned adjacent to the left of the routing path of the power line 36 and adjacent to the rear of the routing path of the tip of the communication cable 37 (exposed wire portion 39E). As a result, the routing path of the tip of the communication cable 37 and the routing path of the power line 36 are separated by the detachment restriction section 42. Therefore, within the routing space 19, there is no risk of the power line 36 coming into contact with the communication cable 37.

[0036] Connector A in this embodiment 1 comprises a terminal module 30 and a housing 10. The terminal module 30 includes a communication cable 37, a dielectric 31, and a pair of signal terminal fittings 35. The communication cable 37 is constructed by embedding a pair of signal wires 39 within an insulating sheath 38. The sheath 38 is removed in the tip region of the communication cable 37. The tips of the pair of signal wires 39 extend from the tip surface 38S of the sheath 38 as exposed wire portions 39E. The pair of exposed wire portions 39E are individually fixed to the pair of signal terminal fittings 35. The pair of signal terminal fittings 35 are housed within the dielectric 31. The pair of exposed wire portions 39E are individually led out to the rear from a pair of signal wire outlets 33 that open on the rear surface of the dielectric 31. The housing 10 houses the tip of the communication cable 37 and the dielectric 31 containing the pair of signal terminal fittings 35.

[0037] The housing 10 is provided with a stopper 25 that restricts the tip surface 38S of the sheath 38 from approaching the signal wire outlet 33. By providing the stopper 25 in the housing 10, the tip surface 38S of the sheath 38 is prevented from approaching the signal wire outlet 33 of the dielectric 31, thereby suppressing buckling that would cause the pair of exposed wire portions 39E (signal wires 39) to separate between the signal wire outlet 33 and the tip surface 38S of the sheath 38. In other words, because the distance between the signal wire outlet 33 and the tip surface 38S of the sheath 38 is shorter than the length of the portion of the pair of signal wires 39 from the signal wire outlet 33 to the tip surface 38S of the sheath 38, buckling that would cause the pair of signal wires 39 to separate at the exposed wire portion 39E can be suppressed. Therefore, according to connector A of this embodiment 1, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of transmission characteristics caused by the separation of the pair of signal wires 39 at the exposed wire portion 39E.

[0038] It is preferable that the tip surface 38S of the sheath 38 abuts against the stopper 25. With this configuration, the shape of the housing 10 can be simplified compared to a structure in which the stopper 25 restricts movement by clamping the sheath 38. Furthermore, by positioning the tip surface 38S of the sheath 38 in contact with the stopper 25, or in close proximity to and facing the stopper 25, the tip portion 38T of the sheath 38 is positioned relative to the housing 10 in the longitudinal direction of the communication cable 37. This makes it possible to control the length of the portion of the communication cable 37 that is routed outside the housing 10.

[0039] The housing 10 has a routing groove 20 through which the exposed wire portion 39E is routed, and a receiving recess 22 which is wider than the routing groove 20 and accommodates the tip portion 38T of the sheath 38. A stepped portion 24 formed at the boundary between the routing groove 20 and the receiving recess 22 functions as a stopper 25. With this configuration, compared to forming a separate, dedicated stopper 25 in addition to the stepped portion 24, the connector A of this embodiment 1 can simplify the shape of the housing 10.

[0040] The housing 10 comprises a housing body 11 and a cover 40. The housing body 11 is box-shaped with an opening 12 on its rear surface. The housing body 11 has a module housing chamber 14 into which the dielectric 31 is inserted from the rear, a cable routing groove 20, and a housing recess 22. The housing recess 22 is shaped to open to the rear. The cover 40 is assembled to the housing body 11 so as to close the opening 12. The cover 40 has a release restricting portion 42 that restricts the front end surface 38S of the sheath 38 from being displaced rearward and coming off the stopper 25 when the front end surface 38S of the sheath 38 is restricted from moving by the stopper 25. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the front end surface 38S of the sheath 38 from being displaced rearward and coming off the stopper 25.

[0041] The width dimension of the cable routing groove 20 is smaller than the outer diameter of the sheath 38. In a rear view of the housing 10, a portion of the release restriction portion 42 is positioned to overlap with the cable routing groove 20. With this configuration, when the communication cable 37 is housed in the housing body 11 from the rear, if the tip surface 38S of the sheath 38 is located on the cable routing groove 20 side of the stopper 25, the sheath 38 will be located behind the position opposite the stopper 25, i.e., behind the position where its movement is restricted by the stopper 25. In this case, when assembling the cover 40 to the housing body 11, the release restriction portion 42 interferes with the tip surface 38T of the sheath 38, preventing the cover 40 from being assembled to the housing body 11 in the correct position. Therefore, according to connector A of this embodiment 1, it is possible to detect whether the sheath 38 is positioned in the correct position based on whether or not the cover 40 can be assembled to the housing body 11.

[0042] The dielectric 31 houses a power supply terminal fitting 34 fixed to a power line 36, which is different from the signal line 39. The detachment restriction section 42 is positioned to separate the routing path of the signal line 39 (exposed wire portion 39E) from the routing path of the power line 36 within the housing body 11. With this configuration, it is not necessary to form a dedicated partition wall in the housing body 11 to separate the routing space 19 of the exposed wire portion 39E from the routing space 19 of the power line 36. This simplifies the shape of the housing body 11.

[0043] [Example 2] Connector B of Embodiment 2, which embodies the present disclosure, will be described with reference to Figures 8 to 13. In Embodiment 2, the front-to-back direction is defined as the F direction in Figures 8 to 10, 12, and 13. The up-and-down direction is defined as the H direction in Figures 8 to 11 and 13. The left-to-right direction is defined as the R direction in Figures 8 to 12. Connector B of Embodiment 2 has a housing 50 with a different configuration than that of Embodiment 1. Since the other configurations are the same as those of Embodiment 1, the same reference numerals are used for the same components, and the explanation of the structure, operation, and effect is omitted.

[0044] As shown in Figure 12, the housing body 51 constituting the housing 50 of this embodiment 2 has an opening 12 that opens to the rear surface of the housing body 51, a module housing chamber 14, a cable routing space 19, and a cable routing hole 13. The module housing chamber 14 is located at the left end of the housing body 51. A terminal module 30 is inserted into the module housing chamber 14 from the rear. The cable routing hole 13 is located at the right end of the housing body 51. Within the housing body 51, the space extending from the rear of the module housing chamber 14 to the cable routing hole 13 functions as the cable routing space 19. Within the cable routing space 19, one communication cable 37 and a pair of power lines 36 are routed in the left-right direction. In this embodiment 2, in a rear view (not shown) of the housing body 51 viewed from the rear, the vertical direction (height direction) perpendicular to the routing direction of the communication cable 37 and power lines 36 is defined as the width direction.

[0045] When the dielectric 31 is housed in the module housing chamber 14, a pair of power supply wire outlets 32 are arranged side by side on the rear surface of the dielectric 31, in a region above the widthwise center 51C (heightwise center) of the housing body 51. A pair of signal wire outlets 33 are arranged side by side on the rear surface of the dielectric 31, in a region below the widthwise center 51C. A pair of power lines 36 are routed in a region of the routing space 19 that is shifted above the widthwise center 51C. A communication cable 37 is routed in a region of the routing space 19 that is shifted below the widthwise center 51C.

[0046] The tip portion 38T of the sheath 38 is housed in the housing recess 22 with its tip surface 38S facing left, and is positioned vertically. The width direction described above is perpendicular to the axis of the tip portion 38T of the sheath 38 within the housing recess 22 when viewed from the rear. The cable routing groove 20, the housing recess 22, and the communication cable 37 are positioned off-center in the width direction, downward from the width direction center 51C. A stepped portion 24 is formed at the boundary between the left end of the housing recess 22 and the right end of the cable routing groove 20. A stopper 25 is formed in the stepped portion 24, which prevents the tip portion 38T of the sheath 38 from shifting to the left by bringing the tip surface 38S of the sheath 38 into contact with it.

[0047] The assembly procedure for connector B will now be described. Following the same procedure as in Embodiment 1, the dielectric 31 of the terminal module 30 is inserted into the module housing chamber 14. Then, the two power lines 36 are routed in the upper region of the routing space 19, and the communication cable 37 is routed in the lower region of the routing space 19. When routing the communication cable 37, the tip 38T of the sheath 38 is housed in the housing recess 22, and the two exposed wire portions 39E are housed in the routing groove 20.

[0048] After routing the power line 36 and communication cable 37 within the routing space 19, the bulk rubber stopper 43 is moved to the left and attached to the routing hole 13 while holding the power line 36 and communication cable 37 in place so that they do not move to the left relative to the housing body 51. Then, the rubber stopper holding member 46 is attached to the right end of the housing body 51. There is a concern that the communication cable 37 may be pushed to the left when the bulk rubber stopper 43 is moved to the left. However, since the tip surface 38S of the sheath 38 is in contact with the stopper 25 from the right side, or is in close proximity to the stopper 25 from the right side, the communication cable 37 will not move to the left within the routing space 19.

[0049] Next, the cover 40, on which the rear seal member 47 is attached, is mounted to the rear surface of the housing body 51. This ensures that the opening 12 on the rear surface of the housing body 51 is liquid-tightly closed by the plate-shaped body portion 41 of the cover 40 and the rear seal member 47. With this, the assembly of connector B is completed.

[0050] When the cover 40 is attached to the housing body 51, the release restricting portion 42 formed on the cover 40 enters the cable routing space 19 and comes into contact with the tip portion 38T of the sheath 38 from the rear, or approaches it from the rear and faces it. As a result, the movement of the communication cable 37 to the rear is restricted, so that the sheath 38 is held in a state where it is housed in the housing recess 22, and the exposed portion of the wire 39E is held in a state where it is housed in the cable routing groove 20.

[0051] Furthermore, the release restricting portion 42 is positioned so as to overlap not only the housing recess 22 but also the cable routing groove 20 when viewed from the rear. The outer diameter of the sheath 38 is larger than the width dimension of the cable routing groove 20. Therefore, when attaching the cover 40 to the housing body 51, if the tip 38T of the sheath 38 is positioned to the left of the stopper 25 and overlaps with the cable routing groove 20, the release restricting portion 42 will abut against the tip 38T of the sheath 38, making it impossible to attach the cover 40.

[0052] As shown in Figure 13, in a side view from the left of a cross-section obtained by cutting connector B perpendicular to the routing direction of the power line 36 and the communication cable 37, the power line 36 is routed in the area above the widthwise center 51C of the routing space 19. On the other hand, the sheath 38 of the communication cable 37 is routed in the area below the widthwise center 51C of the routing space 19. The detachment restriction section 42 is positioned adjacent to the routing path of the power line 36 below, and adjacent to the routing path of the tip of the communication cable 37 (exposed wire portion 39E) behind. As a result, the routing path of the tip of the communication cable 37 and the routing path of the power line 36 are separated by the detachment restriction section 42. Therefore, within the routing space 19, there is no risk of the power line 36 approaching the communication cable 37.

[0053] The housing 50 is provided with a stopper 25 that restricts the tip surface 38S of the sheath 38 from approaching the signal wire outlet 33 of the dielectric 31. By providing the stopper 25, the tip surface 38S of the sheath 38 is prevented from approaching the signal wire outlet 33, thereby suppressing buckling that would cause the pair of exposed wire portions 39E (signal wires 39) to separate between the signal wire outlet 33 and the tip surface 38S of the sheath 38. In other words, because the distance between the signal wire outlet 33 and the tip surface 38S of the sheath 38 is shorter than the length of the portion of the pair of signal wires 39 from the signal wire outlet 33 to the tip surface 38S of the sheath 38, buckling that would cause the pair of signal wires 39 to separate at the exposed wire portion 39E can be suppressed. Therefore, deterioration of transmission characteristics caused by the separation of the pair of signal wires 39 at the exposed wire portion 39E can be suppressed.

[0054] Since the tip surface 38S of the sheath 38 abuts against the stopper 25, the shape of the housing 50 can be simplified compared to a structure that restricts movement by clamping the sheath 38. In addition, it is possible to control the length of the portion of the communication cable 37 that is routed outside the housing 50. Since the stepped portion 24 formed by the difference in width dimensions between the routing groove 20 and the housing recess 22 functions as the stopper 25, the shape of the housing 50 can be simplified compared to forming a stopper 25 with an independent shape.

[0055] When the leading edge 38S of the sheath 38 is restricted from moving by the stopper 25, the detachment restricting portion 42 of the cover 40 restricts the rearward displacement of the leading edge 38S of the sheath 38. This prevents the leading edge 38S of the sheath 38 from moving rearward relative to the stopper 25. The detachment restricting portion 42 is positioned to separate the routing path of the signal wire 39 (exposed wire portion 39E) from the routing path of the power wire 36 within the housing body 51. There is no need to form a dedicated partition wall in the housing body 51 to separate the routing space 19 of the exposed wire portion 39E from the routing space 19 of the power wire 36. This simplifies the shape of the housing body 51.

[0056] Since the width dimension of the cable routing groove 20 is smaller than the outer diameter of the sheath 38, the sheath 38 cannot be housed in the cable routing groove 20. Therefore, when the communication cable 37 is housed in the housing body 51 from the rear, if the tip surface 38S of the sheath 38 is located on the cable routing groove 20 side of the stopper 25, the sheath 38 will be located behind the position facing the stopper 25. Part of the release restricting portion 42 is located behind the cable routing groove 20. When assembling the cover 40 to the housing body 51, if the tip surface 38S of the sheath 38 is located on the cable routing groove 20 side of the stopper 25, the release restricting portion 42 will interfere with the tip portion 38T of the sheath 38, making it impossible to assemble the cover 40. Therefore, it is possible to detect whether the sheath 38 is positioned in the correct position based on whether or not the cover 40 can be assembled to the housing body 51.

[0057] [Other examples] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and in the drawings, but is shown in the claims. The present invention includes the meaning of equivalents of the claims and all modifications within the claims, and also includes the following embodiments. A communication cable may have two or more pairs of signal wires embedded within its sheath. The stopper may also be one that restricts movement by clamping the sheath. The housing body may be in a form that does not have cable routing grooves. The housing body may be in a form that does not have a receiving recess. The housing body may have a dedicated partition wall to separate the space for routing signal wires from the space for routing other wires (power lines). The cover may be in a form that does not have a release restriction section. The stopper may be formed in the cover. The release restriction section may be configured so as not to overlap with the cable routing groove when viewed from the rear. The cover may be in a form that does not have a release restriction section. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] A... Connector B... Connector 10… Housing 11… Housing body 11C…Center in the width direction of the housing body 12…Opening 13...Wiring hole 14… Module housing room 15…Front seal component 16…Front component 17…Matching part 19… Cable routing space 20… Cable routing groove 21... Bottom surface of the cable routing groove 22…Accommodation recess 23... Back surface of the recess 24... Stepped section 25... Stopper 30…Terminal module 31…Dielectric (terminal holding member) 32…Power supply wire outlet (other wire outlet) 33… Signal wire outlet (wire outlet) 34…Power supply terminal fittings 35…Signal terminal fittings (terminal fittings) 36…Power lines (other power lines) 37…Communication cable 38...Sheath 38S... The tip of the sheath 38T...Tip of the sheath 39... Signal line 39E…Exposed wire part 40...cover 41...Plate-shaped main body 42…Department of Departure Regulation 43...Bulk rubber stopper 44…First sealing hole 45...Second sealing hole 46...Rubber stopper retaining member 47... Rear seal component 50… Housing 51…Housing body 51C…Center in the width direction of the housing body

Claims

1. A communication cable comprising a pair of signal wires embedded in an insulating sheath, with the tip regions of the pair of signal wires extending from the tip surface of the sheath as exposed wire portions, and a terminal holding member housing a pair of terminal fittings individually fixed to the pair of exposed wire portions, with the exposed wire portions leading out from the wire outlet of the terminal holding member, The system comprises a tip region of the communication cable and a housing that accommodates the terminal holding member that houses the pair of terminal fittings, The connector has a stopper formed in the housing that restricts the tip surface of the sheath from approaching the wire outlet.

2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the tip surface of the sheath abuts against the stopper.

3. The housing is formed with a routing groove through which the exposed portion of the electric wire is routed, and a receiving recess that is wider than the routing groove and accommodates the tip of the sheath. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the stepped portion formed at the boundary between the cable routing groove and the housing recess functions as the stopper.

4. The aforementioned housing is A housing body having a box shape with an opening on the rear, a module housing chamber into which the terminal holding member is inserted from the rear, a cable routing groove, and a housing recess, The housing body is configured to include a cover that is assembled to close the opening, The aforementioned receiving recess has a shape that opens to the rear, The connector according to claim 3, wherein the cover is formed with a release restricting portion that prevents the front end surface of the sheath from being displaced backward and coming off the stopper when the front end surface of the sheath is restricted from moving by the stopper.

5. The width dimension of the cable routing groove is smaller than the outer diameter of the sheath. The connector according to claim 4, wherein, in a rear view of the housing, a portion of the detachment restricting portion is arranged to overlap with the cable routing groove.

6. The terminal holding member houses other terminal fittings that are fixed to a wire different from the signal wire. The connector according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the detachment restricting portion is arranged to separate the routing path of the signal wires within the housing body from the routing path of the other wires.

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