connector
The connector design addresses terminal looseness and noise interference by using an elastic spacer and terminal locking mechanism to stabilize and secure cable wire terminals, enhancing electrical connection stability and reducing noise.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- YAZAKI CORP
- Filing Date
- 2023-11-29
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-15
AI Technical Summary
Existing connectors for cable wires suffer from terminal looseness due to dimensional inaccuracies, leading to unstable electrical connections and potential noise interference, especially when coaxial cables are used.
A connector design that includes a spacer made of a softer elastic material, which biases terminals towards the connection direction, using a terminal locking portion and a lance to restrict movement, and transitions from a temporary to a permanent locking state to secure the terminals.
The design suppresses terminal looseness, stabilizes electrical connections, and reduces noise interference by ensuring precise positioning and secure fixation of terminals.
Smart Images

Figure 0007874083000001 
Figure 0007874083000002 
Figure 0007874083000003
Abstract
Description
【Technical Field】 【0001】 The present invention relates to the structure of a connector used for connecting cable wires to each other. 【Background Art】 【0002】 In automobiles and the like, when a large number of wirings (cable wires) are connected to a large number of electrical components and used, a large number of connectors are used to connect and fix the terminals of the plurality of wirings to each other. In such a connector, it is required that each terminal be securely fixed and that the connector in a state where each terminal is fixed can be connected to another connector to securely connect the wirings. 【0003】 Patent Document 1 describes a connector that can particularly securely fix terminals. In this structure, after each terminal is (temporarily) fixed to a resin housing that serves as the main body of the connector, a spacer is fixed to the housing, whereby each terminal is securely fixed. At this time, in the temporary fixed state before the spacer is fully fixed (fully locked), the fixing status of each terminal can be visually confirmed, so that it is suppressed that the terminals are fixed in an improper state. 【Prior Art Documents】 【Patent Documents】 【0004】 【Patent Document 1】 Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2015-32562 【Disclosure of the Invention】 【Problems to be Solved by the Invention】 【0005】 In the above-described connector, the position of the terminals within the housing, particularly along the direction of wiring extension, is fixed by a spacer. However, due to dimensional inaccuracies of the housing, spacer, etc., gaps may form between them after fixing, causing looseness in the terminals. This looseness could lead to unstable contact between terminals after the connector is connected. 【0006】 If this play becomes excessive, it can potentially disrupt the electrical connection between terminals. Furthermore, for example, when transmitting video signals from a camera, coaxial cables with a shielding layer on the outside of the core wire are sometimes used to reduce noise. In such cases, even if the electrical connection between terminals is not disrupted due to the play, noise can still be introduced into the video signal when the coaxial cable is fixed to the aforementioned connector. In other words, when coaxial cables are used, the occurrence of such play becomes a particularly significant problem. 【0007】 This invention has been made in view of these circumstances and aims to solve the above-mentioned problems. [Means for solving the problem] 【0008】 The present invention relates to a connector in which a cable wire is fixed internally, and which is configured to electrically connect the cable wire to another cable wire fixed inside the other connector by being connected to another connector, wherein the connector is connected to the other connector by moving from one side to the other side in a first direction, is used for electrical connection between an insulating housing in which the cable wire is fixed internally and the other cable wire, is connected to the wiring of the cable wire on the other side in the first direction of the cable wire, and is provided inside the housing so as to be electrically connected to the other cable wire when the other connector is connected. Movement toward one side in the first direction is restricted by being locked to a lance provided in the housing.A terminal and a terminal locking portion made of an elastic material, which is mounted to the housing by moving from one side to the other side in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and which protrudes toward the other side in the second direction, and which, depending on its position relative to the housing along the second direction, prevents the terminal locking portion from coming into contact with the terminal. and the movement of the terminal toward one side in the first direction is restricted by the lance. The terminal locking portion is in contact with the terminal and is locked to the housing in a state where it is in contact with the terminal. Pressing it against the other side in the first direction by elastic force The device comprises a spacer that can be switched between this locked state and another state. The terminal may include a flange portion whose outer diameter around a central axis along the first direction is locally enlarged in the first direction. In the aforementioned locked state, the terminal locking portion may abut the flange portion from one side in the second direction. When the spacer transitions from the temporary locking state to the permanent locking state, the other end of the terminal locking portion in the second direction does not come into contact with the flange portion, and the thickness of the terminal locking portion along the first direction may be made thinner toward the other side in the second direction so that the portion of the terminal locking portion on one side in the second direction comes into contact with the flange portion more than the end of the terminal locking portion. The terminal locking portion may, in the locked state, come into contact with the surface of one side of the terminal in the second direction. The cable comprises a first wiring along the first direction and a second wiring insulated from the first wiring and provided on the outside around the direction of extension of the first wiring, and the terminal may be connected to the second wiring. [Effects of the Invention] 【0009】 As the present invention is configured as described above, a connector with suppressed terminal looseness can be obtained. [Brief explanation of the drawing] 【0010】 [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the connector according to the embodiment in a connected state (a) and before it is connected (b). [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing the internal cable wiring of the connector according to the embodiment before it is connected (a) and after it is connected (b). [Figure 3] This is a perspective view showing the structure of the cable end in connector (a) and connector (b) connected thereto according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a simplified cross-sectional view showing the structure in a plane including the central axis of the two cable wires in the connector according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view showing the terminal structure of the cable wire in a connector according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] These are external views of the spacer used in the connector according to the embodiment, viewed from four different directions. [Figure 7] (a) is a perspective view of the housing used in the connector according to the embodiment, (b) is an enlarged view of the portion where the spacer is installed, and (c) is a side view thereof. [Figure 8] This is a cross-sectional view showing the process of fixing the cable wire (terminal) inside the housing in a connector according to an embodiment. [Figure 9] This is a perspective view showing the positional relationship between the terminal and the spacer during the process of fixing the cable wire (terminal) inside the housing in the connector according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] This is an enlarged perspective view showing the positional relationship between the flange portion and the terminal locking portion in the temporary locking state (a) and the permanent locking state (b) when assembling the connector according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] These diagrams show the positional relationship between the flange portion and the terminal locking portion in the temporary locking state (a) and the permanent locking state (b) when assembling the connector according to the embodiment, viewed from two different directions. [Figure 12]FIG. is a view showing the positional relationship between the flange portion and the terminal locking portion in the temporary locking state (a) and the main locking state (b) when assembling a modified example of the connector according to the embodiment, as viewed from two types of directions. 【BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION】 【0011】 A connector according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this connector, each terminal of four cable wires is formed in a housing. At this time, in the same manner as the technique described in Patent Document 1, by fixing the spacer from the state where each terminal is temporarily fixed, each terminal (cable wire) is fixed to the housing. At this time, each terminal is fixed in a state of being biased by the spacer toward the side where there is a connector connected to this connector, so that play is suppressed. 【0012】 FIG. 1(a) is a perspective view showing a form when this connector 1 is used by being connected to a board-side connector 200, and FIG. 1(b) is a perspective view showing a form before these are connected. Here, the board-side connector 200 is fixed to the surface of a board (not shown). In FIG. 1(a), the direction of detachment of the connector 1 with respect to the board-side connector 200 is the y direction (first direction), the normal direction of the board is the z direction, and the direction perpendicular to these is the x direction (second direction). In FIG. 1, the connector 1 is connected to the board-side connector 200 by moving from the negative side (one side) to the positive side in the y direction (first direction). 【0013】 In the board-side connector 200, four board-side cable wires are fixed inside a board-side connector housing 201 made of a resin material. The board-side cable wires are appropriately connected to patterns on the board for electrical connection on the board. 【0014】 On the side of the connector 1 as well, four cable wires 10 are fixed in a housing 20 made of a resin material. When the connector 1 is attached to the board-side connector 200, each cable wire 10 is electrically connected to the corresponding board-side cable wire. Here, both the board-side cable wire and the cable wire 10 are coaxial cables. As will be described later, a core wire is provided on the central axis side, and a braided wire (shield wire) is provided outside thereof via an insulating layer. Both the core wire and the braided wire extend along the extending direction of these cable wires 10. By connecting the connector 1 and the board-side connector 200, the core wire and the braided wire of the cable wire 10 on the connector 1 side are electrically connected to the core wire and the braided wire of the corresponding board-side cable wire on the board-side connector 200 side, respectively. Here, spacers 30 are attached to both sides of the housing 20 in the x direction. 【0015】 In FIG. 2(a), the forms of the four cable wires 10 on the connector 1 side and the four (only three are shown in the figure) board-side cable wires 210 in the board-side connector 200 before the connector 1 and the board-side connector 200 are connected are shown. In FIG. 2(b), the forms of the cable wire 10 and the board-side cable wire 210 when the connector 1 and the board-side connector 200 are connected are shown. 【0016】 FIGS. 3(a) and (b) are perspective views of the connector 1 and the board-side connector 200 as seen from a direction different from that in FIG. 1. In FIG. 3(a), the structure of the terminal side of the cable wire 10 in the connector 1 is shown, and in FIG. 3(b), the structure of the terminal side of the board-side cable wire 210 in the board-side connector 200 is shown. 【0017】 In Figure 3(a), each cable wire 10 has an inner housing 16 with a small opening formed on the central axis of the cable wire 10, and a substantially cylindrical outer terminal (terminal) 17 surrounding it. An inner terminal 15 (not shown), which will be described later, is provided inside the inner housing 16. Correspondingly, in Figure 3(b), the end of the board-side cable wire 210 has an elongated metal board-side inner terminal 211 on the central axis of the board-side cable wire 210, and a substantially cylindrical board-side outer terminal 212 surrounding it. In the state shown in Figure 2(b), when connector 1 and board-side connector 200 are connected, the cable wire 10 and board-side cable wire 210 are connected by the inner terminal 15 and board-side inner terminal 211, and the outer terminal 17 and board-side outer terminal 212 coming into contact with each other. 【0018】 Figure 4 is a simplified diagram showing the cross-sectional structure of connector 1 in the xy-plane that includes the central axes of the two cable wires 10 aligned in the x-direction on the negative z-side in the state of Figure 1(a), and the related structure of the housing 20. Figure 4 shows the situation before (a) and after (b) connector 1 and board-side connector 200 are connected. The description of the lance, which will be discussed later, is omitted here. The structure related to the two cable wires 10 aligned in the x-direction on the positive z-side in the state of Figure 1(a) is similar. 【0019】 In Figure 4, cable wires 10 are fixed in the housing 20, one above the other. Each cable wire 10 consists of a thin core wire (first wiring) 11 extending along a central axis in the y-direction, a metal mesh-like braided wire (shield wire: second wiring) 13 provided outside of it via an insulating layer 12, and an insulating coating layer 14 further covering the braided wire 13. The insulating layer 12, braided wire 13, and coating layer 14 are formed to surround the core wire 11. The core wire 11 and braided wire 13 can be used as wiring in this cable wire 10. This structure is the same for the board-side cable wire 210, and the core wire and braided wire of the board-side cable wire 210 are connected to the board-side inner terminal 211 and board-side outer terminal 212 in Figure 3(b), respectively. 【0020】 The positive y-direction end of the cable wire 10 becomes the terminal of this connector 1. Therefore, a metal inner terminal 15, which serves as the terminal of the core wire 11 and is shaped to clamp the inner terminal on the board connector side on the positive y-direction side, is connected to the end of the core wire 11. This end side, where the inner terminal 15 is provided, is covered by a roughly cylindrical inner housing 16 made of insulating resin material. A small opening is formed on the positive y-direction side of the inner housing 16 through which the board-side inner terminal 211 is inserted. 【0021】 Furthermore, an outer terminal (terminal) 17, which is roughly cylindrical and made of metal, is attached to the outside of the inner housing 16. The outer terminal 17 is connected to the braided wire 13 on the negative y-direction side of the inner housing 16, and is fixed to the braided wire 13 (cable wire 10) by sandwiching an annular sleeve 18, which is mounted on the braided wire 13, between them. 【0022】 The housing 20 has cable wire housing holes into which the cable wires 10 having the end structure described above are fitted, and each cable wire 10 is fixed to the housing 20 by fitting the above structure into these holes. In Figure 4, only two cable wires are shown, but the other two cable wires 10 in Figure 2 have a similar structure and are fixed to the housing 20 in the same way. 【0023】 In Figure 4(b), when this connector 1 is connected to the board-side connector 200, the elongated board-side inner terminal 211 is inserted through the opening of the inner housing 16 and is held in place by the tip of the inner terminal 15. On the other hand, the inner diameter of the substantially cylindrical board-side outer terminal 212 is set to be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the substantially cylindrical outer terminal 17, and as shown in Figure 4(b), the board-side outer terminal 212 can be fitted and attached to the outside of the outer terminal 17. This allows the core wire 11 and braided wire 13 of the cable wire 10 to be electrically connected to the core wire and braided wire of the board-side cable wire 210, respectively. 【0024】 In the structure shown in Figure 4, the positional relationship between the inner terminal 15 and outer terminal 17, which are the terminals on the cable wire 10 side, and the housing 20 can be determined with high precision in the x and z directions. On the other hand, compared to the x direction, it is not easy to determine the positional relationship along the y direction, which is the direction in which the cable wire 10 extends, with high precision. That is, the positions of the inner terminal 15 and outer terminal 17 along the y direction are relatively prone to fluctuation, which can easily cause looseness between the terminals when connected. 【0025】 When such looseness occurs, the electrical connection between the cable wire 10 and the circuit board-side cable wire 210 becomes unstable. In particular, even if this does not cause a break in the connection between the two, noise may be introduced into the video signal, for example, when a video signal is transmitted through these wires. For this reason, it is required to reduce this looseness of the terminals in the y-direction. 【0026】 In contrast, in this connector 1, the spacer 30 attached to the housing 20 in Figure 1 biases the terminals on the cable wire 10 toward the positive y-direction (the side with the board-side connector 200). This reduces such looseness. 【0027】 The specific structure for this purpose will now be explained. Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the terminal structure on the cable wire 10 side. Here, Figure 5(a) shows the state before the inner housing 16 and outer terminal 17 are attached to the cable wire 10, Figure 5(b) shows the state with the inner housing 16 attached, and Figure 5(c) shows the state with the outer terminal 17 further attached. 【0028】 As shown in Figure 5(a), an elongated inner terminal 15 is attached to the positive y-direction side of the cable wire 10 and is exposed. In contrast, as shown in Figure 5(b), the inner terminal 15 is protected by attaching a substantially cylindrical inner housing 16 made of insulating resin material. Subsequently, as shown in Figure 5(c), the inner housing 16 is covered and protected by attaching a substantially cylindrical metal outer terminal 17. At this time, since the inner housing 16 is insulating, insulation between the inner terminal 15 and the outer terminal 17 is also ensured. 【0029】 In this case, the outer terminal 17 is firmly fixed to the cable wire 10 via the sleeve 18. Therefore, by fixing the position of the outer terminal 17 within the housing 20, the positions of the cable wire 10, inner terminal 15, etc. are also fixed. 【0030】 Here, as shown in Figure 5(c), the outer terminal 17, which has a substantially cylindrical shape with its central axis in the y-direction, has a flange portion 171 that is locally larger in diameter in the y-direction. This flange portion 171 can be used to bias the outer terminal 17 and the cable wire 10 toward the positive side in the y-direction. 【0031】 This biasing is performed by the spacer 30 described above. The structure of the spacer 30 and the housing 20 side for this purpose will be described below. As shown in Figure 1, the spacer 30 is mounted symmetrically on the negative and positive sides of the housing 20, respectively, so the structure for mounting the spacer 30 on the housing 20 side is also symmetrical on the negative and positive sides of the x direction. In Figure 1, the spacer 30 mounted on the negative side of the x direction biases the terminals of the two cable wires 10 on the negative side of the x direction as described above, and the spacer 30 mounted on the positive side of the x direction biases the terminals of the two cable wires 10 on the positive side of the x direction as described above. In the following, the structure and operation of the spacer 30 mounted on the negative side of the x direction will be described in particular. The structure and operation of the spacer 30 mounted on the positive side of the x direction are symmetrical with it in the x direction. 【0032】 The spacer 30 is made of a softer elastic material than the housing 20. Figure 6 shows the external view of the spacer 30 from various directions, with Figures 6(a) to (c) being perspective views of the spacer 30 from various sides, and Figure 6(d) being a side view of the spacer 30 from the negative x-direction. The spacer 30 is mounted to the housing 20 from the negative side (one side) to the positive side (the other side) in the x-direction (second direction) in Figure 1. 【0033】 Figure 7(a) is a perspective view of the housing 20 without the spacer 30 installed, and Figure 7(b) is a magnified view of the portion where the spacer 30 is installed. Figure 7(c) is a side view of the same portion as in Figure 7(b), viewed from the negative x-direction. The shape of the spacer 30 in Figure 6(d) corresponds to the shape of the housing 20 in Figure 7(c). 【0034】 The housing 20 is made of a harder elastic material (resin material) than the spacer 30, and the housing 20 is provided with a spacer housing portion 20A, which is an opening for accommodating the spacer 30. Also, as shown in Figure 7(a), four cable wire housing holes 20B are formed on the end face on the negative side in the y direction of the housing 20, for inserting each of the four cable wires 10, whose tip ends are shaped as shown in Figure 5(c). 【0035】 In Figure 7(c), the inner surface of the spacer housing 20A on the positive y-direction side is provided with spacer guide portions 21A, 21B, and 21C, which have shapes corresponding to the guided portion 31A, the area near the vertices of the positive y-direction and positive z-direction sides of the spacer 30 in Figure 6(d), the guided portion 31B, the area near the vertices of the positive y-direction and negative z-direction sides, and the guided portion 31C, which is provided to protrude locally to the negative y-direction side near the middle of the z-direction, and guide these respective portions. As shown in Figure 6(d), steps are provided in the guided portions 31A and 31B, and steps corresponding to the guide portions 21A and 21B in Figure 7(c) are also provided. Therefore, the spacer 30 can be fitted and installed into the spacer housing 20A from the negative x-direction side (front side of the paper) to the positive x-direction side (back side of the paper) in Figure 7(c). 【0036】 As shown in Figures 6(a) to (c), arms 32A and 32B are formed at the positive and negative z-side ends of the spacer 30, respectively, projecting toward the positive x-side. A housing locking portion 32A1 is formed at the tip of arm 32A, which is bent toward the negative z-side, and a housing locking portion 32B1 is formed at the tip of arm 32B, which is bent toward the positive z-side. 【0037】 On the other hand, in Figure 7(b), spacer support portions 22A and 22B are provided on the positive and negative z-directions of the spacer guide portion 21C in the housing 20, respectively, projecting toward the negative x-direction and supporting the spacer 30 when installed. On the positive z-direction side of the spacer support portion 22A, a temporary locking portion 23A and a permanent locking portion 24A are formed, respectively, which project locally toward the positive z-direction to lock the housing locking portion 32A1 when the spacer 30 is installed into the housing housing hole 20A, corresponding to the housing locking portion 32A1 on the spacer 30 side. The temporary locking portion 23A is formed in parallel with the permanent locking portion 24A on the negative x-direction side. Similarly, on the negative z-direction side of the spacer support portion 22B, a temporary locking portion 23B and a permanent locking portion 24B (not shown) are formed symmetrically with the temporary locking portions 23A and 24A in the z-direction. 【0038】 As described above, since the spacer 30 (arms 32A, 32B) is made of a soft elastic material, when the spacer 30 is attached to the spacer housing 20A, the arm 32A can be deformed so that the housing locking portion 32A1 overcomes the temporary locking portion 23A and the main locking portion 24A. The same applies to the housing locking portion 32B1 (arm 32B) side. For this reason, in Figure 7(b), when the spacer 30 is pushed in from the negative x-direction, immediately after the housing locking portion 32A1 overcomes the temporary locking portion 23A, the spacer 30 is fixed in the spacer housing 20A with the housing locking portion 32A1 locked to the temporary locking portion 23A. When the spacer 30 is pushed in further and the housing locking portion 32A1 overcomes the main locking portion 24A, the spacer 30 is fixed in the spacer housing 20A further towards the positive x-direction with the housing locking portion 32A1 locked to the main locking portion 24A. The same applies to the housing locking portion 32B1 (arm 32B) side. 【0039】 In the following, the state in which the housing locking portion 32A1 (32B1) is locked and fixed to the temporary locking portion 23A (23B) will be referred to as the temporary locking state, and the state in which the spacer 30 is further pushed in from this state and the housing locking portion 32A1 (32B1) is locked to the main locking portion 24A (24B), and fixed in the spacer housing portion 20A on the more positive x-direction side will be referred to as the main locking state. In other words, in this connector 1, there are two states in which the spacer 30 is attached to the housing 20: the temporary locking state and the main locking state in which the spacer 30 is pushed in further. The state in which this connector 1 is actually used is the main locking state, and the temporary locking state is a state that is achieved during the assembly of this connector 1. 【0040】 Furthermore, in Figure 7(b), beam-shaped lances 25A and 25B are formed inside the spacer housing portion 20A of the housing 20, inclined so that they move toward the positive x-direction (towards the central axis of the corresponding cable wire 10) as they move toward the positive y-direction, and are located on the positive z-direction and negative z-direction, respectively. These are used as retainers when the upper and lower cable wires 10 in Figure 4 are attached to the housing 20, as will be described later, and are provided at the positions of each cable wire 10 in the z-direction. 【0041】 The spacer 30 mounted on the positive x-direction side in Figure 1, and the corresponding structure on the housing 20 side, are symmetrical in the x-direction to the structure described above. Therefore, the spacer 30 mounted on the positive x-direction side can also be in two states: a temporarily locked state and a fully locked state. The lance is similarly formed symmetrically. 【0042】 Here, as shown in Figures 6(b) and 6(c), the spacer 30 has terminal locking portions 33A, 33B, and 33C that protrude toward the positive x-direction on the positive y-direction side, formed sequentially from the positive z-direction side toward the negative z-direction side. As will be described later, in the fully locked state of the spacer 30, terminal locking portion 33A contacts the terminal (outer terminal 17) of the upper cable wire 10 in Figure 4, terminal locking portion 33B contacts the terminal (outer terminal 17) of the upper cable wire 10 and the terminal (outer terminal 17) of the lower cable wire 10, and terminal locking portion 33C contacts the terminal (outer terminal 17) of the lower cable wire 10, thereby biasing each terminal (cable wire 10) toward the positive y-direction side. That is, in the fully locked state, each terminal locking portion provided on the spacer 30 contacts each terminal and biases them toward the positive y-direction side. On the other hand, in the temporary locked state, these terminal locking portions do not contact each terminal. 【0043】 The assembly process described below, from attaching each cable wire 10 to the housing 20 in the above structure to permanently locking the spacer 30 thereafter, will be explained. Figures 8(a) to 8(c) are cross-sectional views corresponding to Figure 4 showing this process, and here, cross-sectional views of the xy plane along the central axis of the two cable wires 10 on the negative z-direction side in Figure 1 are shown. Also, as mentioned above, the inner terminals 15 etc. on each cable wire 10 side are indirectly fixed to the outer terminals 17, so the position of the inner terminals 15 etc. changes in conjunction with the position of the outer terminals 17. For this reason, only the outer terminals 17, housing 20, and spacer 30 are shown in Figure 8, and descriptions of other components are omitted. Figures 9(a) to 9(c) are perspective views showing the state (positional relationship) of only the outer terminals 17 and spacer 30 in each state of Figures 8(a) to 9(c). 【0044】 In Figure 8(a), the spacer 30 is first temporarily locked and attached to the housing 20, and the cable wire 10, whose end is in the shape shown in Figure 5(c), is inserted into the cable wire housing hole 20B from the negative y-direction to the positive y-direction. At this time, as shown in Figure 4, the flange portion 171 of the outer terminal 17 is locally made larger in diameter, but in the state shown in Figure 8(a), the flange portion 171 is on the negative y-direction side of the tip of the lance 25B and is also spaced apart from the terminal locking portions 33B and 33C of the spacer 30, so the outer terminal 17 (cable wire 10) can be easily placed in the state shown in Figure 8(a). 【0045】 From this state, if the cable wire 10 (outer terminal 17) is pushed further in the positive y-direction, the flange portion 171 will come into contact with the lance 25B. However, as described above, the lance 25B tilts toward the central axis side of the cable wire 10 as it moves toward the positive y-direction, and because the lance 25B is elastically deformed, the flange portion 171 can be moved beyond the tip of the lance 25B to the positive y-direction, as shown in Figure 8(b). On the other hand, moving the flange portion 171 toward the negative y-direction from this state is not easy because the tip of the lance 25B gets in the way. In other words, the lance 25B functions as a retainer for the cable wire 10 (outer terminal 17). 【0046】 Figures 9(a) and 9(b) show the positional relationship between the outer terminal 17 (flange portion 171) and the spacer 30 (terminal locking portion 33B) in the state shown in Figures 8(a) and 8(b). In these states, the flange portion 171, the terminal locking portion 33B, and the terminal locking portion 33C (not shown in Figure 9) do not come into contact. Therefore, the spacer 30 (terminal locking portions 33B and 33C) does not pose an obstacle in the above operations. 【0047】 By pushing each spacer 30 toward the housing 20 from the state shown in Figure 8(b), the spacers 30 can be locked into place, as shown in Figure 8(c). In this case, the tips of the terminal locking portions 33B and 33C are set to abut against the flange portion 171 on the negative y-direction side of the flange portion 171, and to protrude further toward the central axis of the cable wire 10 (outer terminal 17) than the outer circumference of the flange portion 171. For this reason, in Figures 9(a) and 9(b), the flange portion 171 and the terminal locking portion 33B do not abut, whereas in Figure 9(c), they do abut. 【0048】 Figures 10(a) and 10(b) are enlarged perspective views showing the flange portion 171 and the area around it in Figure 9(b), which corresponds to the temporary locking state, and Figure 9(c), which corresponds to the fully locked state. Figure 11(a) shows a schematic front view (top) and a top view (bottom) from the positive z-direction, showing the positional relationship between the flange portion 171 and the terminal locking portions 33B and 33C in the temporary locking state (Figures 9(b) and 10(a)). Figure 11(b) shows a similar diagram in the fully locked state (Figures 9(c) and 10(b)). 【0049】 In Figures 10(a) and 11(a), which represent the temporary locking state, the flange portion 171 or the flange surface 171A, which is the annular surface on the negative y-direction side of the flange portion 171, does not come into contact with the terminal locking portions 33B and 33C. On the other hand, in Figures 10(b) and 11(b), which represent the fully locked state, the terminal locking portions 33B and 33C move to the positive x-direction side compared to the state in Figures 10(a) and 11(a), so the flange surface 171A and the positive y-direction surface of the terminal locking portions 33B and 33C come into contact. In this case, as shown in Figure 11(a), if the surface of the terminal locking portion 33B and 33C on the positive y-direction side is set to be slightly on the positive y-direction side than the flange surface 171A, and the vertices of the flange portion 171A and the terminal locking portions 33B and 33C are made R-shaped, then by pushing in the spacer 30, the terminal locking portions 33B and 33C can be elastically deformed, and the state shown in Figure 11(b) can be easily achieved. 【0050】 In the state shown in Figures 10(b) and 11(b), the flange portion 171 is biased to the positive y-direction by the elastic force of the terminal locking portions 33B and 33C. Therefore, (1) as shown in Figure 9(a), the cable wire 10 is inserted into the cable wire housing hole 20B in the housing 20 with the spacer 30 in a temporary locking state, (2) then, as shown in Figure 9(b), the flange portion 171 is moved further in (towards the positive y-direction) than the tip of the lance 25B, and (3) then the spacer 30 is pushed in to achieve a permanent locking state, thereby fixing the cable wire 10 to the housing 20 and forming the connector 1. At this time, the outer terminal 17 and the inner terminal 15 indirectly fixed thereto are also biased towards the positive y-direction (towards the side where the board-side connector 200 is located) by the spacer 30, so that play between terminals during connection is suppressed. Furthermore, at this time, the spacer 30 is biased in the opposite direction to the negative x-direction from the flange portion 171 (outer terminal 17) side, but the movement of the spacer 30 to the negative x-direction is restricted by the housing locking portion 32A1 (32B1) being locked to the main locking portion 24A (24B). Therefore, in this state, the spacer 30 is stably mounted on the housing 20. 【0051】 The shape of the terminal locking portion can be set as appropriate, provided that it does not come into contact with the flange portion 171 during temporary locking, but comes into contact with the flange portion 171 (outer terminal 17) during permanent locking and biases it toward the positive y-direction. Figure 12 is a diagram corresponding to Figure 11, showing a modified example in which a spacer 60 having such a terminal locking portion is used. 【0052】 In this spacer 60, the cross-sectional shape along the xy plane differs from that of the terminal locking portions 33A, 33B, and 33C. The cross-sectional shapes of the terminal locking portions 63B and 63C shown in Figure 2 are tapered, becoming thinner towards the central axis side of the cable wire 10 (outer terminal 17). The same applies to the terminal locking portion located on the positive z-direction side (corresponding to terminal locking portion 33A), which is not shown. Other than this point, the structure is the same as that of the spacer 30 described above. 【0053】 In Figure 12(a), where the spacer 60 is in a temporary locking state, the terminal locking portions 63B, 63C do not come into contact with the flange portion 171, similar to Figure 11(a). However, when pushing the spacer 60 toward the positive x-direction to achieve the permanent locking state, the tips of the terminal locking portions 63B, 63C can not come into contact with the flange portion 171, but rather the area closer to the base (negative x-direction) of these tips can come into contact with the flange surface 171A. Therefore, compared to the spacer 30, the spacer 60 can be pushed in more smoothly, and the permanent locking state can be easily achieved. Similarly, the shape of the terminal locking portion can be appropriately set so that the above operation can be performed smoothly. 【0054】 In the above example, the terminal locking portion of the spacer 30, in this locked state, contacts the negative y-direction side of the flange portion 171 (outer terminal 17) from the outside as viewed from the central axis of the cable wire 10 (outer terminal 17), thereby biasing the outer terminal 17 and the cable wire 10 towards the positive y-direction side. In this way, by contacting the terminal locking portion with the flange portion 171 from the negative y-direction side (the side opposite to the side with the connected board-side connector 200), the outer terminal 17 and the like can be biased toward the positive y-direction side (the side with the board-side connector 200). 【0055】 However, even if the terminal locking portion, which is made of an elastic material, is brought into contact with the flange portion 171 facing the positive side in the x-direction, the movement of the outer terminal 17 within the housing 20 can be suppressed. In other words, in order to suppress the movement (play) of the outer terminal 17, the terminal locking portion does not necessarily need to be brought into contact with the flange portion 171 from the negative side in the y-direction. 【0056】 As described above, the looseness that is a problem in the outer terminal 17 mainly occurs in the y-direction (the direction of attachment and detachment between the connector and the board-side connector), but looseness in the outer terminal (cable wire) can also exist in other directions. Such looseness can be caused by, for example, rotation of the cable wire 10 (outer terminal 17) around its central axis. To counter this, for example, the rotation of the outer terminal 17 can be suppressed by bringing the terminal locking part, which is made of an elastic material, into contact with the flange part 171 from the negative side in the x-direction. Furthermore, although the effect is reduced compared to when the terminal locking part is brought into contact from the negative side in the y-direction as described above, even in this case, the movement of the outer terminal 17 along the y-direction can be suppressed. In other words, as long as the movement of the outer terminal 17 to the negative side in the y-direction (opposite side from the side where the board-side connector 200 is located) can be restricted to a certain extent, the location where the flange part 171 (outer terminal 17) and the terminal locking part come into contact can be set as appropriate. If the terminal locking portion is not to contact the terminal in the y-direction, there is no need to provide a flange portion on the terminal side that is locally enlarged in diameter along the y-direction. 【0057】 Furthermore, as mentioned above, the cable wire 10 is a coaxial cable, but the structure of the cable wire used is arbitrary, as long as an outer terminal that can be biased by the terminal locking part can be used. The shape of the outer terminal (terminal) and the terminal locking part can also be set appropriately accordingly. However, the above structure is particularly effective when using a coaxial cable, which is prone to noise interference due to terminal looseness. 【0058】 Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, etc., in the above example, four cable wires 10 were used, and two spacers 30 equipped with corresponding terminal locking parts were used. Even when there are more than four cable wires, spacers with appropriately provided terminal locking parts can be used in a similar manner. In this case, by using three or more spacers, or even just one spacer, the looseness of the terminals of all cable wires can be reduced. The arrangement of the cable wires within the connector can also be appropriately set accordingly. 【0059】 Furthermore, although the above example shows the structure of connector 1 on the board side in Figure 1, a similar structure can be used on the board-side connector side as well. In other words, the above structure can be adopted in any connector used for the electrical connection of cable wires. 【0060】 The present invention has been described above based on embodiments. These embodiments are illustrative, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible in the combination of these components, and that such modifications also fall within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols] 【0061】 1 Connector 10 Cable wires 11 Core wire (first wiring) 12 Insulating layer 13. Braided wire (shielded wire: second wiring) 14 Covering layer 15 Inner terminal 16 Inner Housing 17 Outer terminal (terminal) 18 sleeves 20 Housing 20A Spacer housing 20B Cable routing hole 21A, 21B, 21C Spacer guide section 22A, 22B Spacer support section 23A, 23B Temporary locking section 24A, 24B Main locking part 25A, 25B Lance 30, 60 spacers 31A, 31B, 31C Guided part 32A, 32B tonearm 32A1, 32B1 Housing locking part 33A, 33B, 33C, 63B, 63C terminal locking part 171 Flange section 171A Flange surface 200 PCB-side connector 201 PCB-side connector housing 210 Circuit board side cable wire 211 Inner terminal on the circuit board side 212 Outer terminal on the circuit board side
Claims
[Claim 1] A connector in which a cable wire is fixed inside, and which is configured to electrically connect the cable wire to another cable wire fixed inside the other connector by being connected to another connector, The connector is connected to the other connector by moving from one side to the other side in the first direction. The cable wire is fixed inside an insulating housing, A terminal used for electrical connection with the other cable wire, connected to the wiring of the cable wire on the other side in the first direction of the cable wire, provided inside the housing so as to be electrically connected to the other cable wire when the other connector is connected, and whose movement to one side in the first direction is restricted by being locked to a lance provided in the housing, A spacer made of an elastic material, which is mounted to the housing by moving from one side to the other side in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and which has a terminal locking portion that protrudes toward the other side in the second direction, and which, depending on its position relative to the housing along the second direction, is locked to the housing in such a way that the terminal locking portion does not come into contact with the terminal and the movement of the terminal toward the one side in the first direction is restricted by the lance, and which is locked to the housing in such a way that the terminal locking portion comes into contact with the terminal and the terminal is pressed toward the other side in the first direction by elastic force, thereby achieving a switchable state between these two states. A connector characterized by comprising the following: [Claim 2] The connector according to claim 1, wherein the terminal comprises a flange portion whose outer diameter around a central axis along the first direction is locally enlarged in the first direction. [Claim 3] The connector according to claim 2, characterized in that, in the aforementioned locked state, the terminal locking portion abuts the flange portion from one side in the second direction. [Claim 4] The connector according to claim 3, characterized in that when the spacer transitions from the temporary locking state to the permanent locking state, the other end of the terminal locking portion in the second direction does not come into contact with the flange portion, and the thickness of the terminal locking portion along the first direction is made thinner toward the other side in the second direction than the end of the terminal locking portion in contact with the flange portion. [Claim 5] The connector according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the terminal locking portion, in the locked state, abuts against the surface of one side of the terminal in the second direction. [Claim 6] The connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cable wire comprises a first wiring along the first direction and a second wiring insulated from the first wiring and provided on the outside around the direction of extension of the first wiring, and the terminal is connected to the second wiring.