Electrical connector-equipped cable

Abstract

This electrical connector-equipped cable comprises: at least one cable that has a plurality of conductors and a coating covering the plurality of conductors; and a ferrule that surrounds a tip region of the cable and and holds such tip region. The outer surface of each of the plurality of conductors in the tip region is covered by the coating and is not exposed from the coating. A tip surface of each of the plurality of conductors in the tip region is exposed from the coating and the ferrule.

Description

Cable with electrical connector

[0001] This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-131312, filed on August 10, 2023, and incorporates by reference the entire contents of said Japanese application.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an example of a cable having a plurality of conductors and a sheath, in which a portion of the conductor is exposed from the sheath, and a conductor is electrically connected to the exposed portion at approximately the center thereof.

[0003] International Publication No. 2019 / 208091

[0004] The cable with electrical connector of the present disclosure includes at least one cable having a plurality of conductors and a sheath covering the plurality of conductors, and a ferrule surrounding and holding a distal end region of the cable, wherein the outer surfaces of the plurality of conductors in the distal end region are covered by the sheath and not exposed from the sheath, and the distal end surfaces of the plurality of conductors in the distal end region are exposed from the sheath and the ferrule.

[0005] FIG. 1 is a front view of an electric connector cable according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the electric connector cable shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the flat cable shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the flat cable shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an electric connector cable according to a second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the electric connector cable taken along line VI-VI shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of an electric connector cable according to a first modified example. FIG. 8 is a front view of an electric connector cable according to a second modified example. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the electric connector cable shown in FIG. 8. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of an electric connector cable according to a modified example.

[0006] [Problem to be Solved by the Present Disclosure] In the cable described in Patent Document 1, a portion of the conductor is exposed from the sheath, which can lead to a non-uniform dielectric constant distribution around the conductor. As a result, there is a risk of a decrease in communication performance due to impedance mismatch. Furthermore, because the conductor is electrically connected to the approximate center of the exposed portion of the conductor, there is a risk of a decrease in communication performance due to a so-called stub.

[0007] Effect of the Present Disclosure According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a cable with an electric connector that can prevent a decrease in communication performance.

[0008] [Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] First, the contents of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described.

[0009] [1] The cable with electrical connector of the present disclosure includes at least one cable having a plurality of conductors and a sheath covering the plurality of conductors, and a ferrule surrounding a distal end region of the cable and holding the distal end region. The outer surfaces of the plurality of conductors in the distal end region are covered by the sheath and are not exposed from the sheath. The distal end surfaces of the plurality of conductors in the distal end region are exposed from the sheath and the ferrule.

[0010] In the cable with electrical connectors described in [1] above, the outer surfaces of the multiple conductors in the tip region are covered by a sheath and are not exposed from the sheath. This reduces the non-uniformity of the dielectric constant distribution around the conductors, compared to, for example, when the outer surfaces of the conductors in the tip region are exposed from the sheath. Meanwhile, the tip surfaces of the multiple conductors in the tip region are exposed from the sheath and the ferrule. This allows the tip surfaces of the multiple conductors to be electrically connected to the mating connector, and reduces the stub phenomenon, compared to, for example, when the outer surfaces of the conductors in the tip region are exposed from the sheath and the conductors are electrically connected to the mating connector via a conductor electrically connected to the outer surface of the exposed portion. Therefore, this cable with electrical connectors can prevent a decrease in communication performance.

[0011] [2] The cable with electrical connector of the present disclosure includes at least one cable having a plurality of conductors and a sheath covering the plurality of conductors, a ferrule surrounding a tip region of the cable and holding the tip region, and a dielectric constant adjustment sheet provided between the tip region and the ferrule. The outer surfaces of each of the plurality of conductors in the tip region are covered by the dielectric constant adjustment sheet while being exposed from the sheath. The tip surfaces of each of the plurality of conductors in the tip region are exposed from the dielectric constant adjustment sheet and the ferrule.

[0012] In the cable with electrical connectors described in [2] above, the outer surfaces of the multiple conductors in the tip region are covered with a dielectric constant adjustment sheet while remaining exposed from the sheath. This reduces the unevenness of the dielectric constant distribution around the conductors, compared to when the outer surfaces of the conductors in the tip region are exposed. Meanwhile, the tip surfaces of the multiple conductors in the tip region are exposed from the dielectric constant adjustment sheet and the ferrule. This allows the tip surfaces of the multiple conductors to be electrically connected to the mating connector, and reduces the stub phenomenon compared to when the outer surfaces of the conductors in the tip region are exposed and the conductors are electrically connected to the mating connector via a conductor electrically connected to the outer surface of the exposed portion. Therefore, this cable with electrical connectors can prevent a decrease in communication performance.

[0013] [3] In the cable with electrical connector of [1] or [2] above, the ferrule may have a plurality of holding members. The tip region of the cable may be sandwiched between the plurality of holding members while being disposed between the plurality of holding members. In this case, the tip region of the cable is securely held by the first holding member and the second holding member.

[0014] [4] In the cable with electrical connector of the above [3], the at least one cable may include a plurality of cables. The plurality of cables may be arranged in parallel. In this case, the tip regions of the plurality of cables are securely held.

[0015] [5] In the cable with electrical connector according to any one of [1] to [4] above, the tip region of the cable may be bent inside the ferrule, thereby improving the degree of freedom in the arrangement of the cable with electrical connector.

[0016] [6] In the cable with electrical connectors according to any one of [2] to [5] above, the tip region of the cable may be bent inside the ferrule, and the boundary between the covering and the dielectric constant adjusting sheet may be provided at a position where the conductor extends in a straight line toward the tip end face. In this case, the degree of freedom in the arrangement of the cable with electrical connectors is improved, and since the conductor and the dielectric constant adjusting sheet are bonded together flatly by the ferrule, impedance matching is facilitated.

[0017] [Details of the embodiments of the present disclosure] Specific examples of the cable with electrical connector of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. The present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are given the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be omitted. [First embodiment]

[0018] Fig. 1 is a front view of the cable with electrical connectors of the first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the cable with electrical connectors taken along line II-II shown in Fig. 1. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the cable with electrical connectors 1 includes a flat cable 2 and a ferrule 3. The flat cable 2 is, for example, a flexible flat cable (FFC).

[0019] The flat cable 2 has a plurality of conductors 21 and a coating 22. Each conductor 21 has a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction that is, for example, circular or elliptical. Each conductor 21 extends along the Y-axis direction. The plurality of conductors 21 are arranged along the X-axis direction. Each conductor 21 has, for example, a circular shape in a cross section along the XZ plane. The material of the conductors 21 is, for example, copper. The conductors 21 function as, for example, an active electrode. At least one conductor 21 of the plurality of conductors 21 may function as, for example, a ground electrode. The coating 22 covers the plurality of conductors 21. The coating 22 bundles the plurality of conductors 21.

[0020] The ferrule 3 surrounds the tip region 2a of the flat cable 2. Specifically, the ferrule 3 includes a tip face 3a, a rear end face 3b, and an insertion hole 3c. The tip face 3a and the rear end face 3b are each flat surfaces that intersect or are perpendicular to the Y-axis direction. The rear end face 3b faces the opposite side to the tip face 3a. The insertion hole 3c penetrates the ferrule 3 in the Y-axis direction. The insertion hole 3c opens to both the tip face 3a and the rear end face 3b. The tip region 2a of the flat cable 2 is inserted into the insertion hole 3c. In other words, the region of the flat cable 2 that is inserted into the insertion hole 3c is the tip region 2a. In this embodiment, the region of the flat cable 2 that is located between the tip face 3a and the rear end face 3b of the ferrule 3 is the tip region 2a.

[0021] The outer peripheral surface 21c (outer surface) of each conductor 21 in the tip region 2a of the flat cable 2 is covered with a coating 22. That is, the region of the outer peripheral surface 21c of each conductor 21 located inside the insertion hole 3c of the ferrule 3 is covered with the coating 22. In this embodiment, the entire outer peripheral surface 21c of each conductor 21 is covered with the coating 22. The tip surface 21a of each conductor 21 is exposed from the coating 22. That is, the tip surface 21a of each conductor 21 is not covered with the coating 22. The tip surface 21a of each conductor 21 and the tip surface 22a of the coating 22 in the tip region 2a are exposed from the ferrule 3. That is, the tip surface 21a of each conductor 21 and the tip surface 22a of the coating 22 are not covered by the ferrule 3. The tip surface 21a of each conductor 21, the tip surface 22a of the coating 22, and the tip surface 3a of the ferrule 3 may be located on substantially the same plane. "Substantially the same" includes not only "completely the same" but also "the same within a certain tolerance." The certain tolerance is, for example, on the order of several micrometers. The tip surface 21a of each conductor 21 and the tip surface 22a of the coating 22 may protrude or recede from the tip surface 3a of the ferrule 3 within a range that allows each conductor 21 to be electrically connected to a mating connector. For example, in the cable with electrical connector of the present disclosure, the conductors may protrude from the tip surface of the ferrule, and this portion may be housed inside the receptacle from the surface of the receptacle (with the end surface of the ferrule and the end surface of the receptacle in contact), electrically connecting the conductors of the connector and the conductors of the receptacle.

[0022] The ferrule 3 holds the tip region 2 a of the flat cable 2. The ferrule 3 has a first holding member 31 and a second holding member 32. The first holding member 31 and the second holding member 32 face each other in the Z-axis direction. The tip region 2 a of the flat cable 2 is sandwiched between the first holding member 31 and the second holding member 32.

[0023] The first holding member 31 includes a holding surface 31a and a pair of connecting surfaces 31b. The holding surface 31a and the connecting surface 31b are each flat surfaces that intersect or are perpendicular to the Z-axis direction. The holding surface 31a and the connecting surface 31b each face the second holding member 32. The width of the holding surface 31a in the X-axis direction is the same as the width of the flat cable 2 in the X-axis direction. The pair of connecting surfaces 31b are located at both ends of the holding surface 31a in the X-axis direction. The connecting surfaces 31b protrude from the holding surface 31a. The connecting surfaces 31b are closer to the second holding member 32 than the holding surface 31a.

[0024] The second holding member 32 includes a holding surface 32a and a pair of connecting surfaces 32b. The holding surface 32a and the connecting surface 32b are each flat surfaces that intersect with the Z-axis direction. The holding surface 32a and the connecting surface 32b each face the first holding member 31. The width of the holding surface 32a in the X-axis direction is the same as the width of the flat cable 2 in the X-axis direction. The pair of connecting surfaces 32b are located at both ends of the holding surface 32a in the X-axis direction. The connecting surfaces 32b protrude from the holding surface 32a. The connecting surfaces 32b are closer to the first holding member 31 than the holding surface 32a.

[0025] The connection surface 31b of the first holding member 31 and the connection surface 32b of the second holding member 32 are connected to each other by, for example, an adhesive, so that the tip region 2a of the flat cable 2 is held by the first holding member 31 and the second holding member 32. The insertion hole 3c of the ferrule 3 is the space between the holding surface 31a and the holding surface 32a.

[0026] The ferrule 3 is less likely to deform than the flat cable 2. The rigidity of the ferrule 3 is greater than the rigidity of the flat cable 2. The ferrule 3 is mainly made of, for example, PEI (polyetherimide), PPS (polyphenylene sulfide), PC (polycarbonate), PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate), or PES (polyethersulfone).

[0027] The flat cable 2 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the flat cable 2 taken along the XZ plane shown in Figure 1. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the flat cable 2 taken along line IV-IV shown in Figure 3. The ferrule 3 is omitted from Figures 3 and 4.

[0028] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the coating 22 has a pair of insulating layers 221, a pair of shielding layers 222, and a protective layer 223. The conductors 21 are disposed between the pair of insulating layers 221. The pair of insulating layers 221 sandwich the conductors 21 in the Z-axis direction. The insulating layers 221 are made of a material such as resin. For example, a resin with a relatively low dielectric constant and dielectric loss tangent is used as the material for the insulating layers 221. The insulating layers 221 are made of polyethylene, polypropylene, or the like. The insulating layers 221 may have a laminated structure formed of, for example, multiple layers. The pair of insulating layers 221 are bonded to each other by, for example, an adhesive.

[0029] The pair of shield layers 222 are disposed on the opposite side of the pair of insulating layers 221 from the plurality of conductors 21. The pair of shield layers 222 sandwich the plurality of conductors 21 and the pair of insulating layers 221 in the Z-axis direction. The material of the shield layer 222 is, for example, a metal. The material of the shield layer 222 is, for example, copper or aluminum. The thickness of the shield layer 222 is, for example, 5 μm or more and 20 μm or less. The shield layer 222 is adhered to the insulating layer 221 by, for example, an adhesive.

[0030] The protective layer 223 is provided on the outside of the pair of shield layers 222. When viewed from the Y-axis direction, the protective layer 223 surrounds the multiple conductors 21, the pair of insulating layers 221, and the pair of shield layers 222. The protective layer 223 covers the main surfaces of each of the pair of shield layers 222, the side surfaces of each of the pair of shield layers 222, and the side surfaces of each of the pair of insulating layers 221. This prevents the shield layers 222 from contacting other metal components. The protective layer 223 is made of, for example, a resin with excellent mechanical strength. The protective layer 223 is made of, for example, PEs (polyester) or PET (polyethylene terephthalate). The protective layer 223 is adhered to the pair of shield layers 222 and the pair of insulating layers 221 by, for example, an adhesive.

[0031] When a portion of the outer peripheral surface 21c of the conductor 21 is exposed from the coating 22, the dielectric constant around the region of the conductor 21 covered by the coating 22 differs from the dielectric constant around the region of the conductor 21 exposed from the coating 22. In the present embodiment, as described above, the outer peripheral surface 21c of each conductor 21 in the tip region 2a is covered by the coating 22, which reduces non-uniformity in the dielectric constant distribution around the conductor 21 compared to, for example, a case where the outer peripheral surface 21c of the conductor 21 in the tip region 2a is exposed from the coating 22. Furthermore, the tip surface 21a of each conductor 21 in the tip region 2a is exposed from the coating 22 and the ferrule 3. This allows the tip surface 21a of each conductor 21 to be electrically connected to a mating connector, and reduces stubs compared to, for example, a case where the outer peripheral surface 21c of the conductor 21 in the tip region 2a is exposed from the coating 22 and the conductor 21 is electrically connected to a mating connector via a conductor electrically connected to the outer peripheral surface 21c of the exposed portion. Therefore, the cable with electrical connector 1 can prevent both degradation of communication performance due to impedance mismatch and degradation of communication performance due to the stub phenomenon.

[0032] The ferrule 3 has a first holding member 31 and a second holding member 32. The tip region 2a of the flat cable 2 is sandwiched between the first holding member 31 and the second holding member 32. This allows the tip region 2a of the flat cable 2 to be securely held by the first holding member 31 and the second holding member 32. [Second Embodiment]

[0033] Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the cable with electric connectors according to the second embodiment. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the cable with electric connectors taken along line VI-VI shown in Fig. 5. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the cable with electric connectors 1 according to the second embodiment includes a pair of dielectric constant adjusting sheets 4. The outer peripheral surfaces 21c of the conductors 21 in the tip region 2a of the flat cable 2 are covered with the pair of dielectric constant adjusting sheets 4 while being exposed from the coating 22.

[0034] In this embodiment, the tip region 2a of the flat cable 2 is located close to the tip face 3a of the ferrule 3. The tip face 22a of the coating 22 is located between the tip face 3a and the rear face 3b of the ferrule 3. In other words, a portion of the coating 22 is located inside the insertion hole 3c of the ferrule 3. The outer peripheral surface 21c of each conductor 21 in the tip region 2a is exposed from the coating 22.

[0035] The pair of permittivity adjusting sheets 4 are provided inside the insertion hole 3c of the ferrule 3. The pair of permittivity adjusting sheets 4 are provided between the front end region 2a and the ferrule 3. When viewed from the Y-axis direction, in the front end region 2a, each conductor 21 is wrapped by the pair of permittivity adjusting sheets 4. The pair of permittivity adjusting sheets 4 are in contact with each other while wrapping each conductor 21. The front end surface 4a of the permittivity adjusting sheet 4 is located on substantially the same plane as the front end surface 21a of each conductor 21 and the front end surface 3a of the ferrule 3. The rear end surface 4b of the permittivity adjusting sheet 4 is located between the front end surface 3a and the rear end surface 3b of the ferrule 3. The rear end surface 4b of the permittivity adjusting sheet 4 is in contact with the front end surface 22a of the coating 22.

[0036] The tip surface 21a of each conductor 21 in the tip region 2a is exposed from the pair of dielectric constant adjusting sheets 4. In other words, the tip surface 21a of each conductor 21 is not covered by the pair of dielectric constant adjusting sheets 4. The tip surface 21a of each conductor 21 in the tip region 2a and the tip surface 4a of the dielectric constant adjusting sheet 4 are exposed from the ferrule 3. In other words, the tip surface 21a of each conductor 21 and the tip surface 4a of the dielectric constant adjusting sheet 4 are not covered by the ferrule 3. The dielectric constant adjusting sheet 4 is mainly composed of, for example, polypropylene. The relative dielectric constant of the dielectric constant adjusting sheet 4 is smaller than that of the ferrule 3. The relative dielectric constant of the dielectric constant adjusting sheet 4 is, for example, approximately 2.2. The relative dielectric constant of the dielectric constant adjusting sheet 4 is 0.9 to 1.1 times the relative dielectric constant of the insulating layer 221 of the coating 22 (see FIG. 3 ).

[0037] As described above, when a portion of the outer peripheral surface 21c of the conductor 21 is exposed from the coating 22, the dielectric constant around the region of the conductor 21 covered by the coating 22 differs from the dielectric constant around the region of the conductor 21 exposed from the coating 22. In this embodiment, as described above, the outer peripheral surface 21c of each conductor 21 in the tip region 2a is covered by a pair of dielectric constant adjusting sheets 4, thereby suppressing unevenness in the dielectric constant distribution around the conductor 21. Furthermore, the tip surface 21a of each conductor 21 in the tip region 2a is exposed from the tip surface 4a of the dielectric constant adjusting sheet 4 and the ferrule 3. This allows the tip surface 21a of each conductor 21 to be electrically connected to a mating connector, and stubs are suppressed compared to, for example, when the outer peripheral surface 21c of the conductor 21 in the tip region 2a is exposed and the conductor 21 is electrically connected to the mating connector via a conductor electrically connected to the outer peripheral surface 21c of the exposed portion. Therefore, both degradation of communication performance due to impedance mismatch and degradation of communication performance due to the stub phenomenon are prevented. Therefore, the cable with electric connector 1 can prevent a decrease in communication performance.

[0038] [Modifications] Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a cable with an electric connector according to a first modification. As shown in Fig. 7, in the cable with an electric connector 1A according to the first modification, the tip region 2a of the flat cable 2 may be bent inside the ferrule 3. Specifically, the ferrule 3 further includes an insertion hole 3e opening in a side surface 3d intersecting the Z-axis direction. The side surface 3d and the insertion hole 3e are formed, for example, in the second holding member 32. The insertion hole 3e communicates with the insertion hole 3c. The insertion hole 3c extends along the Y-axis direction, and the insertion hole 3e extends along the Z-axis direction. The tip region 2a of the flat cable 2 is disposed in both the insertion holes 3c and 3e, for example, in a state bent 90 degrees. This improves the degree of freedom in the arrangement of the cable with an electric connector 1A.

[0039] Figure 8 is a front view of an electric connector cable according to a second modified example. As shown in Figure 8, an electric connector cable 1B according to the second modified example may include multiple flat cables 2. The electric connector cable 1B may include, for example, two flat cables 2. The two flat cables 2 are arranged in parallel, for example, in the Z-axis direction. In this case, the ferrule 3 may further include a third holding member 33 in addition to the first holding member 31 and the second holding member 32. The tip region 2a of each flat cable 2 is disposed between adjacent holding members among the multiple holding members 31, 32, and 33.

[0040] The third holding member 33 is disposed between the first holding member 31 and the second holding member 32. The third holding member 33 includes a holding surface 33a, a pair of connecting surfaces 33b, a holding surface 33c, and a pair of connecting surfaces 33d.

[0041] The holding surface 33a and the connecting surface 33b each face the first holding member 31. The width of the holding surface 33a in the X-axis direction is the same as the width of the flat cable 2 in the X-axis direction. The pair of connecting surfaces 33b are located on both ends of the holding surface 33a in the X-axis direction. The connecting surfaces 33b protrude from the holding surface 33a in the Z-axis direction. The connecting surfaces 33b are closer to the first holding member 31 than the holding surface 33a.

[0042] The holding surface 33c and the connecting surface 33d each face the second holding member 32. The width of the holding surface 33c in the X-axis direction is the same as the width of the flat cable 2 in the X-axis direction. The pair of connecting surfaces 33d are located on both ends of the holding surface 33c in the X-axis direction. The connecting surfaces 33d protrude from the holding surface 33c in the Z-axis direction. The connecting surfaces 33d are closer to the second holding member 32 than the holding surface 33c.

[0043] The connection surface 31b of the first holding member 31 and the connection surface 33b of the third holding member 33 are connected to each other with the tip region 2a of the first flat cable 2 positioned between the holding surfaces 31a and 33a. As a result, the tip region 2a of the first flat cable 2 is sandwiched between the first holding member 31 and the third holding member 33. The first insertion hole 3c of the ferrule 3 is the space between the holding surfaces 31a and 33a.

[0044] The connection surface 32b of the second holding member 32 and the connection surface 33d of the third holding member 33 are connected to each other with the tip region 2a of the second flat cable 2 positioned between the holding surfaces 32a and 33c. As a result, the tip region 2a of the second flat cable 2 is sandwiched between the second holding member 32 and the third holding member 33. The second insertion hole 3c of the ferrule 3 is the space between the holding surfaces 32a and 33c. In the above case, the tip regions 2a of each of the multiple flat cables 2 are securely held by the ferrule 3.

[0045] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the cable with electrical connector taken along line IX-IX in FIG. 8 . As shown in FIG. 9 , the tip region 2a of each flat cable 2 may be bent inside the ferrule 3, as in the first modification. Specifically, the ferrule 3 further includes insertion holes 3e and 3f opening in a side surface 3d intersecting the Z-axis direction. The insertion holes 3e are formed, for example, in the second holding member 32 and the third holding member 33. The side surface 3d and the insertion hole 3f are formed, for example, in the second holding member 32. The insertion hole 3e communicates with the first insertion hole 3c. The insertion hole 3f communicates with the second insertion hole 3c. The insertion holes 3e and 3f extend along the Z-axis direction. The tip region 2a of the first flat cable 2 is bent, for example, 90 degrees, and is positioned in both the first insertion hole 3c and the insertion hole 3e. The tip region 2a of the second flat cable 2 is bent at, for example, 90 degrees and disposed in both the second insertion holes 3c and 3f, thereby improving the degree of freedom in disposing the cable with electrical connector 1B.

[0046] In the first and second modifications, the outer peripheral surface 21c of each conductor 21 in the tip region 2a may be covered with a pair of dielectric constant adjusting sheets 4. For example, in the cable with electric connector 1C shown in Fig. 10, the outer peripheral surface 21c of the conductor 21 in the tip region 2a is covered with a pair of dielectric constant adjusting sheets 4 while being exposed from the coating 22. In this case, the boundary S between the coating 22 and the dielectric constant adjusting sheet 4 may be located at a position where the conductor 21 extends linearly toward the tip surface 21a (excluding a position where the conductor 21 is bent). This allows the conductor 21 and the dielectric constant adjusting sheet 4 to be bonded flatly by the ferrule 3, making it easy to match impedance.

[0047] The cable with electrical connector may include three or more flat cables 2. The covering 22 of the flat cable 2 may be integrally formed by, for example, extrusion molding using resin. The covering 22 may be formed from a pair of resin sheets sandwiching the conductors 21. The pair of resin sheets may be bonded to each other. In this case, the spacing between the conductors 21 tends to be uniform in any cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of each conductor 21.

[0048] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 1A, 1B, 1C... Cable with electric connector 2... Flat cable 2a... Tip region 3... Ferrule 3a... Tip surface 3b... Rear end surface 3c, 3e, 3f... Insertion hole 3d... Side surface 21... Conductor 21a... Tip surface 21c... Outer surface (outer surface) 22... Coating 22a... Tip surface 31... First holding member 32... Second holding member 33... Third holding member 31a, 32a, 33a, 33c... Holding surface 31b, 32b, 33b, 33d... Connection surface 221... Insulating layer 222... Shield layer 223... Protective layer 4... Dielectric constant adjusting sheet 4a... Tip surface 4b... Rear end surface

Claims

1. A cable with an electrical connector comprising: at least one cable having a plurality of conductors and a coating covering the plurality of conductors; and a ferrule surrounding a tip region of the cable and holding the tip region, wherein an outer surface of each of the plurality of conductors in the tip region is covered by the coating and is not exposed from the coating, and a tip surface of each of the plurality of conductors in the tip region is exposed from the coating and the ferrule.

2. A cable with an electrical connector comprising: at least one cable having a plurality of conductors and a coating covering the plurality of conductors; a ferrule surrounding a tip region of the cable and holding the tip region; and a dielectric constant adjustment sheet provided between the tip region and the ferrule, wherein the outer surfaces of each of the plurality of conductors in the tip region are covered by the dielectric constant adjustment sheet while exposed from the coating, and the tip surfaces of each of the plurality of conductors in the tip region are exposed from the dielectric constant adjustment sheet and the ferrule.

3. A cable with an electrical connector as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the ferrule has a plurality of retaining members, and the tip region of the cable is sandwiched between the plurality of retaining members while being positioned between the plurality of retaining members.

4. The cable with electrical connector according to claim 3, wherein said at least one cable comprises a plurality of cables, said plurality of cables being arranged in parallel.

5. The cable with electrical connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the tip region of the cable is bent inside the ferrule.

6. A cable with an electrical connector as described in claim 2, wherein the tip region of the cable is bent inside the ferrule, and the boundary between the coating and the dielectric constant adjustment sheet is located at a position where the conductor extends in a straight line toward the tip surface.

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