Connector

In a typical connector, without closing up a clearance between connectors sufficiently upon fitting with a partner connector, a problem such as significant lowering of high-frequency characteristics due to backlash is caused upon high-speed electric signal transfer. A connector is provided, which includes multiple terminals, an insulator holding the multiple terminals, and an outer conductor shell housing the insulator. In the connector, an inclined portion raised from a side wall of the outer conductor shell is provided at a side wall portion which is to contact an edge portion of a fitting recessed portion of a partner connector. Thus, when a fitting portion on a tip end side of the outer conductor shell of the connector is fitted in the fitting recessed portion of the partner connector, an edge portion of an opening of the fitting recessed portion of the partner connector is pressed by the inclined portion provided at the side wall of the fitting portion of the connector, and a side wall of a lock protrusion is pressed against an inner wall of a lock hole. Thus, the clearance can be suppressed.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a connector suitable for high-speed electric signal transfer. Specifically, the present invention relates to the structure of a fitting portion of a connector configured to suppress backlash at the fitting portion upon connection with a partner connector.

BACKGROUND ART

Typically, a connector is configured such that a slight clearance is, for facilitating attachment/detachment to/from a partner connector, formed with the connector being connected to the partner connector. In the typical connector, an elastic member such as a spring is provided to close up the clearance to suppress backlash due to such a clearance. For example, in a connector described in Japanese Patent No. 5406746 (Patent Literature 1), a clearance (an engagement clearance) between a connector lock portion and a connector engagement portion can be closed up by a spring piece provided at a back wall of a fitting recessed portion.

CITATION LIST

Patent Literature

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

However, in a relatively-small high-speed transfer connector including an insulator configured to hold multiple terminals and an outer conductor shell housing the insulator, a spring piece provided at a back wall of a fitting recessed portion as in the connector described in Japanese Patent No. 5406746 (Patent Literature 1) leads to a problem that a connector structure is complicated. Moreover, without closing up a clearance between connectors sufficiently upon fitting with a partner connector, a problem such as significant lowering of high-frequency characteristics due to backlash upon high-speed electric signal transfer might be caused.

For solving the above-described problems, a connector is provided, which includes multiple terminals, an insulator holding the multiple terminals, and an outer conductor shell housing the insulator. In the connector, an inclined portion raised from a side wall of the outer conductor shell is provided at a side wall portion which is to contact part (e.g., an edge portion) of a fitting recessed portion of a partner connector. Thus, when a fitting portion on a tip end side of the outer conductor shell of the connector is fitted in the fitting recessed portion of the partner connector, backlash can be suppressed. Specifically, the connector is provided in which part (e.g., an edge portion) of an opening of the fitting recessed portion of the partner connector is pressed by the inclined portion provided at the side wall of the fitting portion of the connector, and a side wall of a lock protrusion is pressed against an inner wall of a lock hole. Thus, a clearance (an engagement clearance) which might be formed upon engagement of the lock protrusion of the connector with the lock hole of the partner connector can be closed up.

Solution to the Problems

A connector according to one embodiment of the present invention is a cable-side connector including an outer conductor shell and an insulator housed in the outer conductor shell with the insulator holding multiple terminals.

The outer conductor shell includesan inclined portion exhibiting elasticity in such an inclined shape that a side wall is raised,an engagement portion to be engaged with a partner engagement portion of a partner connector, anda fitting portion to be fitted in a fitting recessed portion of the partner connector.

The inclined portion is provided at the side wall of the outer conductor shell which is to contact part of the fitting recessed portion of the partner connector.

When the inclined portion contacts the part of the fitting recessed portion, the engagement portion closely contacts the partner engagement portion with no clearance.

In a preferred embodiment of the connector according to the present invention, the inclined portion is provided at a single side wall of the outer conductor shell, and is also provided at a side wall opposite to the side wall.

In a preferred embodiment of the connector according to the present invention, the inclined portion is provided on a plane same as that of a side wall provided with the engagement portion.

In a preferred embodiment of the connector according to the present invention, the inclined portion is provided on a plane different from that of the side wall provided with the engagement portion.

In a preferred embodiment of the connector according to the present invention, the connector further includesa cover member configured to cover a connection portion between the outer conductor shell and a cable, the fitting portion being exposed from a tip end side of the connector; anda lock operation button coupled to the engagement portion and exposed through a hole provided at the cover member.

The engagement portion is pushed inward of the outer conductor shell in association with pushing in of the lock operation button.

A partner connector according to one embodiment of the present invention includesan outer conductor shell having a partner engagement portion at a position engageable with the engagement portion of the connector, andan insulator housed in the outer conductor shell.

The outer conductor shell of the partner connector includes a fitting recessed portion to be fitted onto the fitting portion of the connector.

Upon connection with the connector, part of the fitting recessed portion contacts the inclined portion of the connector.

In a preferred embodiment of the partner connector according to the present invention, the partner engagement portion of the partner connector engages, upon connection with the connector, with the engagement portion of the connector, and part of the fitting recessed portion of the partner connector contacts the inclined portion of the connector and is pushed by elastic force of the inclined portion such that no clearance is formed between the partner engagement portion and the engagement portion.

In a preferred embodiment of the partner connector according to the present invention, a part of the fitting recessed portion which is to contact the inclined portion is an edge portion of the fitting recessed portion, and an inclined edge portion extending from the edge portion and inclined outward is provided.

Advantageous Effects of the Invention

In the connector according to the present invention, the inclined portion raised from the side wall of the fitting portion included on the tip end side of the outer conductor shell is provided at the side wall portion of the fitting portion which is to contact the edge portion of the fitting recessed portion of the partner connector. Thus, upon connection with the partner connector, the edge portion of the fitting recessed portion is pressed by the elastic force of the inclined portion provided at the side wall of the fitting portion, and an engagement clearance which might be formed between the lock protrusion of the connector and the lock hole of the partner connector is closed up. Thus, backlash can be suppressed.

Moreover, the connector and the partner connector according to the present invention are not configured such that a spring piece is provided at a back wall of the fitting recessed portion as in the typical connector, but is configured such that the inclined portion raised from the side wall of the outer conductor shell is merely provided at the position contacting the edge portion of the fitting recessed portion of the partner connector. Thus, a simpler structure as compared to that of the typical connector can be employed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that in all figures for describing the embodiments, the same reference numerals are, as a general rule, used to represent the same members, and therefore, repeated description thereof will not be made. Moreover, each embodiment will be independently described, but it does not intended to exclude a combination of components of these embodiments forming a connector.

FIG. 1illustrates a view of outer appearances of a substrate-side connector and a cable-side connector. A connector fitting direction is an X1-X2direction (an X-axis direction) in the figure. A tip end side of the substrate-side connector100is an X2direction side, and a tip end side of the cable-side connector200is an X1direction side. A plane perpendicular to a substrate300is an X-Z plane, and a plane horizontal (a plane parallel) to the substrate300is an X-Y plane. Upper and lower sides along a Z-axis direction in the figure are upper and lower sides of each connector. The same also applies to other figures.

The substrate-side connector100includes an insulator112configured to hold multiple terminals forming a fitting raised portion104on a side (the X2direction side) to be connected to the cable-side connector200, and an outer conductor shell106housing the insulator112therein. A fitting recessed portion102is a space between the fitting raised portion104provided on a fitting side (the X2side) of the outer conductor shell106and an inner wall of the outer conductor shell106. The outer conductor shell106includes shell mounting portions108for mounting and fixing the outer conductor shell106onto the substrate300. The shell mounting portions108are DIP terminals soldered with the DIP terminals being inserted into holes provided at the substrate300, but may be terminals mountable on a substrate surface.

Moreover, the outer conductor shell106includes lock holes110as partner engagement portions to be engaged with lock protrusions206as engagement portions of the cable-side connector200. The lock holes110are provided at such positions that the lock holes110can engage with the lock protrusions206of the cable-side connector200. InFIG. 1, the lock holes110are provided at upper and lower (the upper and lower sides in the Z-axis direction) side walls of the outer conductor shell106of the connector100. As long as the lock holes110are the engagement portions having such structure that the lock holes110can engage with the lock protrusions26, the lock holes110are not necessarily holes penetrating the outer conductor shell.

The cable-side connector200includes an outer conductor shell200having a fitting portion204on a side (the X1direction side) to be connected to the substrate-side connector100, i.e., on the tip end side, and housing an insulator, therein, configured to hold the multiple terminals, a lock operation button208cooperating with the lock protrusions206protruding from holes of the outer conductor shell204, and a cover member210covering a connection portion between the outer conductor shell204and a cable400.

The fitting portion202is inserted into the fitting recessed portion102upon connection with the substrate-side connector100. The outer conductor shell204has, at side walls thereof, the holes218allowing the lock protrusions206to protrude from the inside. The lock protrusions206as the engagement portions are provided at such positions that the lock protrusions206can engage with the lock holes110as the partner engagement portions of the substrate-side connector100. InFIG. 1, the lock protrusions206are provided at upper and lower (the upper and lower sides in the Z-axis direction) side walls of the outer conductor shell204of the connector200. For the lock protrusions206, any structure may be employed as long as the lock protrusions206are engagement portions engageable with the lock holes110.

The lock protrusions206are, inside the outer conductor shell204, coupled to the lock operation button208, and are pushed in in association with pushing in of the lock operation button208. The lock operation button208is pushed in upon connection with the substrate-side connector100such that the lock protrusions206disengage from the lock holes110, and the cable-side connector200can be pulled out of the substrate-side connector100.

FIG. 2illustrates a view of the cable-side connector according to one embodiment of the present invention,FIG. 2being a perspective view of the cable-side connector200viewed diagonally from a side (the X1side) to be fitted in the connector100as a partner connector. The outer conductor shell204of the connector200includes an inclined portion212at a side wall (an upper surface inFIG. 2) of the fitting portion202(seeFIG. 1). The inclined portion212is formed with elasticity in such a manner that the side wall of the outer conductor shell204(the fitting portion202(seeFIG. 1)) is raised. The inclined portion212is provided at the side wall of the outer conductor shell204which is to contact part (an edge portion in the present embodiment) of the fitting recessed portion102of the partner connector (the connector100). As long as part of the fitting recessed portion102is to contact the inclined portion212, the position of the inclined portion212may be any position at the outer conductor shell204.

At the tip end of the cable-side connector200, an insertion port214is provided with an inner wall holding the multiple terminals by the insulator. The insertion port214can receive the fitting raised portion104of the partner connector (the connector100). Upon connection with the partner connector, contact portions of the multiple terminals held at the inner wall of the insertion port214come into contact with contact portions of the multiple terminals held by the insulator forming the fitting raised portion104.

The lock protrusions206as the engagement portions are configured such that the lock protrusions206are pushed inward of the outer conductor shell204in association with pushing in of the lock operation button208. As long as the lock protrusions206are configured to be disengaged from the partner engagement portions of the partner connector by the lock operation button208, the lock protrusions206may have other configurations than the embodiment illustrated inFIGS. 1 to 2.

FIG. 3illustrates components of the outer conductor shell forming the fitting portion on the tip end side of the cable-side connector.FIG. 3(a)is a perspective view of the outer conductor shell204viewed diagonally from above on the tip end side (the X1side) of the connector,FIG. 3(b)is a perspective view of the outer conductor shell204viewed diagonally from below on the tip end side (the X1side) of the connector, andFIG. 3(c)is a side view of the outer conductor shell204viewed from a lateral direction (a Y-axis direction) of the connector.

A shell opening216is included on the tip end side (the X1side) of the outer conductor shell204, and the insulator forming the insertion port214(seeFIG. 2) with the insulator holding the multiple terminals is housed inside the shell opening216. As illustrated inFIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), the through-holes218allowing the lock protrusions206to protrude out of the outer conductor shell204are provided at the upper and lower (the upper and lower sides in the Z-axis direction) side walls of the outer conductor shell204. The through-holes218can be provided according to the positions of the lock protrusions206arranged to engage with the lock holes110as the engagement portions of the partner connector (the connector100). Moreover, the through-hole218is provided together with the lock protrusion206at a single side wall of the outer conductor shell204, and the through-hole218and the lock protrusion206can be also provided at the side wall opposite to the single side wall.

As illustrated inFIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), the inclined portion212is provided at a single side wall of the outer conductor shell204, and can be also provided at the side wall opposite to the side wall. The inclined portion212is, at the upper and lower (the upper and lower in the Z-axis direction) side walls of the outer conductor shell204, formed in such a manner that two slits213extending in the fitting direction (the X-direction) are provided and the side wall is raised from the inside of the outer conductor shell204. With this configuration, the inclined portion212has elasticity. Referring toFIGS. 2 and 3, the inclined portion212is provided at a back (X2side) position of the position of the through-hole218and a front (X1side) position of the cover member210in one embodiment of the present invention. The present invention is not limited to this embodiment. The inclined portion212may be at any position as long as the inclined portion212can contact part of the fitting recessed portion of the partner connector. At the side wall of the outer conductor shell, the inclined portion212may be on the same plane as that of the lock protrusion206or the through-hole218, or may be on a plane different therefrom.

FIG. 4illustrates components of the outer conductor shell of the substrate-side connector.FIG. 4(a)is a perspective view of the outer conductor shell106viewed diagonally from above the tip end side (the X2side) of the connector,FIG. 4(b)is a perspective view of the outer conductor shell106viewed diagonally from below the tip end side (the X2side) of the connector, andFIG. 4(c)is a perspective view of the outer conductor shell106viewed diagonally from the lateral direction of the tip end side (the X2side) of the connector. The fitting raised portion104formed by the insulator housed inside can be exposed through a shell opening103of the outer conductor shell106, and the space between the fitting raised portion104and the inner wall of the outer conductor shell106can be formed as the fitting recessed portion102.

An inclined edge portion105extending from an edge portion of the shell opening103of the outer conductor shell106, i.e., an edge portion of the fitting recessed portion102(seeFIG. 1), and inclined outward can be provided at such an edge portion. The inclined edge portion105can be provided at an edge portion which can contact the inclined portion212of the cable-side connector200.

As illustrated inFIGS. 4(a) and 4(b), the lock holes110as the partner engagement portions to be engaged with the lock protrusions206as the engagement portions of the cable-side connector200are provided on the upper and lower (the upper and lower in the Z-axis direction) of the outer conductor shell106. The lock hole110is provided at single side wall of the outer conductor shell106, and can be also provided at the side wall opposite to the single side wall.

FIG. 5illustrates, in a state in which the connector according to one embodiment of the present invention is connected to the partner connector, a sectional view of these connectors along a direction (the Z-axis direction) perpendicular to the fitting direction (the X-axis direction). The lock protrusions206of the cable-side connector200are fitted in the lock holes110of the connector100as the partner connector so that a connector connection state can be maintained. A tip end side (X1side) of the inclined surface of the inclined portion212contacts the edge portions of the fitting recessed portion102of the partner connector. Such an edge portion is pressed by elastic force of the inclined portion212, and accordingly, an outer wall of the lock protrusion (the engagement portion) is pressed against an inner wall of the lock hole110(the partner engagement portion). Thus, no clearance can be formed between the engagement portions.

In the embodiment illustrated inFIG. 5, the tip end side (X1side) of the inclined surface of the inclined portion212contacts the inclined edge portions105. The connector200is pushed back (the X2direction) by the elastic force of the inclined portion212. Accordingly, a back wall219of each lock protrusion206on the back side (the X2side) closely contacts the lock contact surfaces220. This can suppress an engagement clearance, and can suppress backlash. As a result, lowering of high-frequency characteristics due to backlash can be suppressed in advance.

Moreover, the connector200is configured such that the inclined portions212raised from the side walls of the outer conductor shell204are merely provided at the positions contacting the edge portions of the fitting recessed portion102of the partner connector (the connector100). Thus, as compared to a typical connector configured such that a spring piece is provided at the back wall of a fitting recessed portion, the structures of the connector200and the connector100can be simplified.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The connector according to the present invention can be utilized when devices are connected via a cable for transferring a high-frequency electric signal by an electronic device such as a measurement device configured to handle a high-frequency signal.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE SIGNS