Shielded wire connector

Abstract: A shielded wire connector has an electrically insulating connector body (1) and a holder (2) contiguous to the connector body (1) through pivot means (3). The holder (2) holds a shielded wire (4) having a shield (4c) on its core wire (4a). The connector body (1) has a first and a second terminal member (5,6) adapted to pierce into said shield (4c) and core (4a) respectively, of said shielded wire (4) when the holder (2) holding the shielded wire (4) is turned about the pivot means (3) into direct engagement with the connector body (1).

Description: The present invention relates to a connector for a shielded wire having a shield on the peripheral surface of its core wire. For connection of an electrical part to the metal shield of the shielded wire, it is common practice to strip off the outermost sheath, divide the underlying part of the wire into the core wire and the braided metal sheath, strip off the core covering and connect to core wire and shield directly to the corresponding positions of the electrical part by soldering or by a press-on terminal means. It is obvious that this procedure involving stripping, division, soldering and/or the like is time-consuming and, hence, costly. Moreover, a special tool or apparatus is required for soldering or handling of the press-on terminal and unless the operator has adequate skill, the reliability of connection is sacrificed. The present invention seeks to provide a shielded wire connector which is conductive to improved efficiency and reliability of wire connection. EP-A-0228750 discloses a connector for a shielded wire with a shield on the core wire thereof. The wire is held in a holder. An insulating connector body has two terminal members which pierce into the shield and the core. In EP-A-0228750, the holder and connector body are snap-fitted together. According to the present invention there is provided a shielded wire connector as claimed in the claim. It can be noted that GB-A-2136638 discloses, in the context of a different type of connector, an arrangement in which a connector and a holder are interconnected by a hinge arrangement. Thus turning of said holder into direct engagement with said connector body results in a firm connection of the shielded wire with the consequent improvement in work efficiency and establishment of reliable connection without requiring any wire-connecting tool or apparatus. In the drawings Fig. 1 is a disassembled perspective view showing a shielded wire connector embodying the principles of the invention; Figs. 2 and 3 each is a schematic view illustrating the procedure of connecting a shielded wire to the above connector; Figs. 4a and 4b are a plan view and a cross-section view, respectively, of the connector body and holder of said connector; Figs. 5a and 5b are a front view and a sectional side elevation view, respectively, which illustrate a first terminal member to be secured to said connector body; Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the manner of connecting a shielded wire; Figs. 7 and 8 each is a schematic view illustrating the mode of connection; and Fig. 9 is a schematic illustration of the effect produced by tapered surfaces of the contactors of the first terminal member. Referring to Fig. 1 which is a disassembled perspective view illustrating a shielded wire connector embodying the principles of the invention, the connector generally comprises a connector body 1 made of an electrically insulating synthetic resin and a holder 2 made of an electrically insulating synthetic resin and contiguous to the rear end of said connector body 1 through a pivotal hinge means 3. The reference numeral 4 indicates a shielded wire which is held in position by said holder 2 and consists of a core wire 4a, a covering 4b for said core wire, a shield 4c sleaved over the outer periphery of said covering, and an outermost sheath disposed externally of said shield. Indicated at 5 and 6 are a first and second terminal member, both of which are secured to said connector body 1. The connector body 1 has a recess 11 which is open at top and front and the bottom surface of which is formed with a first terminal member insertion hold 12 and a recessed setting means 13 as illustrated in Figs. 4a and 4b. The inner surfaces of lateral walls 1a and 1b defining said recess 11 are formed with guide means 14A and 14B, respectively, for guiding engaging projections which are described in detail hereinafter. The above-mentioned bottom surface is formed, as disposed rearwardly of said setting means 13, with a second terminal member insertion hole 15 and a groove shaped setting means 16. Indicated at 17A and 17B are grooves formed on the inner surfaces of said lateral walls 1a and 1b for mating with and holding in position the second terminal member 6. As shown in Figs. 4a and 4b, the above-mentioned holder is formed with a through holding hole 21 extending from the rear surface to the forward surface thereof for holding the shielded wire inserted from the rear side. This through holding hole 21 consists of a large-diameter portion 22 engageable with said outer sheath 4d of the shielded wire 4 and a small-diameter portion 23 engageable with the core wire covering 4b so that the shielded wire 4 may be set in position. As illustrated in Figs. 4a and 4b, the external surfaces on lateral sides of said holder 2 are formed with engaging projections 24A and 24B for engaging said engaging holes 18A and 18B of the connector body 1 on mating said holder 2 with said connector body 1. As illustrated in Figs. 5a and 5b, the first terminal member 5 is bifurcated in the shape of a fork and consists of a pair of contactors 51A and 51B adapted to pierce into the shield 4c of said shielded wire 4, a trunk portion 52 holding said contactors 51A and 51B in fixed juxtaposed relation, and an external terminal 53 which is continual to said trunk portion 52. This external terminal 53 can be forced into said terminal member insertion hole 12 and locked in situ. The second terminal member 6 mentioned hereinbefore is also bifurcated in the shape of a fork and consists of contactors 61 adapted to pierce into the core wire 4a of said shielded wire 4 in the radial direction thereof and an external terminal 63 continual to said contactors 61 via a trunk portion 62. This external terminal 63 can be forced into said second terminal member insertion hole 15 and locked in situ, while lateral ends of said trunk portion 62 are fitted into said grooves 17A and 17B and retained in position. The reference numerals 25A and 25B indicate a first set of openings in said holder 2 for permitting the ingress of the contactors 51A and 51B of said first terminal member 5 in fitting the holder 2 to the connector body 1 and the reference numeral 26 indicates a second opening in said holder 2 for permitting the ingress of contactors 61 of said second terminal member 6 in fitting the holder 2 to the connector body. The procedure for connecting said shielded wire 4 is described below. As the forward end of the shielded wire 4 (Fig. 1) is inserted into the holding hole 21 from behind up to the position where it is visible from the front end opening, the core wire covering 4b of the shielded wire 4 is engaged with the small-diameter portion 23 while the outermost sheath 4d is engaged with the large-diameter portion. As a result, the shielded wire 4 is held in position by the holder 2 as indicated by a broken line in Fig. 2. The depth of insertion can be confirmed because the forward end of the shielded wire 4 is then visible from the front end of the holding hole 21. Then, the hinge members 3, 3 contiguous to said holder 2 are bent back to turn the holder 2 in the direction indicated by the arrowmark X in Fig. 2 and the holder 2 is then forced into the recess 11 of the connector body 1 as illustrated in Fig. 3. In this procedure, the engaging projections 24A and 24B of the holder 2 are brought into engagement with the engaging holes 18A and 18B, respectively, of the connector body 1 so that the two members 1 and 2 are firmly connected to each other. The engagement of said projections 24A and 24B with said holes 18A and 18B is smoothly accomplished with the aid of guides 14A and 14B. As the holder 2 is thus mated with the connector body 1, the contactors 51A and 51B of the first terminal member 5 pierce into the outermost sheath 4d of the shield wire 4 as illustrated in Fig. 6, whereby the shield 4c of the shielded wire 4 is brought into intimate contact with the contactors 51A and 51B. On the other hand, the contactors 61 of the second terminal member 6 pierce into the core wire covering 4b of the shielded wire 4 as illustrated in Fig. 6, with the result that the core wire 4a of the shielded wire 4 is brought into intimate contact with said contactors 61 as better seen in Fig. 8. Thus, as the shielded wire 4 is inserted into the holder 2 and the latter is fitted into the connector body 1 by bending the hinge members 3 and 3 back, the shield 4c and core wire 4a of the shielded wire 4 are brought into contact with the first and second terminal members 5 and 6, respectively. Therefore, the shielded wire can be easily and positively connected without the need of soldering or without using a tool such as that required for press-on terminals, thus contributing considerably to the efficiency of wire connection. Furthermore, since the contactors 5 and 6 contact the shield 4c and core wire 4a with a fixed piercing force, positive connection is insured. Moreover, this connection is maintained stably because the holder 2 and the connector body 1 are secured to each other in fixed relation by the engagement of projections 24A and 24B with holes 18A and 18B. It should be understood that while the contactors 51A and 51B may be in the shape of a plain fork, those in the above embodiment are respectively formed with tapered surfaces 51a and 51b, one of which is inclined inwardly with the other being inclined outwardly as illustrated in Fig. 5a so that when the contactor 51A (51B) pierces through the shield 4c, the shield is deformed inwardly and outwardly as indicated by the open arrowmarks in Fig. 9, with the resulting reaction assuring a still more positive connection. The above description and the accompanying drawings are merely illustrative of the application of the principles of the present invention and are not limiting.

Claims: A shielded wire connector comprising an electrically insulating connector body (1) and a holder (2) adapted to hold a shielded wire (4) having a shield (4c) covered by an outer sheath (4d) on its core wire (4a) securely in position, said connector body (1) having a first and a second terminal member (5,6) adapted to pierce into said shield (4c) and core (4a), respectively, of said shielded wire (4), the holder (2) having an axial bore (21) therethrough for receiving said shielded wire (4); wherein the insulating connector body (1) and the holder (2) are connected by pivot means (3) such that the first and second terminal members (5,6) are arranged to pierce into the shield (4c) and core (4a) respectively, when the holder (2) holding the shielded wire (4) is turned about said pivot means (3) into direct engagement with said connector body, the insulating connector body (1), the holder (2) and the pivot means (3) being integrally formed of the same material; the holder (2) having openings (25A, 25B, 26) extending transversally therein for receiving the first and second terminal members (5, 6), the openings (25A, 25B, 26) extending through the holder (2) to the bore (21); the bore (21) is shaped so that, when the shielded wire (4) is held by the holder (2), the shielded wire (4) is engagingly surrounded circumferentially by the walls of the bore (21) along the full length of the part of the shielded wire (4) held by the holder (2) except at the openings (25A, 25B, 26); and the bore (21) terminates in a bore opening in an external surface of the holder (2), the bore opening being of a diameter less than the outer sheath (4d) but greater than the core wire (4a) so that the end of the core wire (4c) extends into and is visible through the opening when the shielded wire (4) is held by the holder (2).

Inventors: IJIRI TOMOYA, IJIRI, TOMOYA
Applicants: OMRON TATEISI ELECTRONICS CO, OMRON CORPORATION
Application year: 1990
Main classification: H01R9
IPC codes: H01R9, H01R4