Patent Publication Number: US-10777943-B2

Title: Connector with a conductive shield having a C-shaped ring

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of PCT International Application No. PCT/EP2018/057207, filed on Mar. 21, 2018, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Chinese Patent Application No. 201720287264.9, filed on Mar. 22, 2017. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a connector and, more particularly, to a connector with a conductive shield. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A circular connector for instruments, control apparatus, and electrical equipment generally includes an insulating body, a conductive terminal held in the insulating body, a metal housing sleeved on the insulating body, and a conductive shield mounted in an end of the metal housing. A wire may be introduced into the connector from the end of the metal housing and is electrically connected to the conductive terminal in the connector. The conductive shield is sleeved on a conductive shielding layer of the wire and provides electromagnetic shielding for the wire, so as to ensure signal transmission quality. 
     The conductive shield is usually formed as a rigid cylindrical component, and a front end of the conductive shield presses the conductive shielding layer of the wire against an inner annular protrusion of the metal housing to achieve an electrical connection between the conductive shield, the conductive shielding layer, and the metal housing. However, such a single-point rigid contact leads to an unstable electrical connection and the electromagnetic shielding effect deteriorates. In addition, the present conductive shield has a large volume, occupies a large space, and also is difficult to assemble and disassemble. 
     SUMMARY 
     A connector includes a metal housing, an insulating body received in the metal housing, a conductive terminal held in the insulating body and electrically connected to a wire introduced into the metal housing, and a conductive shield mounted in the metal housing and sleeved on a conductive shielding layer of the wire. The conductive shield has a C-shaped ring adapted to electrically and elastically contact an inner wall of the metal housing and a plurality of elastic arms connected to a side of the C-shaped ring and adapted to electrically and elastically contact the conductive shielding layer. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying Figures, of which: 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a connector according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded sectional side view of the connector; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a conductive shield of the connector; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the conductive shield sleeved on a conductive shielding layer of a wire; and 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional side view of the connector in an assembled state. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT(S) 
     The present disclosure will be described in further detail with reference to the following embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the specification, the same or similar references indicate the same or similar components. The following description of embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings is intended to explain the general inventive concept of the present disclosure and should not be construed as limiting the present disclosure. 
     In the following detailed description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed embodiments. It will be apparent, however, that one or more embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are schematically shown in order to simplify the drawing. 
     A connector according to an embodiment, as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , comprises a metal housing  300 , an insulating body  100 , a conductive terminal  200 , and a conductive shield  700 . The insulating body  100  is received in the metal housing  300 . The conductive terminal  200  is held in the insulating body  100  and adapted to be electrically connected to a wire  1  inserted into the metal housing  300 . The conductive shield  700  is, for example, shaped as a sleeve and mounted in the metal housing  300 . In the shown embodiment, the connector is formed as a circular connector with a circular cross-section. In other embodiments, however, the connector may be formed as another type of connector. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the conductive shield  700  includes a C-shaped ring  710  and a plurality of elastic arms  720  connected to a side of the C-shaped ring  710 . 
     The wire  1 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , is formed as a multi-core wire having a plurality of conductor cores  1   b,  each of which includes a conductor  1   a.  The plurality of conductor cores  1   b  are wrapped by an inner insulating layer  1   c.  A conductive shielding layer  1   d  wraps around the inner insulating layer  1   c  and an outer cladding layer  1   e  wraps around the conductive shielding layer  1   d.  The layers of the wire  1  may be different in other embodiments. 
     The C-shaped ring  710 , as shown in  FIG. 5 , is adapted to electrically and elastically contact an inner wall of the metal housing  300 . As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the plurality of elastic arms  720  are adapted to electrically and elastically contact the conductive shielding layer  1   d.  The plurality of elastic arms  720  are disposed to be spaced apart from each other around the wire  1  so that the plurality of elastic arms  720  are sleeved on the conductive shielding layer  1   d  of the wire  1 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 , each elastic arm  720  has an elastic contact portion  721  projecting inwardly. When the plurality of elastic arms  720  are sleeved on the conductive shielding layer  1   d  of the wire  1 , the elastic contact portions  721  compress the conductive shielding layer  1   d  in a radial direction of the wire  1  so as to electrically and elastically contact the conductive shielding layer  1   d.  Each elastic arm  720  has an elastic end portion  722  turned outwardly from the elastic contact portion  721 . The elastic end portions  722  of the plurality of elastic arms  720  are adapted to press the conductive shielding layer  1   d  against an inner annular protrusion  311  of the metal housing  300  in an axial direction of the wire  1 , so that the conductive shielding layer  1   d  comes into electrical contact with the metal housing  300 . 
     The connector, as shown in  FIGS. 1, 2, and 5 , comprises a rear sleeve  800  adapted to be sleeved on the wire  1 . The rear sleeve  800  has a cylindrical body and a plurality of elastic claws  810  connected to an outer end of the cylindrical body. 
     The connector, as shown in  FIGS. 1, 2, and 5 , comprises an elastic sealing sleeve  900  adapted to be sleeved on the outer cladding layer  1   e  of the wire  1  and a threaded sleeve  600  screwed on the metal housing  300 . The plurality of elastic claws  810  are disposed around an outer periphery of the elastic sealing sleeve  900  and adapted to press the elastic sealing sleeve  900  against the outer cladding layer  1   e  of the wire  1  while being pressed by the threaded sleeve  600 . 
     The threaded sleeve  600 , as shown in  FIGS. 1, 2, and 5 , has a tapered inner wall  610  that gradually tapers outwardly and is adapted to press the plurality of elastic claws  810  against the elastic sealing sleeve  900 , so that the elastic sealing sleeve  900  is pressed against the outer cladding layer  1   e  of the wire  1 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1, 2 and 5 , the metal housing  300  has a first end  310  and a second end  320 . The rear sleeve  800  is partly received in the second end  320  of the metal housing  300 , and the threaded sleeve  600  is screwed on the second end  320  of the metal housing  300 . 
     The plurality of elastic claws  810 , as shown in  FIG. 5 , are located outside of the metal housing  300  when the rear sleeve  800  is assembled into the metal housing  300 , in this way, the rear sleeve  800  may be easily removed from the metal housing  300 . An outer wall at an inner end, a left end of  FIGS. 2 and 5 , of the cylindrical body of the rear sleeve  800  is formed with an annular groove in which a sealing ring  12  is accommodated, the sealing ring  12  being compressed between the rear sleeve  800  and the metal housing  300 . 
     The insulating body  100 , as shown in  FIGS. 1, 2, and 5 , is received in the first end  310  and the wire  1  is introduced into the connector from the second end  320  of the metal housing  300 . The connector comprises a first nut  510  screwed on the first end  310  of the metal housing  300  and adapted to secure the insulating body  100  in the metal housing  300 . One end of the insulating body  100  protrudes from the first end  310  of the metal housing  300 . The connector further comprises a second nut  520  sleeved on the end of the insulating body  100  protruding from the first end  310  of the metal housing  300 , the second nut  520  being adapted to be screwed to a mating connector mated with the present connector. An elastic conductive member  530  is provided between the first nut  510  and the second nut  520  and is compressed therebetween, so that the first nut  510  and the second nut  520  are electrically connected. 
     The connector, as shown in  FIGS. 1, 2, and 5 , comprises a plurality of screws  210  adapted to be screwed to an end of the conductive terminal  200  and constructed to press and secure a conductor  1   a  of the wire  1  inserted into the connector onto the end of the conductive terminal  200 , so as to electrically connect the wire  1  to the conductive terminal  200 . The connector further comprises an insulating and isolating sleeve  400  sleeved on the insulating body  100  to electrically isolate the screw  210  from the metal housing  300 , so as to prevent electrical connection between the conductive terminal  200  and the metal housing  300  via the screw  210 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , an outer wall of the insulating body  100  is formed with an annular groove in which a sealing ring  11  is accommodated, the sealing ring  11  being compressed between the insulating body  100  and the metal housing  300 . 
     In the above embodiments, the conductive shield  700  electrically and elastically contacts the metal housing  300  and the conductive shielding layer  1   d  at two different locations, respectively, thus stability of electrical connection between the conductive shield  700 , the conductive shielding layer  1   d  and the metal housing  300  is improved. In addition, in the above exemplary embodiments, the conductive shield  700  has a small volume and is easy to assemble and disassemble. 
     It should be appreciated for those skilled in this art that the above embodiments are intended to be illustrative. Many modifications may be made to the above embodiments by those skilled in this art, and various features described in different embodiments may be freely combined with each other without conflicting in configuration or principle. 
     Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, the embodiments disclosed in the drawings are intended to be illustrative of the embodiments of the invention and are not to be construed as limiting the invention. Although several exemplary embodiments have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes or modifications may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the disclosure, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.