Patent Publication Number: US-11031736-B2

Title: Outer conductor terminal and shield connector

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to an outer conductor terminal and a shield connector. 
     Related Art 
     Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-192474 discloses a shield terminal including an inner conductor terminal, an outer conductor terminal surrounding the outer periphery of the inner conductor terminal and a dielectric interposed between the outer conductor terminal and the inner conductor terminal. The shield terminal is accommodated into a connector housing. The outer conductor terminal is composed of an outer conductor terminal body covering the inner conductor terminal and a lid for closing an opening on a back surface of the outer conductor terminal body. The outer conductor terminal body includes board mounting tabs projecting down on four corners. The lid is fit externally on a rear part of the outer conductor terminal body. 
     It is preferable to provide a locking structure between the outer conductor terminal body and the lid to reliably maintain a box shape of the outer conductor terminal. Consideration has been given to cutting and raising a side surface of the outer conductor terminal body to form a lock projection and forming a lock hole in a side part of the lid for receiving the lock projection. However, a shielding property can be impaired by the cut and raised lock projection and by a bored part such as the lock hole in the outer conductor terminal. Further, in the case of connecting the lid to a circuit board, a return current corresponding to an electrical signal of the inner conductor terminal may not flow smoothly from the outer conductor terminal body to the lid unless a contact point between the lock projection and the lock hole is established reliably. 
     The invention was completed on the basis of the above situation and aims to provide an outer conductor terminal capable of improving electrical connection reliability between a lid and a body and to provide a shield connector using the outer conductor terminal. 
     SUMMARY 
     The invention is directed to an outer conductor terminal with a body surrounding an outer periphery of an inner conductor terminal. The body has an opening in a rear surface and a lid for closing the opening of the body. A body-side lock is provided on a side surface of the body. The lid has a side portion to cover the side surface of the body. The side portion has a front abutting portion that contacts the body-side lock from the front and a rear abutting portion that contacts the body-side lock from behind to sandwich the body-side lock between the front abutting portion and the rear abutting portion and to hold the lid in a closed state. At least one of the body-side lock and the rear abutting portion contact each other with a resilient force. 
     The lid is held in the closed state with respect to the body by sandwiching the body-side lock between the front and rear abutting portions. Additionally, at least one of the body-side lock and the rear abutting portion contacts the other with the resilient force. Thus, a connected state of the body-side lock and the rear abutting portion is maintained reliably and a connected state of the body-side lock and the front abutting portion also is maintained reliably. As a result, electrical connection reliability between the lid and the body can be improved. 
     The body-side lock may include a side plate arranged along a front-rear direction and a contact portion connected to a rear end of the side plate. The contact portion may be bent with respect to the front-rear direction and configured to contact a plate surface of the rear abutting portion. According to this configuration, the body-side lock is connected more reliably to the rear abutting portion via the contact. Further, the body-side lock need not have a particularly complicated shape. 
     Plural contact portions may be branched to project from a base end on a rear of the side plate. According to this configuration, the body-side lock is connected even more reliably to the rear abutting portion via the contacts. 
     A shield connector may include a shield terminal including the above-described outer conductor terminal, an inner conductor terminal and a dielectric interposed between the outer conductor terminal and the inner conductor terminal, and a connector housing for accommodating the shield terminal. A good shielding property of the outer conductor terminal can be realized, as described above. Thus, this shield connector is suitable for use, for example, as a shield connector for high-speed communication of an automotive vehicle. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a development of an outer conductor terminal of one embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view partly in section showing a state before contact portions are bent in the process of manufacturing the outer conductor terminal. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the outer conductor terminal viewed from below. 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of the outer conductor terminal. 
         FIG. 5  is a back view of the outer conductor terminal. 
         FIG. 6  is a front view of the outer conductor terminal. 
         FIG. 7  is a section along X-X of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 8  is a side view in section of a shield connector. 
         FIG. 9  is a plan view in section of a mounting part of the outer conductor terminal in the shield connector. 
         FIG. 10  is a side view of the shield connector. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     One embodiment of the invention is described with reference to  FIGS. 1 to 10 . A shield connector  10  of this embodiment is installed in an unillustrated automotive vehicle and is used in high-speed communication between in-vehicle electrical components. In the following description, a left side of  FIGS. 8 to 10  is referred to as a front concerning a front-rear direction and upper and lower sides are based on a vertical direction of  FIG. 8 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 8 , the shield connector  10  includes a shield terminal  20  and a connector housing  60  for accommodating the shield terminal  20 . The shield terminal  20  includes an inner conductor terminal  21 , an outer conductor terminal  22  surrounding the outer periphery of the inner conductor terminal  21  and a dielectric  23  interposed between the outer conductor terminal  22  and the inner conductor terminal  21 . 
     The inner conductor terminal  21  is formed, such as by bending a conductive metal plate. As shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , a tab  24  projects forward on the inner conductor terminal  21  and is connected electrically to an unillustrated mating terminal fitting in an unillustrated mating connector when the shield connector  10  is connected to the mating connector. A rear part of the inner conductor terminal  21  includes an inner conductor connecting piece  25  bent down and rearward. A rearward extending part of the inner conductor connecting piece  25  contacts a conductive portion  91  on a surface of a circuit board  90  and is connected electrically for signal transmission. The inner conductor terminal  21  further includes an outer periphery  21 OP extending along a front-rear direction FR. 
     The dielectric  23  is formed of an insulating synthetic resin material having a predetermined dielectric constant and a terminal accommodation chamber  26  penetrates the dielectric  23  in the front-rear direction. The inner conductor terminal  21  is accommodated in the terminal accommodation chamber  26 . The inner conductor terminal  21  is held in the dielectric  23  with the tab  24  projecting forward through a front end opening of the terminal accommodation chamber  26 . The dielectric  23  insulates the inner conductor terminal  21  and the outer conductor terminal  22  from each other. 
     The connector housing  60  is made of synthetic resin and includes, as shown in  FIG. 8 , a base wall  61  substantially along the vertical direction and a rectangular tubular receptacle  62  projects forward from the outer periphery of the base wall  61 . The connector housing  60  includes two side walls  64  (only one is shown in  FIGS. 8 and 10 ) projecting rearward from both left and right sides of the base wall  61 . Fixing members  80  are mounted on parts of both left and right outer side surfaces of the connector housing  60  straddling over the receptacle  62  and the side walls  64  (only one is shown in  FIG. 10 ). The fixing members  80  are plates made of metal and have an L-shaped cross-section. Vertical parts of the fixing members  80  are mounted on the connector housing  60  and lateral parts thereof along are arranged along the surface of the circuit board  90  and connected to the circuit board  90 . The connector housing  60  is fixed to the circuit board  90  via the fixing members  80 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 8 , the receptacle  62  includes a housing lock  27  on the inner surface of an upper wall. The unillustrated mating connector is fit into the receptacle  62 . The housing lock  27  holds the connectors in a connected state by locking the mating connector in the receptacle  62 . A substantially circular mounting hole  63  penetrates through the base wall  61  in the front-rear direction (wall thickness direction), and the outer conductor terminal  22  is inserted through the mounting hole  63  of the base wall  61  in the front-rear direction. 
     The outer conductor terminal  22  is formed by applying bending and the like to a conductive metal plate stamped into a developed shape shown in  FIG. 1 . As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 7 , the outer conductor terminal  22  includes a tubular body  28  having an axis extending along the front-rear direction FR. The tubular body  28  has a side surface  28 S and a rear end  28 R with an opening  28 A, as shown in  FIG. 2 . A lid  29  in the form of a flat plate is coupled to the rear end of the body  28  via a hinge  32  and can be rotated to open or close the opening  28 A. 
     The body  28  includes a hollow cylindrical tubular portion  31  and a coupling  33  having an arcuate cross-section, connected to a rear end upper part of the tubular portion  31  and continuous with an upper part of the body  28  without any step. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 6 , the tubular portion  31  includes butting ends  34  in a lateral center of a lower end. As shown in  FIG. 3 , projections and recesses  35  are provided side by side in the front-rear direction on the butting ends  34  of the tubular portion  31 . The tubular portion  31  is maintained in the hollow cylindrical shape by the engagement of the projections and the recesses  35 . 
     The tubular portion  31  includes two body-side slits  36  (only one is shown in  FIGS. 4 and 7 ) having a linear opening along the vertical direction in vertical centers of both left and right sides, two outer locks  37  to be locked to the connector housing  60  on a front side, and two inner locks  38  to be locked to the dielectric  23  on the rear side. The outer locks  37  are formed by bending and raising side wall parts of the tubular portion  31  outward via the body-side slits  36  and form of claws that are substantially triangular in a side view. As shown in  FIG. 9 , the outer conductor terminal  22  passed through the mounting hole  63  is held in the connector housing  60  by the outer locks  37  locking the base wall  61 . With the outer conductor terminal  22  held in the connector housing  60 , a front part of the tubular portion  31  projects into the receptacle  62  and a rear part of the body  28  and the lid  29  are exposed rearwardly of the base wall  61 , as shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 . The rear part of the body  28  and the lid  29  are protected by having both left and right sides covered by the side walls  64 . 
     The inner locks  38  are formed by bending and raising side wall parts of the tubular portion  31  inward via the body-side slits  36 , and are in the form of claws that are substantially triangular in a side view. As shown in  FIG. 9 , the dielectric  23  is held in the tubular portion  31  by the inner locks  38  locking the dielectric  23 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 6 , the tubular portion  31  includes a tab-like body-side connecting piece  39  projecting down in a laterally central part of the lower end. The body-side connecting piece  39  is formed by bending down a tongue (see part A of  FIG. 1 ) that extends rearward in the developed shape. As shown in  FIG. 8 , the body-side connecting piece  39  is inserted into a through hole  92  of the circuit board  90  and is connected electrically to a first ground  93  formed on the surface of the circuit board  90 . 
     The body  28  includes a pull-out opening  41  (see  FIG. 3 ) behind the tubular portion  31  and below the coupling  33 . The inner conductor connecting piece  25  is pulled out through the pull-out opening  41  and toward the circuit board  90 . The body-side connecting piece  39  is arranged so that a rear plate surface faces the pull-out opening  41 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , two body-side locks  43  project down on lower parts of both left and right sides (both circumferential end parts) of the coupling  33 . 
     Each of the body-side locks  43  includes a side plate  44  arranged such that plate surfaces thereof extend along the front-rear direction, and contacts  45  project rearward of each side plate  44 . As shown in  FIG. 7 , a plate thickness part on the front end of the side plate  44  is composed of a curved end  46  and a front abutted portion  47 . The curved end  46  is arcuate in a side view and continuous from a front lower end of the coupling  33 . The front abutted portion  47  is continuous from the curved end  46  and is substantially vertical. The front abutted portion  47  can contact a front abutting portion  54  of a side portion  52  to be described later. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , a plate thickness part on the rear end of the side plate  44  is retracted slightly forward from the rear end of the coupling  33 . The contacts  45  are pin-like parts having substantially rectangular cross-sections and are connected at two positions spaced apart in the vertical direction on the plate thickness part on the rear end of the side plate  44 , continuous from the plate thickness part of the rear surface of the side plate  44  and formed by being bent inward in a plate thickness direction (toward the pull-out opening  41 ) after projecting slightly rearward (see  FIG. 3 ). The contacts  45  are arranged in pairs in the vertical and lateral directions on both body-side locks  43 . Inner and outer plate surfaces on a tip part of each contact  45  are chamfered into a tapered shape. As shown in  FIG. 2 , each contact  45  includes a recessed groove  49  having a V-shaped cross-section on an inner surface, and the recessed groove  49  serves as a bending start point. The recessed groove  49  is formed along the vertical direction on a base end of each contact portion  45 . 
     The hinge  32  is a narrow flexible link between the coupling  33  and the lid  29 . 
     The lid  29  is rotationally displaceable between an open state where the hinge  32  extends straight to open a rear side of the pull-out opening  41  and a closed state where the hinge  32  is curved and bent to close the rear side of the pull-out opening  41 . As shown in  FIGS. 3 to 7 , the lid  29  includes a back plate  51  serving as a rear part and two sides  52 . 
     The back plate  51  is rectangular in a back view and, as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 7 , is arranged vertically in the closed state to close an opening at the rear of the body  28 . Two lid-side connecting pieces  48  project down from a lower end (in the closed state) of the back plate  51 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the lid-side connecting pieces  48  are substantially L-shaped in a side view and include parts extending rearward after hanging down toward the circuit board  90  from both left and right sides of the lower end of the back plate  51  in the closed state. As shown in  FIG. 9 , rearward extending parts of the lid-side connecting pieces  48  are arranged along the circuit board  90  and electrically connected to second ground s  94  formed on the surface of the circuit board  90 . 
     Each side portion  52  is formed by bending plate-like parts (see parts B of  FIG. 1 ) laterally protruding from both left and right ends of the back plate  51  forwardly, and is arranged in the closed state so that the plate surfaces extend along the front-rear direction and cover the corresponding body-side locks  43  from outside (see  FIGS. 3 to 7 ). 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3, 4 and 7 , the side portion  52  includes a lid-side slit  55  having a linear opening along the vertical direction in the closed state in a substantially central part and the front abutting portion  54  on a front side. The front abutting portion  54  is bent and raised inward (toward the pull-out opening  41  in the closed state) via the lid-side slit  53  and is in the form of a flat base having a rectangular shape in a side view. A plate thickness part of a rear end facing the lid-side slit  53  serves as a locking edge  55  arranged along the vertical direction. 
     The back plate  51  includes rear abutting portions  56  capable of coming into contact with the respective contact portions  45  at positions of both left and right ends of the front surface facing the locking edges  55  of the front abutting portions  54  from behind (see  FIGS. 7 and 9 ). The rear abutting portions  56  are plate surfaces continuous with surrounding regions without any step on the front surface of the back plate  51  and have no special shape. 
     Next, functions of this embodiment are described. 
     First, the outer conductor terminal  22  is inserted into the mounting hole  63  of the base wall  61  of the connector housing  60 . At this time, the lid  29  is in the open state and each contact  45  is in a straight state before being bent. 
     Subsequently, the dielectric  23  is inserted into the outer conductor terminal  22  from behind, and the inner conductor terminal  21  then is inserted into the terminal accommodation chamber  26  of the dielectric  23 . Thereafter, each contact  45  is bent via the recessed groove  49 . In that state, the lid  29  is rotated to the closed state via the hinge  32 . In the process of displacing the lid  29  to the closed state, the front abutting portions  54  of the side portions  52  interfere with the corresponding body-side locks  43  and the side portions  52  are expanded and deformed resiliently with parts coupled to the back plate  51  as fulcrums. 
     When the lid  29  reaches the closed state, the opening in the rear surface of the body  28  is closed by the back plate  51 , the front abutting portions  54  of both side portions  52  ride over the body-side locks  43  and the side portions  52  resiliently return to cover the corresponding body-side locks  43  from outside. Further, when the lid  29  reaches the closed state, front lower end parts of the body-side locks  43  enter upper parts of the lid-side slits  53  of the side portions  52  and the locking edges  55  of the front abutting portions  54  come into contact with the front abutted portions  47  of the body-side locks  43  along the vertical direction, as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 7 . Simultaneously, the rear abutting portions  56  of the back plate  51  contact tip parts (parts closer to tips than bent parts) of the upper and lower contacts  45  along the lateral direction. Thus, the plate surface of each contact  45  outside the bend contacts along the rear abutting portion  56  with each contact  45  slightly resiliently deformed with a base end thereof connected to the side plate  44  as a fulcrum. Accordingly, the respective contacts  45  generate resilient forces (resilient reaction forces) while being held in contact with the rear abutting portions  56  and bias the body-side locks  43  in an acting direction (arrow direction of  FIG. 7 ) of the resilient forces. Therefore, the front abutted portions  47  of the body-side locks  43  are pressed into contact with the locking edges  55  of the front abutting portions  54 . As a result, the body-side locks  43  are sandwiched tightly between the locking edges  55  of the front abutting portions  54  and the rear abutting portions  56  without any clearance in the front-rear direction. 
     Thereafter, the shield connector  10  is placed on the surface of the circuit board  90 , and reflow soldering is applied to fix the shield connector  10  to the circuit board  90  via the fixing members  80 . Further, the inner conductor connecting piece  25  is connected to the conductive portion  91  of the circuit board  90  by reflow soldering, the body-side connecting piece  39  is inserted into the connection hole  92  of the circuit board  90  and connected to the first ground  93 , and the lid-side connecting pieces  48  are connected to the second grounds  94  of the circuit board  90  (see  FIGS. 8 and 9 ). 
     When an electrical signal flows in the inner conductor terminal  21 , a return current corresponding to the electrical signal is generated in the outer conductor terminal  22 . A part of the return current flows from the body  28  to the lid  29  along the inner surface of the outer conductor terminal  22  and is dropped to the first and second grounds  93 ,  94  of the circuit board  90  from the lid  29  via the body-side connecting piece  39  and the lid-side connecting pieces  48 . 
     The body-side locks  43  are in contact with the rear abutting portions  56  of the back plate  51  while applying the resilient forces of the respective contact portions  45  to the rear abutting portions  56 . Thus, a connected state of the body-side locks  43  and the back plate  51  is held reliably and a connected state of the body-side locks  43  and the side portions  52  also is held reliably. As a result, the flow of the return current is not interrupted between the body  28  and the lid  29  and electrical connection reliability between the lid  29  and the body  28  is enhanced. 
     Further, since the respective contacts  45  project in a forked manner from base end parts on the rear end sides of the side plates  44 , the body-side locks  43  are connected more reliably to the rear abutting portions  56  via the contacts  45 . 
     Other embodiments are briefly described below. 
     Although the hinge is interposed between the lid and the body in the above embodiment, the hinge may not be provided and the lid and the body may be configured as dividable separate bodies. In this case, the lid may be held integrally with the body with the opening in the rear surface of the body closed by sandwiching the body-side locks between the front abutting portions and the rear abutting portions. 
     Although the contact portions are provided on the body-side locks in the above embodiment, the contact portions may be provided on the rear abutting portions of the lid. For example, the rear abutting portions may project from the back plate and contacts on projecting ends of the rear abutting portions may contact rear ends of the body-side locks with resilient forces. 
     Although the contact portions are provided on the body-side locks in the above embodiment, the contact portions may be provided on both the body-side locks and the rear abutting portions of the lid in the case of the present invention. 
     Although two contact portions are branched from the base of the rear end of the side plate in the above embodiment, a contact in the form of a single plate may be formed on the base on the rear of the side plate without being branched. 
     Although two contacts are branched from the base on the rear of the side plate in the above embodiment, three or more contacts may be branched from the base on the rear of the side plate. 
     Although the rear abutting portions are provided on the back plate of the lid in the above embodiment, the rear abutting portions may be provided on the side parts of the lid. 
     LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS 
     
         
           10  . . . shield connector 
           20  . . . shield terminal 
           21  . . . inner conductor terminal 
           22  . . . outer conductor terminal 
           23  . . . dielectric 
           28  . . . body 
           29  . . . lid 
           43  . . . body-side lock 
           44  . . . side plate 
           45  . . . contact 
           51  . . . back plate 
           52  . . . side portion 
           54  . . . front abutting portion 
           56  . . . rear abutting portion 
           60  . . . connector housing