JP4747081B2 - Shield connector - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a shielded connector, and more particularly to a shielded connector suitably used for wiring to an electric / electronic device of an automobile.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, connectors are used for wiring connection between electric and electronic devices in the fields of vehicles such as automobiles, OA equipment, and home appliances. In particular, shielded wires are often used for wiring of devices that perform data communication in order to prevent noise from entering, and shielded connectors are used to connect shielded wires.

  A plurality of electrical signals are transmitted between the electrical and electronic devices via the shield connector. At this time, for example, when there is a physical difference between a plurality of signal lines through which an electric signal is transmitted in the shield connector, a difference (skew) in transmission time may occur between the plurality of electric signals. . To adjust this transmission time difference (skew) on the board circuit side in electrical and electronic equipment, it is necessary to change the design of the circuit board. To avoid this, adjust it within the shield connector. Is desirable.

  As a technology related to this, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a board socket connector that solves the problem of skew by making the conductor lengths of a plurality of signal lines equal by adjusting the length in the connector. Yes.

  Specifically, referring to the drawings, as shown in FIG. 5, the board socket connector 70 includes a parent board 72 having electrodes arranged on one side and a sub board 74 having electrodes arranged on both sides. The upper contact 80 connected to the upper surface side electrode 76 of the child substrate 74 and the electrode of the parent substrate 72, and the lower contact connected to the lower surface side electrode 78 of the child substrate 74 and the electrode of the parent substrate 72. A side contact 82 and an insulator 84 for holding these contacts 80 and 82 are provided.

  Upper contact 80 and lower contact 82 have terminal portions 86 and 90 connected to the electrodes of parent substrate 72 and contact portions 88 and 92 respectively connected to electrodes 76 and 78 of child substrate 74. Yes. Then, the child substrate 74 is mounted in parallel to the parent substrate 72 by press-fitting the electrode side end portion of the child substrate 74 between the contact portion 88 of the upper contact 80 and the contact portion 92 of the lower contact 82.

  The board socket connector 70 has different heights at which the contact portion 88 of the upper contact 80 and the contact portion 92 of the lower contact 82 are arranged. By providing, the conductor length from the contact part of the upper contact 80 and the lower contact 82 to the terminal part is made equal.

JP 2001-250648 A

  However, the size and shape of the shield connector may be limited, for example, when the wiring space is used in a narrow space such as an automobile. For this reason, the conductor length of the plurality of signal lines cannot be made equal by adjusting the length of the conductor in the shield connector, and the skew of the transmission signal may not be adjusted in the shield connector.

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a shield connector capable of adjusting skew of transmission signals transmitted through signal lines having different lengths in the connector.

  The shield connector according to the present invention is a shield connector having a connector terminal in which a plurality of inner conductor terminals for transmitting signals are held inside a dielectric, and the dielectric is accommodated in an outer conductor terminal. Has one inner conductor terminal and another inner conductor terminal with different lengths, and the dielectric has its electrical length matched between inner conductor terminals with different lengths. The gist is that a portion covering one inner conductor terminal and a portion covering another inner conductor terminal are formed of materials having different dielectric constants.

  For example, when the one inner conductor terminal is formed longer than the other inner conductor terminal, the portion of the dielectric covering the one inner conductor terminal has another inner conductor terminal. It is preferable to be made of a material having a dielectric constant lower than that of the covering portion.

  At this time, it can be shown as a preferable example that the dielectric is integrally formed by multicolor molding of a plurality of materials having different dielectric constants.

  Moreover, it can be shown as a preferable example that the dielectric is formed by bonding a plurality of members formed of materials having different dielectric constants.

  Each of the plurality of inner conductor terminals is preferably formed in an inverted L shape, and is laminated in the height direction.

  According to the shielded connector according to the present invention, when the length of the inner conductor terminal serving as the signal line in the connector is different, the transmission speed of the transmission signal is increased by forming a part of the dielectric with a material having a different dielectric constant. Adjustments can be made to match the electrical length between signals transmitted over different length signal lines. As a result, the problem of skew that has occurred in the transmission signal transmitted through the signal lines having different lengths in the connector can be solved.

  At this time, if the dielectric is integrally formed by multi-color molding of a plurality of materials having different dielectric constants, the manufacturing process of the dielectric is reduced, so that the shield connector can be easily manufactured.

  Further, when the dielectric is formed by bonding a plurality of members formed of materials having different dielectric constants, the dielectric can be formed without considering compatibility between materials having different dielectric constants. Therefore, the application range of the material forming the dielectric can be expanded.

  And each of the plurality of inner conductor terminals is formed in an inverted L shape, and if the layers are stacked in the height direction, the size of the shield connector can be reduced in directions other than the height direction. For example, it can be suitably used when it is desired to increase the mounting area of a printed circuit board or the like.

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a shield connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view and a front view showing a dielectric of the shield connector shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a method of integrally molding a dielectric by two-color molding. FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a shield connector according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the following description, the direction in which the mating shield connector is fitted is the front side, and the opposite direction is the rear side.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the shield connector 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of inner conductor terminals 12 through which signals are transmitted, and a dielectric 14 that holds the plurality of inner conductor terminals 12 inside. The connector terminal 18 includes an outer conductor terminal 16 that accommodates the dielectric 14. The connector terminal 18 is accommodated in the connector housing 20.

  The shield connector 10 is a so-called board shield connector for electrically connecting a shielded electric wire and a printed board. A signal line of a shielded wire (not shown) is connected to the inner conductor terminal 12 so that a high-frequency signal is transmitted. The outer conductor terminal 16 is connected to a shielded wire of the shielded cable, and the inner conductor terminal 12 Cover the surroundings and shield electromagnetically.

  The inner conductor terminal 12 is a conductor serving as a signal line, and plays a role of directly passing an electric signal between the shielded electric wire and the printed board. The inner conductor terminal 12 is formed in a substantially inverted L shape by a plate-like conductive material, and has a wire side connection portion 22 extending in the horizontal direction and a board side connection portion 24 extending in the vertical direction. These are in a substantially right angle relationship. That is, the electric wire side connecting portion 22 is connected to a terminal to which a signal line of a shielded electric wire (not shown) is connected, and the board side connecting portion 24 is connected to a printed board (not shown).

  Since the inner conductor terminals 12 are stacked in two steps in the height direction and have bent portions, the inner conductor terminals arranged on the upper side (hereinafter referred to as upper inner conductor terminals 12a) are arranged on the lower side. The inner conductor terminals are longer than the inner conductor terminals (hereinafter referred to as lower inner conductor terminals 12b), and the lengths thereof are different from each other.

  The dielectric 14 is made of an insulating material, and is assembled between the inner conductor terminal 12 and the outer conductor terminal 16 so as to insulate them. The dielectric 14 includes an accommodation portion 26 that opens at one end, and insertion holes 28 that penetrate from the accommodation portion 26 in the horizontal direction are formed in two steps in the height direction. When the inner conductor terminal 12 is inserted into the dielectric 14 from one end side where the inner conductor terminal 12 is opened, and the electric wire side connection portion 22 of the inner conductor terminal 12 is inserted into the insertion hole 28 of the dielectric 14, the inner conductor terminal 12 becomes the dielectric 14. It is designed to be held inside.

  As a material for forming the dielectric 14, a molding material having a predetermined dielectric constant and excellent moldability can be used. Specific materials for forming the dielectric 14 include, for example, liquid crystal polymer (LCP), polymethylpentene (TPX), polybutylene terephthalate (TBT), syndiotactic polystyrene (SPS), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer. (ABS) can be exemplified.

  Various additives may be added to the material. For example, antioxidants, fillers, alumina, ceramics, glass and the like can be exemplified. Since these additives affect the dielectric constant of the dielectric 14, it is possible to adjust the dielectric constant of the dielectric 14 by adjusting the type and amount of the additive.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the dielectric 14 includes a portion covering the upper inner conductor terminal 12a (hereinafter referred to as the upper dielectric 14a) and a portion covering the lower inner conductor terminal 12b (hereinafter referred to as the lower side). (Referred to as dielectric 14b) are made of materials having different dielectric constants (the upper dielectric 14a and the lower dielectric 14b are separated by a broken line in the figure).

  For example, a material having a different dielectric constant is a material having a different resin type, a material having the same resin type and a different additive added to the resin, a different resin type, and a different additive being added to the resin. A material etc. can be illustrated. That is, the dielectric 14 may be formed by combining two types of resins having different dielectric constants, or two of the same types that have different dielectric constants by adding different additives. It may be formed by combining resins, or may be formed by combining two types of resins having different dielectric constants to which different additives are added.

  As described above, the upper inner conductor terminal 12a and the lower inner conductor terminal 12b have different lengths. Therefore, there may be a difference in transmission speed between a signal transmitted through the upper inner conductor terminal 12a and a signal transmitted through the lower inner conductor terminal 12b. Therefore, it is preferable to adjust the dielectric constants of the upper dielectric 14a and the lower dielectric 14b so that the electrical lengths between these signals are matched.

That is, since these inner conductor terminals 12a and 12b are respectively held in the dielectrics 14a and 14b, the transmission speeds of signals transmitted through these inner conductor terminals 12a and 12b are respectively those of the dielectrics 14a and 14b. Changes under the influence. In this case, since through the dielectric signal transmission velocity v, v = a c / √ε _r (c: velocity of light, epsilon _r: relative dielectric constant). In the shield connector 10, since the upper inner conductor terminal 12a is formed longer than the lower inner conductor terminal 12b, the upper dielectric conductor is adjusted so that the electrical length between these signals is matched in consideration of the above transmission rate equation. The body 14a may be made of a material having a lower dielectric constant than that of the lower dielectric 14b.

  More specifically, examples of the configuration of the dielectric 14 include a combination of SPS as the upper dielectric 14a and alumina-added SPS as the lower dielectric 14b.

  As a method of forming the dielectric 14, for example, a method of integrally forming by two-color molding of two kinds of materials having different dielectric constants, or a method of bonding and forming two members molded of materials having different dielectric constants and so on. The former method has an advantage that the number of steps for manufacturing the dielectric 14 can be reduced, and the latter method does not need to consider the compatibility between the materials forming the member to be bonded. There is an advantage of wide application range.

  The two-color molding of the dielectric 14 is preferably performed using, for example, a two-color molding die shown in FIG. The two-color molding die includes a lower mold 46, a first upper mold 48, and a second upper mold 50. The upper molds 48 and 50 are movable types that can be moved up and down, but the lower mold 46 may be a fixed type or a movable type. In the case of the movable type, it is preferable that the lower position of the first upper mold 48 and the lower position of the second upper mold 50 can be reciprocated. In the two-color molding die, the lower mold 46 and the first upper mold 48 form a first cavity 52 that is filled with one material to form the upper dielectric 14a. As a result, a second cavity 54 is formed which is filled with another material to form the lower dielectric 14b.

  In order to mold the dielectric 14 in two colors, as shown in FIG. 3A, the lower mold 46 is disposed below the first upper mold 48 and clamped, and the lower mold 46 and the first upper mold 48 are The upper cavity 14a is formed by filling the first cavity 52 formed in step 1 with one material. Next, as shown in FIG. 3B, the lower mold 46 and the first upper mold 48 are opened. Next, as shown in FIG. 3C, with the upper dielectric body 14a formed of one material being placed, the lower mold 46 is placed under the second upper mold 50, and the second mold is clamped. A cavity 54 is formed. The lower dielectric 14b is formed by filling the second cavity 54 with another material. Next, as shown in FIG. 3D, the lower mold 46 and the second upper mold 50 are opened, and the two-color molded dielectric 14 is taken out from the molds 46 and 50. If the lower mold 46 is moved to the lower part of the first upper mold 48 after being taken out from the molds 46 and 50, the next dielectric 14 can be molded in two colors.

  Alternatively, a method may be used in which a pair of upper molds and lower molds are used, and two materials are filled in a cavity formed by the upper mold and the lower mold. In this case, two-color molding can be performed by using two layers in the cavity by utilizing the difference in specific gravity between the two materials.

  When the dielectric 14 is integrally formed by two-color molding, it is more preferable to use two types of materials having the same dielectric constant and different additives as the two types of materials having different dielectric constants, because the compatibility between the resins is excellent. .

  On the other hand, in the method of forming the dielectric 14 by bonding two members together, for example, after the upper dielectric 14a and the lower dielectric 14b are respectively formed by separate molds, the upper dielectric is formed with an adhesive or the like. What is necessary is just to bond 14a and the lower side dielectric 14b.

  The outer conductor terminal 16 is formed in a cylindrical shape by punching a plate-shaped conductive material and then bent by a press or the like. The outer conductor terminal 16 covers the periphery of the dielectric 14 and electromagnetically shields the inner conductor terminal 12. To play a role.

  On the front side of the outer conductor terminal 16, a fitting portion 30 is formed to be fitted to the outer conductor terminal of the counterpart shield connector, and the tip of the electric wire side connection portion 22 of the inner conductor terminal 12 protrudes from the dielectric 14. And disposed in the fitting portion 30. Further, a locking piece 32 is provided at the center of the upper surface of the outer conductor terminal 16 so as to be bent upward and deformable. Further, a bent piece 34 is formed at the rear end of the upper surface of the outer conductor terminal 16 so as to cover one open end side of the dielectric 14. The bent piece 34 is bent downward, so that the inner conductor terminal 12 The board side connection part 24 is shielded. A pair of left and right connection tabs 36 protrude downward from the rear end lower portion of the outer conductor terminal 16 in the front-rear direction, and are electrically connected to a ground pattern of a printed board (not shown).

  The connector housing 20 is integrally formed of an insulating resin and accommodates and fixes the connector terminals 18. A terminal housing chamber 38 that opens in the front-rear direction is formed through the rear side of the connector housing 20 so that the outer conductor terminal 16 can be inserted from the rear opening surface. On the ceiling surface of the terminal accommodating chamber 38, a locking projection 40 is formed to lock the locking piece 32 of the outer conductor terminal 16 and prevent the outer conductor terminal 16 from coming off.

  A hood portion 42 having an open front surface is provided in front of the terminal accommodating chamber 38 so that the front portion of the mating shield connector can be accommodated. A stopper 44 that is engaged with the connector housing of the mating shield connector projects from the upper edge of the hood portion 42. The fitting portion 30 of the outer conductor terminal 16 protrudes from the terminal accommodating chamber 38 toward the hood portion 42 so that the outer conductor terminal of the mating shield connector accommodated in the hood portion 42 can be fitted. Yes.

  Next, the shield connector 60 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the shield connector 60 according to the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that it has a shielding member 62, and other configurations are the same. Are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

  The shielding member 62 is formed of a conductive material, and when a plurality of inner conductor terminals 12 are accommodated in one outer conductor terminal 16, the shielding member 62 electromagnetically shields between adjacent inner conductor terminals 12. Take on. The shielding member 62 may be provided integrally with the outer conductor terminal 16, or may be a member different from the outer conductor terminal 16, and the outer conductor of the outer conductor terminal 16 and the dielectric 14 are provided with cuts or the like. It may be arranged.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the shield connector for a board is described, but the shield connector according to the present invention is not limited to this. Further, the inner conductor terminals are not limited to being stacked in two stages in the height direction, but may be stacked in three or more stages. In this case, the dielectric is preferably formed by three portions having different dielectric constants. Furthermore, the shape of the inner conductor terminal is not limited to a substantially L shape, and it is needless to say that the inner conductor terminal can be applied to a conductor having a different length.

  The shield connector according to the present invention can be suitably used, for example, for wiring to electric / electronic devices of automobiles.

It is sectional drawing showing the shield connector which concerns on 1st embodiment of this invention. It is the side view (a) and front view (b) showing the dielectric material of the shield connector shown in FIG. It is a figure explaining the method of integrally forming a dielectric material by two-color molding. It is sectional drawing showing the shield connector which concerns on 2nd embodiment of this invention. It is a figure showing the conventional socket connector for board | substrates.

Explanation of symbols

10 shield connector 12 inner conductor terminal 12a upper inner conductor terminal 12b lower inner conductor terminal 14 dielectric 14a upper dielectric 14b lower dielectric 16 outer conductor terminal 18 connector terminal 20 connector housing

Claims (5)

A shield connector having a connector terminal in which a plurality of inner conductor terminals for transmitting signals are held inside a dielectric and the dielectric is accommodated in the outer conductor terminal,
The connector terminal has one inner conductor terminal and another inner conductor terminal having different lengths, and the dielectric has an electrical length matching between inner conductor terminals having different lengths. And a portion covering one inner conductor terminal and a portion covering the other inner conductor terminal are formed of materials having different dielectric constants.   The one inner conductor terminal is formed longer than the other inner conductor terminal, and the dielectric has a portion covering the one inner conductor terminal than a portion covering the other inner conductor terminal. The shield connector according to claim 1, wherein the shield connector is formed of a material having a low dielectric constant.   The shield connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the dielectric is integrally formed by multicolor molding of a plurality of materials having different dielectric constants.   The shield connector according to claim 1, wherein the dielectric is formed by bonding a plurality of members formed of materials having different dielectric constants.   5. The shield connector according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of inner conductor terminals is formed in an inverted L shape and is stacked in the height direction.

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