Shielding connector

• US 20040132341A1
• Filed: 11/07/2003
• Published: 07/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Nishida, Shiro, Noguchi, Hirotaka
• Granted Patent: US 6,887,106 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/610
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6582 with resilient means for engaging mating connector

Abstract

A shielding connector has a female and male housings (30; 60), each of which has an inner housing (31, 61) that accommodates terminal fittings (20; 25). Metal shells (50, 80) are mounted on the peripheries of the inner housings (31, 61) and electromagnetically shield the female and male terminal fittings (20; 25) when the housings (30; 60) are connected. The metal shells (50; 80) are configured to achieve secure mounting, effective shielding and a small cross section. A detector (90) is provided to ensure complete connection and is configured to prevent inadvertent separation of the housings (30; 60).

Claims

1. A shielding connector having a female housing (30) and a male housing (60) to be fitted on said female housing (30),

each of said female and said male housings (30;

60) comprising;

an outer housing (32;

62) and an inner housing (31;

61) suspended in the outer housing (32;

62) by a connection (35;

69), the inner housing (31;

61) accommodating terminal fittings (20;

25) connected to an end of a shielding electric wire (10); and

a metal shell (50;

80) for contacting a braided wire (13) of said shielding electric wire (10), the metal shell (50;

80) being inserted into a rear end of said outer housing (32;

62) and being mounted on a periphery of said inner housing (31;

61), the metal shell (50;

80) having a slit (56;

86) for receiving said connection (35;

69),

said female and male housings (30;

60) being fit together so that the respective terminal fittings (20;

25) thereof are connected, and so that projected ends of said metal shells (50;

80) of said female and male housings (30;

60) telescope together and cover the connection between the respective terminal fittings (20;

25) for electromagnetically shielding said terminal fittings (20;

25), and

said slits (56;

86) of said metal shells (50;

80) of said female and male housings (30;

60) being offset from each other.

2. The shielding connector of claim 1, wherein each of said metal shells (50;

80) has guides (56A;

87) adjacent the respective slits (56;

86) for guiding the connections (35;

69) into the respective slits (56;

86).

3. The shielding connector of claim 1, wherein each of said metal shells (50;

80) is composed of two split shells (51;

81);

joining portions (52,53;

51a, 52a) being formed on mating surfaces of said two split shells (51;

81).

4. The shielding connector of claim 1, wherein the metal shells (50;

80) on the female and male housings (30;

60) are female and male metal shells (50;

80), a resiliently deformable contact plate (55) being raised from said female metal shell (50) at a portion near said projected end of said female metal shell (50) for contacting an inner surface of said male metal shell (80); and

said projected end of said female metal shell (50) forward from said portion where said contact plate (55) is formed inward to contact a peripheral surface of said inner housing (31) on which said female metal shell (50) is mounted.

5. A shielding connector having a housing (60) with an inner housing (61) having cavities (63) for receiving terminal fittings (25) connected to ends of a shielding electric wire (10), a metal shell (80) mounted on a periphery of said inner housing (61) and configured for contacting braided wires (13) of said shielding electric wire (10),

wherein locking claws (85) are projected from an inner surface of said metal shell (80);

and locks (76) are formed concavely on said periphery of said inner housing (61) for unremovably engaging the locking claws (85).

6. The shielding connector of claim 5, wherein a lance (63A) is formed in each said cavity (63) of said inner housing (61) for locked engagement with said terminal fittings (25);

and said locks (76) are formed by cutting out a part of a wall that prevents an excessive elastic deformation of said lance (63A).

7. The shielding connector of claim 5, wherein the locks (76) are formed between adjacent cavities (63) of the inner housing (61).

8. The shielding connector of claim 7, wherein said locks (76) are formed on opposed peripheral surfaces of said inner housing (61).

9. In a shielding connector comprising a female housing (30) and a male housing (60) to be fitted on said female housing (30), each of said female housing (30) and said male housing (60) having:

female and male inner housing (31;

61) respectively accommodating female and male terminal fittings (20;

25) connected to ends of a shielding electric wires (10); and

female and male metal shell (50;

80) for contacting braided wires (13) of said shielding electric wires (10), said female and male metal shells (50;

80) being mounted, respectively, on a peripheries of said female and male inner housings (31;

61),

said female and male terminal fittings (20;

25) being connected together when said female and male housings (30;

60) are fit together, and projected ends of said female and male metal shells (50;

80) covering areas of connection between said female and male terminal fittings (20;

25) and electromagnetically shielding said female and male terminal fittings (20;

25),

wherein said male housing (60) has an opening prevention portion (79) that contacts an outer surface of said projected end of said male metal shell (80) and prevents said male metal shell (80) from opening.

10. The shielding connector of claim 9, wherein a resiliently deformable contact plate (55) is raised from said female metal shell (50) at a portion near said projected end of said female metal shell (50) for contacting an inner surface of said male metal shell (80);

and said projected end of said female metal shell (50) forward from said portion where said contact plate (55) is formed inward to contact a peripheral surface of said inner housing (31) on which said female metal shell (50) is mounted.

11. A connector having first and second housings (30;

60) to be fitted together,

the first housing (30) comprising;

a locking arm (40) that deforms elastically in a flexing space (49), while said housings (30;

60) are being fit together and returns resiliently to an original state for locked engagement with the second housing (60) when said housings (30;

60) have been fitted together for holding said housings (30;

60) in a fit-on state; and

a detector (90) that is movable between a wait position disposed away from said flexing space (49) and a detection position inside said flexing space (49),

said detector (90) striking said locking arm (40) that has entered said flexing space (49) while said housings are being fitted together for preventing said detector (90) from entering said detection position from said wait position;

said detector (90) being permitted to advance to said detection position when said housings (30;

60) have been fit together normally,

said detector (90) having a catch for returning said detector (90) to said wait position,

said catch (91B) being hidden at a rear side of said locking arm (40) except a portion thereof that can be caught by a jig (J), when said detector (90) is at said detection position.

12. The connector of claim 11, wherein a resiliently deformable locking piece (96) is formed on said detector (90) and is locked to a lock on said first housing (30), whereby said detector (90) is prevented from moving from said wait position to said detection position before said housings (30;

60) are fit together; and

said second housing (60) has a release portion (108) that engages said locking piece (96) and deforms said locking piece, when said housings (30;

60) are fit together, thus unlocking said locking piece (96) from said lock.