Patent ID: 6155866
Filing Date: 2000-12-05
Classification: H01R

Abstract:
A cable connector assembly comprising:a connector subassembly including an electrical connector and a shell enclosing the connector;a cable terminated to the connector subassembly; anda strain relief being injection molded around the cable at a position where the cable terminates to the connector subassembly, the strain relief comprising a plurality of longitudinal portions arranged in two arrays for flanking the cable, a plurality of parallel vertical portions interconnecting the longitudinal portions for sandwiching the cable, and a front portion secured to the connector subassembly, each longitudinal portion having a substantially trapezoidal vertical cross section tapering toward the cable, the longitudinal portion proximate the cable having a height significantly smaller than the diameter of the cable in a vertical direction, the strain relief being formed by the steps of:positioning the cable in a mold assembly comprising a top mold and a bottom mold coupled together, each mold having spaced ribs along a longitudinal direction thereof, each rib having a pair of protrusions formed on opposite ends thereof for sandwiching the cable therebetween to retain the cable along a central axis of the cable during molding, the opposing protrusions of the top and bottom molds cooperating to define cavities therebetween; andinjecting molten plastic into the cavities of the mold assembly through a gate defined in one side of the mold assembly to form corresponding longitudinal portions of the strain relief.