Abstract:
An electrical connecting device ( 100 ) used for connecting multiple connectors comprises a first connector ( 1 ), a number of second connectors ( 2 ), and a cable means ( 3 ). Each connector comprises a number of contacts ( 64 ) therein. The cable means comprises a number of lines ( 301 ) therein. One ends of the lines ( 31 ) are bundled together to terminated to the first connector, another ends are divided into a number of individual sets ( 32 ), and the another ends of the lines of each set are terminated to a corresponding second connector, thus that successfully building a fun out connecting solution in InfiniBand™ application.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention generally relates to a connecting device, and more particularly to an electrical connecting device for use in InfiniBand™ application. 
   2. Description of Related Art 
   Following the popularity of the Internet, information access speed becomes an important issue. Although the information processing speed of a central process unit (CPU) of a internet data center, i.e., a computer or a server, is increased enormously, information processing speed of I/O port devices of the machine is still relatively low, which results in that information still can not be accessed by the machine from the Internet with a speed as quickly as expected. 
   To solve this problem, an InfiniBand I/O port specification is proposed, which defines three levels of link performance—1×running at 2.5 Gbits/sec, 4×running at 10 Gbits/sec and 12×running at 30 Gbits/sec. Generally, a 1×InfiniBand connector has two pairs of signal contacts, a 4×InfiniBand connector has eight pairs of signal contacts, and a 12×InfiniBand connector has 24 pairs of signal contacts. Further, each level of the InfiniBand connector comprises a plurality of grounding contacts, and the ground contacts and the pairs of signal contacts of each connector are alternatively arranged in an array. 
   A cable connector assembly, which connectors comply with InfiniBand I/O port specification and are connected with both ends of the cable, is used for connections of sever—sever and severs to large storages. In application, when a server equipped with a 12×InfiniBand I/O port is to be connected with a server having a 4×InfiniBand I/O port by a cable connector assembly, most of the contacts assembled in the 12×InfiniBand connector are unemployed in use. Besides, a sever used in some large internet data centers has to provide more than one InfiniBand I/O ports thereon for transmitting data to plural servers or large storages via corresponding number of cable connector assemblies, which results in only a small space left for other ports disposed and the increasing the cost both in manufacturing and assembling. 
   Hence, an improved electrical connecting device is desired to overcome the disadvantages of the related art. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide a connecting device which simplifying an electrical device building a fan out connection with other electrical devices in InfiniBand™ application. 
   In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an electrical connecting device used for connecting multiple connectors comprises a first connector, a plurality of second connectors and a cable means. Each connector comprises a plurality of contacts therein. The cable means comprises a plurality of lines therein. One ends of the lines are bundled together to terminated to the first connector, another ends are divided into a plurality of individual sets, each of the sets is terminated to a corresponding second connector, thus that successfully building a fun out connecting solution in InfiniBand™ application. 
   Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is an assembly, perspective view of a connecting device in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded, perspective view of the electrical connecting device shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is an enlarged, perspective view of a base member shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 4  is an enlarged, perspective view of a cover member shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 5  is an enlarged, perspective view of a pull tab shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 6  is a view of the base member of the cable connector assembly of  FIG. 3  with the pull tab shown in  FIG. 5  and a pair of latch springs assembled thereto; 
       FIG. 7  is an enlarged, perspective view of a subassembly shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  8 — 8  of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  9 — 9  of  FIG. 1 ; and 
       FIG. 10  is an enlarged view of an encircled area of  FIG. 9 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe the present invention in detail. 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , an electrical connecting device  100  of the present invention comprises a first connector  1 , three second connectors  2 , and a cable means  3  electrically connecting the first connector  1  with the second connectors  2 . The first connector  1  and the second connectors  2  are respectively designed to meet the 12× and 4×InfiniBand I/O port requirements. The first connector  1  and each second connector  2  have the same configuration excepted that the first connector  1  has a larger lengthwise dimension than that of the second connector  2  due to much more contacts  64  assembled therein, therefore only the first connector  1  will be described in great detail. 
   Referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 5 , the first connector  1  is formed with a base  10 , a cover  20  for being assembled to the base  10 , a pair of screws  30  for securing the cover  30  on the base  10 , a terminal module  60 , a spring latch  70 , a pull tab  80 , and a pair of metal springs  90 . 
   The base  10  and the cover  20  are formed by die casting metallic material, for example, aluminum alloy. Referring to  FIG. 3 , the base  10  comprises a base plate  11  and a pair of sidewalls  12  upwardly extending from opposite lateral sides of the base plate  11 . Each sidewall  12  defines an elongated channel  121  from a rear portion  14  toward a front end  15  of the base  10  and extending through a top engaging face  16  thereof. Each side wall  12  defines a vertical slit  125  at an inner side thereof in communication with the channel  121 . A mating frame  13  is formed at the front end  15  of the base  10 . The mating frame  13  defines an opening  133  through the front end  15 . A pair of engaging ears  131  is formed on opposite top sides of the mating frame  13  and extends laterally. Each engaging ear  131  has a protrusion  134  downwardly extending from a free end thereof. A pair of engaging space  132  is defined in opposite sides of the mating frame  13  and between the engaging ears  131  and the base plate  11 . The base  10  has a first substantially semicircular opening  17  at the rear end  14 . A pair of grooves  19  is defined at opposite sides of the first opening  17 . A pair of posts  18  protrudes upwardly from the engaging face  16 . Each post  18  defines a screw hole  181  therein. 
   Particularly referring to  FIG. 4 , the cover  20  comprises a cover plate  21  and a pair of sidewalls  22  downwardly extending from opposite lateral sides of the cover plate  21 . Each sidewall  22  defines an elongated channel  221  corresponding to the channel  121  of the base  10 . A pair of projections  23  extends forwardly from opposite sides of a front end of the cover plate  21 . A semicircular second opening  27  is defined in a rear end  24  of the cover plate  21  corresponding to the first opening  17  of the base  10 . A pair of holes  28  is defined in the rear portion  24 , locating at opposite sides of the second opening  27 . Each hole  28  has a diameter generally equal to an outer diameter of each of the posts  18 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 5 , each of the latch springs  70  is formed by stamping a metal sheet and has a body portion  71 , a U-shaped claw portion  72  formed at a rear end of the body portion  71 , and an L-shaped claw portion  73  formed at a front end of the body portion  71 . An elongated cutout  74  is defined in the body portion  71  in a front to rear direction. The pull tab  80  comprises an operation portion  81 , a pair of arms  82  extending forwardly from opposite sides of the operation portion  81 , and a pair of latch releasing portions  83  formed at front ends of the arms  82 , respectively. Each latch releasing portions  83  has upper and lower ends  832 ,  833 , and a protrusion  831  protruding outwardly from an outside face thereof. Each arm  82  has a block  84  formed on inner side thereof. A pair of L-shaped slits  87  is defined in the blocks  84  from inner faces  842  of the blocks  84  to the arms  82 . Each metal spring  90  comprises a retaining portion  91  and a U-shaped spring portion  92  extending from the retaining portion  91 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 6 , the two latch springs  70  are respectively assembled to the pull tab  80  by extending the protrusions  831  into the cutouts  74  from inner faces of the latch springs  70 , whereby the latch releasing portions  83  engage with the inner faces of the latch springs  70 , respectively. The metal springs  90  are assembled to the pull tab  70  with the retaining portions  91  received in the slits  87 . Then, the latch springs  70  together with the pull tab  80  and the metal springs  90  are assembled to the base  10 . The arms  82  are placed into the channels  121  with the operation portion  81  located outside of the rear portion  14  of the base  10 . The U-shaped claw portions  72  are received into the slits  125  to secure the latch springs  70  to the base  10 . The L-shaped claw portions  73  extend into the engaging spaces  132 . 
   With reference to  FIG. 7  and in conjunction with  FIG. 9 , the terminal module  60  comprises an insulative housing  61 , a tongue board  62  extending forwardly from the housing  61 , a circuit board  63  assembled to the housing  61  at a rear side thereof. A plurality of contacts  64  is received in the tongue board  62  and extends through the housing  61  to electrically connect the circuit board  63 . The contacts  64  of each connector  1 ,  2  are composed of plural signal contacts and plural grounding contacts (not labeled), which are alternately disposed on opposite lengthwise sides of the tongue board  62 . 
   The cable means  3  is formed with three individual 4×InfiniBand row cables  30 . Each cable  30  comprises eight lines  301  therein. Particular referring to  FIG. 10 , each line  301  includes a pair of signal conductors  3011  and a ground conductor  3012 . One ends of the cables  30  are bundled together by a conductive tape  33  and a peripheral conductive braid  34 , thus forms a first end  31  of the cable means  3 . Three sets of lines  301  of the first end  31  are juxtaposed in an array for soldering conductors  3011 ,  3012  to corresponding circuit traces of the circuit board  63  of the terminal module  60 . The cable means  3  has three individual second ends  32 , accommodating another ends of the cables  30 , electrically connecting with corresponding circuit boards  63  of the second connectors  2 , respectively. Each second end  32  is also bundled by the conductive tape  33  and the peripheral conductive braid  34 . 
   Turning back to  FIG. 1  in conjunction with  FIGS. 2–8 , the cable means  3  with the first end  31  and the second ends  32  thereof connected corresponding terminal modules  60  is assembled to the base  10  of the first connector  1  and the second connectors  2 . A cable holder  35  is assembled to the base  10 . The cable holder  35  comprises a semicircular body portion  350  partly surrounding the first end  31 , and a pair of downwardly extending foot portions  351  insert into the grooves  19  of the base  10 . The body portion  350  has a plurality of tabs  352  thereon for securely holding the conductive tape  33  and the peripheral conductive braid  34  together. Each foot portion  351  has a plurality of jags thereon for securing the cable holder  35  to the base  10 . The cover  20  is assembled to the base  10  by placing the projections  23  beneath the pair of engaging ears  131 . Then a rear portion of the cover  20  is rotated downwardly about the pair of engaging ears  131  until a bottom face of the cover  20  intimately abuts the engaging face  16  of the base  10 . The arms  82  of the pull tab  80  are assembled between the cover  20  and the base  10 . The posts  18  are received into the holes  28 . The first and second opening  17  and  27  together form a cable receiving opening for extension of the first end  31  of the cable means  3 . The cable means  3  could be integral manufactured with a common first end and three discrete second ends, if desired. That is to say, the unique cable means  3  comprises twenty-four lines terminated to the first connector  1 , and then the lines is divided into three sets, each set includes eight lines respectively terminated to the second connectors. 
   It should be noted that the first connector  1  could be a 4×InfiniBand connector, which being connected with four 1×InfiniBand connector via a cable means. Obviously, this connecting device refers to the same conception and achieves the same objection of present invention. 
   It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.