Abstract:
A cable connector assembly comprising: an insulative housing ( 10 ), a plurality of contacts ( 11 ) disposed in the insulative housing ( 10 ), each contact ( 11 ) having a tail portion ( 112 ) extending rearwardly and exposed out of the insulative housing ( 10 ), a spacer ( 12 ) assembled to a rear end of the insulative housing ( 10 ), and the spacer ( 12 ) defining a plurality of receiving slots ( 1212,1213 ), a receiving cavity ( 1205 ) located in front of the receiving slots ( 1212,1213 ), and a plurality of vertical holes ( 1214,1215 ) communicate with the receiving slots ( 1212,1213 ) and the receiving cavity ( 1205 ), a cable ( 2 ) having a plurality of wires ( 21 ) extending into the receiving cavity ( 1205 ) through the receiving slots ( 1212,1213 ) and the vertical holes ( 1214,1215 ), the tail portions ( 112 ) of the contacts ( 11 ) extended into the spacer ( 12 ) and electrically connected with the wires ( 21 ), and a insulative piece ( 9 ) received in the receiving cavity ( 1205 ) and press the wires ( 21 ).

Description:
1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention generally relates to a cable assembly, and more particularly to a cable connector assembly for transmitting high speed signals. 
       2. DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART 
       [0002]    Developed by Sony, Hitachi, Thomson (RCA), Philips, Matsushita (Panasonic), Toshiba and Silicon Image, the High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) has emerged as the connection standard for HDTV and the consumer electronics market. HDMI is the first digital interface to combine uncompressed high-definition video, multi-channel audio and intelligent format and command data in a single digital interface. 
         [0003]    An electrical connector in accordance with HDMI standard comprises an insulative housing, a number of contacts received in the insulative housing, a metallic shell shielding the insulative housing and cables connecting with the contacts. 
         [0004]    Usually, the cable connector assembly also comprises a spacer molding over the joint portion between the cables and the contacts. Because of the small structure of the exist cable connector assembly, the soldering process of the cables and the contacts becoming more difficultly. 
         [0005]    Correspondingly, it is desired to have a cable connector assembly with improved structure to address the problems stated above. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a cable connector assembly unnecessary for soldering process. 
         [0007]    In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a cable connector assembly comprising an insulative housing, a plurality of contacts disposed in the insulative housing, each contact having a tail portion extending rearwardly and exposed out of the insulative housing, a spacer assembled to a rear end of the insulative housing, and the spacer defining a plurality of receiving slots, a receiving cavity located in front of the receiving slots, and a plurality of vertical holes communicate with the receiving slots and the receiving cavity, a cable having a plurality of wires extending into the receiving cavity through the receiving slots and the vertical holes, the tail portions of the contacts extended into the spacer and electrically connected with the wires, and a insulative piece received in the receiving cavity and press the wires. 
         [0008]    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 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is an exploded, perspective view of a cable connector assembly in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is similar to  FIG. 1 , but viewed from another aspect; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged view of the spacer of the cable connector assembly of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is similar to  FIG. 3 , but viewed from another aspect; 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is an assembled, perspective view of the cable connector assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a cross-section view of  FIG. 5 , which is removed the metallic shielding, the metallic shell and the cover; 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  an exploded, perspective view of a cable connector assembly in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  is similar to  FIG. 7 , but viewed from another aspect; 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  is a partially assembled, perspective view of the cable connector assembly of  FIG. 7 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 10  is an enlarged view of the spacer of the cable connector assembly of  FIG. 9 ; and 
           [0019]      FIG. 11  is a cross-section view of  FIG. 9 , which is removed the metallic shell. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0020]    Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe the present invention in detail. 
         [0021]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 2 , a cable connector assembly  100  in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention for mating with a complementary connector (not shown). And the cable connector assembly  100  comprises a connector  1 , a cable  2  connected with the connector  1  and a cover  3  enclosing the connector  1  and a part of the cable  2 . The connector  1  comprises an insulative housing  10 , a plurality of contacts  11  received in the insulative housing  10 , a spacer  12  assembled to a rear portion of the insulative housing  10 , an insulative pressing piece  13  assembled in the spacer  12  along a mating direction, a metallic shielding  14  enclosing the insulative housing  10 , and a metallic shell  15  enclosing a rear end of the metallic shielding  14  and a front end of the cable  2 . 
         [0022]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 2 , the insulative housing  10  defines an upper wall  101 , a bottom wall  102  and a pair of side walls  103  connecting with the upper wall  101  and the bottom wall  102 . Two rows of terminal receiving passages are respectively formed in an inner surface of the upper and bottom walls  101 ,  102  of the insulative housing  10 . And the upper row of terminal receiving passages include a plurality of first terminal receiving passages  104 , the lower row of terminal receiving passages include a plurality of second terminal receiving passages  105 . And the number of the second terminal receiving passages  105  is larger than that of the first terminal passages  104 . 
         [0023]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 2 , the plurality of contacts  11  comprises two rows and received in the insulative housing  10  along the mating direction. Each contact  11  comprises a mating portion  110 , a tail portion  112  and a retention portion  111  disposed between the mating portion  110  and the tail portion  112 . The retention portions  111  of the contacts  11  are received in the first terminal receiving passages  104  and the second terminal receiving passages  105 . The tail portions  112  of the contacts  11  extend beyond a rear surface of the insulative housing  10 . 
         [0024]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 6 , the spacer  12  comprises a main portion  121  and a front portion  120  extending forwardly from the main portion  121 . The front portion  120  defines an upper wall  1200  and a bottom wall  1201 . A first groove  1203  formed in the upper wall  1200  and a second groove  1204  is formed in the bottom wall  1201 . A plurality of clapboards  1208  are formed in the first groove  1203  and the second groove  1204  to divide the first groove  1203  and the second groove  1204  into several terminal grooves  1207 . The terminal grooves  1207  are respectively in alignment with the first terminal receiving passages  104  and the second terminal receiving passages  105  along a front-to-rear direction. A receiving cavity  1205  is formed between the upper wall  1200  and the bottom wall  1201  for receiving the insulative piece  13 . The main portion  121  defines a top surface  1210  and a lower surface  1211 . The main portion  121  defines a plurality of first receiving slots  1212  and second receiving slots  1213  respectively formed on the top and bottom surface  1210 , 1211 . The spacer  12  defines a plurality of first and second vertical holes  1214 ,  1215 . The first grooves  1203  communicate with the first receiving slots  1212  by the first vertical holes  1214 , The second grooves  1204  communicate with the second receiving slots  1213  by the second vertical holes  1215 . 
         [0025]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 2 , the metallic shielding  14  comprises a rear frame portion  140  for receiving the main portion  121  of the spacer  12  and a front portion  141  extending forwardly from the frame portion  140  for receiving the insulative housing  10 . 
         [0026]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 2 , the cable  2  comprises a plurality of wires  21  and an insulative jacket  22  enclosing the wires  21 . The cable  2  also defines a strain relief  23  surrounding the cable  2 . The strain relief  2  comprises a round retaining portion  230  and a protruding portion  231  formed in the front of the retaining portion  230 . 
         [0027]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 2 , the cover  3  comprises an upper cover  31  and a lower cover  32  assembled with each other. The lower cover  32  defines a pair of positioning holes  320  formed at two sides wall thereof. The upper cover  31  defines a pair of posts  310  cooperating with the positioning holes  320 . The upper cover  31  and the lower surface  32  respectively defines a cable holder portion  311 , 321  formed on a rear wall thereof. 
         [0028]    Referring to  FIGS. 7 to 10 , a cable connector assembly  200  in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention comprises an insulative housing  40 , a plurality of contacts  50  received in the insulative housing  40 , a spacer  60  assembled to a rear end of the insulative housing  40 , an insulative piece  90  received in the spacer  60  along a vertical direction perpendicular to a mating portion and a metallic shell  80  enclosing the insulative housing  40 . 
         [0029]    Referring to  FIGS. 7 to 10 , the insulative housing  40  comprises a front portion  401  and a rear portion  402 . The insulative housing  40  defines a pair of projections  4020  formed at two lateral sides of a bottom surface of the rear portion  402  thereof. The projections  4020  extends rearwardly from the rear surface of the rear portion  402 , The projections  4020  defines a position post  4021  thereof. A plurality of terminal passages  4022  are extending forwardly from the rear surface of the rear portion  402  to an upper surface of the front portion  401 . 
         [0030]    Referring to  FIGS. 7 to 10 , each contact  50  is generally in a L-shape. Each contact  50  comprises a retention portion  500 , a mating portion  501  extending forwardly from the retention portion  500  and a tail portion  502  extending upwardly from the retention portion  500 . Each tail portion  502  defines a slot for receiving a wire  700  of the cable  7 . 
         [0031]    Referring to  FIGS. 7 to 10 , the spacer  60  comprises a front main portion  600  and a rear portion  601  extending backwardly from the main portion  600 . The main portion  600  defines a depression  6000  and a groove  6001  depressed from a bottom surface thereof. And a block  6004  is arranged between the depression  6000  and the groove  6001 . Three clapboards  6003  formed in the groove  6001  to divide the groove  6001  into four terminal grooves  6007 . A distance between the adjacent clapboards  6003  is equal to the width between the retention portions  500  of the contacts  50 . A plurality of slots are formed in a rear surface of the spacer  60  and extended into the depression  6000  along a front-to-rear direction. The spacer  60  defines a pair of position holes  6006  at opposite sides of the upper surface. 
         [0032]    Referring to  FIGS. 7 to 10 , the cable  70  comprises a plurality of wires  700  and an insulative jacket (not numbered) enclosing the wires  700 . 
         [0033]    Referring to  FIGS. 7 to 11 , the metallic shell  80  comprises a first shell  801  and a second shell  802  assembled with each other along a vertical direction perpendicular to the mating direction. The first shell  801  comprises a U-Shaped first shielding portion  8010  and a cable holder portion  8011  connecting with the rear edge of the first shell  801 . The second shell  802  comprises a rectangular frame  8020  and a U-Shaped shielding portion  8021  extending rearwardly from the rear edge of the lower surface of the hollow  8020 . The first shell  801  defines a pair of locking taps  8012  formed on two lateral walls thereof. The second shell  802  defines a pair of locking holes  8022  cooperating with the locking taps  8012  to lock the first shell  801  and the second shell  802  together. 
         [0034]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 2  and in conjunction with  FIGS. 3 to 6 , in assemble with the first embodiment of the cable connector assembly  100 , the metallic shell  15  is assembled to the out of the cable  2 , the insulative jackets  22  of the front section of cable  2  is removed away to expose the corresponding wires  21  outside, and the wires  21  are divided into two rows, the upper row is received in the first receiving slots  1212  and the lower row is received in the second receiving slots  1213 , and the wires  21  extending into the first and second vertical slots  1214 , 1215 . The insulative piece  13  is assembled in the receiving cavity  1205  along a mating direction, and the insulative piece  13  abuts against the wires  21  extending into the vertical slots  1214 , 1215 . The contacts  11  are assembled to the insulative housing  10  and the retention portion  111  are received in the first terminal receiving passages  104  and the second terminal receiving passages  105 , the tail portion  112  extending beyond the rear surface of the insulative housing  10 . Then aforementioned spacer  12  and the cable  2  are disposed into the insulative housing  10 , the tail portion  112  is received in the terminal grooves  1207 , 1208  and connecting with the wires  21  extending into the vertical slots  1214 , 1215 . And the same time, the front portion  120  of the spacer  12  received into the insulative housing  10 , and the main portion  121  extends beyond the rear surface of the insulative housing  10 . 
         [0035]    The metallic shielding  14  is assembled to the outside of the insulative housing  10 , and the insulative housing  10  is disposed in the front portion  141 , the main portion  121  is disposed in the frame portion  140 , the metallic shell  15  is removed forwardly and joint with the metallic shielding  14 . The aforementioned elements are disposed in the lower cover  32 , and the protruding portion  231  is disposed in the front of the cable holder portion  321 , with the lower section of the round retaining portion  230  locking in the cable holder portion  321  and the upper cover  31  is assembled on the lower cover  32  with the lower section of the round retaining portion  230  locked in the cable holder portion  321 . Thus, the first embodiment of the cable connector assembly  100  is assembled. 
         [0036]    Referring to  FIGS. 7 to 8  and in conjunction with  FIGS. 9 to 11 , in assemble with the second embodiment of the cable connector assembly  100 , the contacts  50  are received in the insulative housing  40 , with the mating portion  501  exposed in the upper surface of the front portion  401 , the retention portion  500  and the tail portion  502  extending beyond the rear surface of the terminal passages  4022 . 
         [0037]    The insulative piece  90  is locked in the depression  6000  along the up-to-down direction to assemble the cable  70  in the spacer  60 , and the aforementioned insulative piece  90 , spacer  60  and the cable  70  are disposed in the rear portion of the insulative housing  40 , with the retention portion  500  of the contacts  50  are locked between the clapboards  6003 , the rail portions  502  are received in the groove  6001  and connecting with the cable  70  to achieve the connection of the contacts  50  and the cable  70 . The position posts  4021  are locked in the position holes  6006  to assemble the spacer  60  and the insulative housing  40  together. Then, the shielding shell  80  is assembled in the aforementioned insulative housing  40 , the contacts  50 , the spacer  60 , the insulative piece  90  and the cable  70 . Thus, the second embodiment of the cable connector assembly  100  is assembled. 
         [0038]    Both the first embodiment of the cable connector assembly and the second embodiment of the cable connector assembly comprises a insulative piece, the insulative piece is assembled in the spacer to fix the cable in the spacer for connecting with the contacts, in this way, the contacts connecting with the cable without the traditional method of soldering process. 
         [0039]    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.