Abstract:
A cable connector assembly ( 100 ) includes an insulated housing ( 1 ) having a mating portion ( 12 ) and a base portion ( 13 ) extending rearward from back surface of the mating portion; a number of terminals ( 2 ) received in the mating portion; a retaining member ( 3 ) having depression portions on both upper and lower surfaces thereof; a first flat cable and a second flat cable ( 41, 42 ) with partial of front portions thereof respectively attached to the depression portions of the retaining member and retained therein via securing means and further electrically connecting with the terminals; and a holding member ( 5 ) coupled to the insulated housing to prevent the retaining member disengaging from the insulated housing.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention generally relates to a cable connector assembly, and more particularly to a cable connector assembly adapted for a flat cable, and is an improvement of U.S. Pat. No. 7,275,955. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Flat type cables such as flexible flat cables (“FFC”) and flexible printed cables (“FPC”) are widely used in electric and electronic appliances and more specifically in computers, computer peripherals and computer devices and they are connected to such appliances via electrical connectors. U.S. Pat. No. 6,951,476 B1 discloses an electrical connector for a flat type cable that has a stiff backup element at one end portion thereof. The electrical connector includes an insulating housing having a cavity for receiving the end portion of the flat cable, a retaining member formed with a retainer block which has flat surfaces and is inserted in the cavity of the insulating housing, and a holding member engaging with the retaining member and further having connecting arms that connect the holding member to the insulating housing with the retaining member disposed between. Thus, the end portion of the flat cable formed a crank shape inside the connector and the stiff backup element unbendable inside the connector prevents the cable from being pulled out of the electrical connector. This kind of electrical connector is unique and easily assembled to the flexible flat cable. However, as the additional stiff backup element is required for the flexible flat cable, extra work is needed and the manufacturing costs may increase, thus a product price may increase. 
         [0005]    Hence, an improved cable connector assembly is highly desired to overcome the aforementioned problems. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a lower cost and easily manufactured cable connector assembly. 
         [0007]    In order to achieve the object set forth, a cable connector assembly in accordance with the present invention comprises an insulated housing having a mating portion and a base portion extending rearward from back surface of the mating portion; a plurality of terminals received in the mating portion; a retaining member having depression portions on both upper and lower surfaces thereof; a first flat cable and a second flat cable with partial of front portions thereof respectively attached to the depression portions of the retaining member and retained therein via securing means, and further electrically connecting with the terminals; and a holding member coupled to the insulated housing to prevent the retaining member disengaging from the insulated housing. 
         [0008]    Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is an assembled, perspective view of a cable connector assembly in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is similar to  FIG. 1 , but viewed from another aspect; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is an exploded, perspective view of the cable connector assembly in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is similar to  FIG. 3 , but viewed from another aspect; 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a view of a connecting relationship among terminals, a retaining member and a flat cable; 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a cross-section view of  FIG. 1  taken along line  6 - 6 ; and 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is a cross-section view of  FIG. 2  taken along line  7 - 7 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0016]    Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0017]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-5 , a cable connector assembly  100  in accordance with the present invention comprises an insulated housing  1 , a plurality of terminals  2  received in the insulated housing  1 , a flat cable  4  partially attached to a retaining member  3  and together assembled to the insulated housing  1  to achieve electrical connection between the terminals  2  and the flat cable  4 , and a holding member  5  coupled to the insulated housing  1  to securely keep the retaining member  3  therebetween. 
         [0018]    Referring to  FIGS. 3-4 , the insulated housing  1  includes a rectangular-shaped mating portion  12  with a front face  10  and a substantially U-shaped base portion  13  extending rearward from a back face (not numbered) opposite to the front face  10  of the mating portion  12 . The mating portion  12  has a hollow portion  120  recessed rearward from the front face  10  and a tongue portion  121  arranged in a middle section of the hollow portion  120 . The mating portion  12  forms two pair of protruding portions  123  respectively arranged on interior surface of a forward section of up and a low sides (not numbered) thereof for guiding a complementary connector (not shown) properly matching with the cable connector assembly  100 . Both an upper surface and a lower surface of the tongue portion  121  define a plurality of terminal passages  122  arranged in a row along longitudinal direction and each of the terminal passages  122  has a front hole  124  communicating with outside. The base portion  13  comprises a rectangular-shaped frame portion  130  connecting to the back face of the mating portion  12  and a pair of arm portions  131  respectively extending rearward from lateral sides of the frame portion  130 . The frame portion  130  defines two positioning slots  135  on inside surfaces of an top wall and a bottom wall (not numbered) thereof, respectively. Each arm portion  131  defines a U-shaped passage  1310  opening toward outside with a rear opening (not shown). A pair of guiding members  134  are respectively coupled to inward surfaces of the pair of arm portions  131 . Each guiding member  134  includes a pair of upper and lower planar walls  132  parallel to each other and a vertical wall  133  interconnecting with the pair of planar walls  132  to form a passage way (not numbered) therebetween. Each vertical wall  133  defines a slot  1330  in a middle section thereof and communicating with the passage way of the guiding member  134  and the U-shaped passage  1330 . Each vertical wall  133  further defines a depression portion  1312  on an outward surface of an end portion of thereof. 
         [0019]    Referring to  FIGS. 3-6 , the retaining member  3  is a cuboids body which has a top surface  31 , a bottom surface (not numbered) opposite to the top surface  31 , and a pair of side surfaces  33 ,  34 . Both the top surface  31  and the bottom surface (not numbered) have rectangular-shaped depression portions  311 ,  321  ( FIG. 6 ) aligning with one another along vertical direction. A pair of flange portions  312 ,  322  are respectively formed in front sections of the depression portions  311 ,  321 . A pair of stubs  331 ,  341  with wedge-shaped front faces are respectively arranged on middle parts of the pair of side surfaces  33 ,  34 . 
         [0020]    The terminals  2  with identical configuration are separated into a first set of terminals  20  and a second set of terminals  21 . Each of the first set of terminals  20  and second set of terminals  21  include body portions  203 ,  213 , arched contacting portions  202 ,  212  formed forward of the body portions  203 ,  213  and tail portions  204 ,  214  extending rearward from end sections of the body portions  203 ,  213  and biasing toward each other. 
         [0021]    The flat cable  4  includes a first flat cable  41  and a second flat cable  42  combined together to form a two-layered cable component. Either the first flat cable  41  or the second flat cable  42  has a number of conductors  411 ,  421  enclosed by an insulated jacket (not numbered). The conductors  411 ,  421  are aligned in a row along transversal direction and extend along longitudinal direction. 
         [0022]    Referring to  FIGS. 3 ,  4  and  7 , the holding member  5  comprises a top wall  51 , a bottom wall  52  and a back wall  55  connecting with the top and the bottom walls  51 ,  52  to form a substantially U-shaped hollow portion (not numbered). Both the top wall  51  and the bottom wall  52  have a pair of spaced protrusion portions  511 ,  521  extending forward from front edges thereof. A pair of ribs  512 ,  522  are respectively located on two opposite sides of the inner surfaces of the top wall  51  and bottom wall  52 . A pair of L-shaped latching members  53 ,  54  are located at opposite sides of the U-shaped hollow portion and the latching members  53 ,  54  further have locking tabs  531 ,  541  formed at forward sections thereof. The back wall  55  defines a slit  56  communicating with the hollow portion and the pair of L-shaped latching members  53 ,  54  respectively defines through holes  532 ,  542  at rear section thereof. 
         [0023]    When assembly, firstly, the first set of terminals  20  and the second set of terminals  21  are respectively assembled to the insulated housing  1 , with the body portions  203 ,  213  received in the terminal passages  122  of the tongue portion  121 , the contacting portions  202 ,  212  springing into the hollow portion  120  and the tail portions  204 ,  214  disposed outside of a rear surface of the insulated housing  1 . Secondly, partial insulated jackets of the front sections of the first flat cable  41  and the second flat cable  42  are peeled off and the conductors  411 ,  422  are exposed outside, then glue or other adhesive materials is applied to the depression portions  311 ,  322  of the retaining member  3 , and then the first flat cable  41  and the second flat cable  42  are disposed in the depression portions  311 ,  322  and fixed thereon. Thirdly, the retaining member  3  slides along passage ways of the guiding members  134  till the stubs  331 ,  341  locking into the slots  1330  of the vertical walls  133 , simultaneously, the tail portions  204 ,  214  of terminals  2  press on the conductors  411 ,  421  of the first and the second flat cables  41 ,  42  to achieve better electrical connection therebetween. Fourthly, the flat cable  4  is drawn outward through the slit  56  of the back wall  55  of the holding member  5 . Fifthly, the holding member  5  is assembled to the insulated housing  1 , with the guiding members  134  received in the U-shaped hollow portion (not numbered) of the holding member  5 , the protrusion portions  511 ,  521  inserted into the positioning slots  135  of the frame portion  130 , the pair of latching members  53 ,  54  sliderably received in the U-shaped passages of the pair of arm portions  131  respectively, with their forward locking tabs  531 ,  541  latching into the depression portions  1312  of the vertical wall  133 . The ribs  512 ,  522  of the holding member  5  together with retaining member  3  are adapted for sandwiching the first flat cable  41  and the second flat cable  42 , thus the first flat cable  41  and the second flat cable  42  can&#39;t move freely. 
         [0024]    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 illustrated 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.