Abstract:
A cable connector having an improved assembly includes a housing, with a recess, a cover plate and a cable. The cover plate has fastening members extending down along two sides thereof and another fastening member at its front end. The connector housing has first latch openings aligned with the first fastening members and a second latch opening that is aligned with the other fastening member. After the wires of the cable are soldered to the terminals of the connector, the first fastening members are brought downward along interior surfaces of the housing recess to engage the first latch openings, with the other fastening member simultaneously engaging the second latch opening to join the cover plate to the housing. Another aspect of the invention concerns the use of an extension portion formed with the housing and extending underneath the terminal termination portions to support them. A protective strain relief is overmolded to the housing and extension portion.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates generally to cable connectors, and more particularly to cable connectors that are formed from two components, and which offers ease of assembly and greater assembly speed, and which have a structure that resists fatigue and breakage of soldering points between cable wires and terminations due to repeated plugging and unplugging by providing optimal pull resistance.  
           [0002]    As the performance of electronics devices is being constantly enhanced and their dimensions are being reduced, connector layouts are becoming subject to tighter physical constraints. As a result, cable connectors that provide for signal transmission are being developed in more compact and lightweight designs. At the same time, there is a demand that cable connector assembly be as simple, rapid, and consistent as possible to increase production efficiency.  
           [0003]    However, present cable connectors have the following shortcomings. The cable wires may be easily dislodged from the connector pins. When the wires of the cable are soldered to the pins of the connector, the small size of the two components makes soldering difficult. The actual usage of the cable connector involves repeated plugging and unplugging, and if the transfer of direct force to the connector pins is not circumvented, the wires can be easily pried off the pins or their termination portions within the connector, which renders the connector unusable.  
           [0004]    Additionally, most conventional connector housings tend to loosen following assembly. Since the housing of the connector is typically of a snap-fit structure, a poor snap-fit design leads to a gradual loss of engagement integrity following a period of usage and results in defective products.  
           [0005]    During the plastic liquefaction phase of cable connector production, cable severing and excessive molten plastic flow readily occur. Since an insulating material must be applied over the cable wires and pins after soldering is completed to prevent short circuiting, this is typically accomplished with liquefied plastic. However, if the force of liquefied plastic application is too extreme, the wires of the cable often break and the entire assembly can only be discarded since re-fabrication and correction are not possible.  
           [0006]    [0006]FIG. 1 illustrates an insulated housing  10 a of a conventional cable connector  1   a  that has a relatively wide structure and given the current emphasis on compact dimensions and, furthermore, high-speed transmission capacity, it is incapable of satisfying modern user requirements.  
           [0007]    The present invention is directed to a cable connector that effectively solves the said shortcomings.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    Accordingly, it is a general object of the present to provide a cable connector having a two-component assembly, wherein after the wires of the cable are soldered to the pin leads, the cover plate may be snap-fitted and joined onto the housing, thereby facilitating ease of assembly as well as greater assembly speed.  
           [0009]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a cable connector having an insulated housing with an extension block projecting from its termination end, the extension block providing for the adhesion of the protective cover molded thereto so that the connector housing and cover portion do not become separated due to repeated plugging and unplugging, thereby effecting a durable joining of the connector housing to the cable.  
           [0010]    In order to accomplish these objects, a cable connector of the present invention is provided by way of a cover plate, housing, and a cable. The cover plate includes a fastening member extending downward from its two sides, and with a first latch tab projecting outward from the ends of the fastening members. A second latch tab that extends forward from the anterior end of the cover plate is provided and, the cover plate has an upper holding mount formed at its posterior end. The housing has a pin section and a cable section, and the pin section includes pin channels that provide for the insertion of a plurality of pin leads. First latch holes are formed in the lower edge of the two side walls of the cable section and that are aligned with the first latch tabs, while second latch holes are formed at the top of the cable section rear end and are aligned with the said second latch tabs. The housing has a lower holding mount formed at its posterior end.  
           [0011]    As such, the plurality of wires in the cable are connected to the pin leads by soldering, following which the first latch tabs are brought downward along the interior surfaces of the housing side walls to engage the first latch holes, and the second latch tabs simultaneously engage the second latch holes to join the cover plate and the housing together into a single structural unit. The end of the cable is then clamped between the upper and lower holding mounts and the exterior cover of the connector is subsequently molded over it to form an encapsulating strain relief, which thereby completes the assembly of the cable connector of the present invention.  
           [0012]    In another aspect of the present invention, an insulated housing is provided to which the cable is coupled and positioned within. The cable encloses a plurality of wires and the insulated housing has a plurality of built-in pin channels which receive individual terminal leads which are each respectively inserted in alignment such that the terminal leads can be correspondingly soldered to the cable wires. The extension block projects from the termination ends of the terminals, i.e., the terminal leads. A plurality of grooves are formed along the surface of the extension block. When a protective cover, or encasement, is molded over the extension block, the molding material fills the extension block grooves and this engagement increases the strength between the housing and the encasement, thereby preventing the loosening of the encasement due to forces applied to the cable connector during repeated plugging and unplugging so that the soldering points between the wires and the termination leads remain unaffected and reliable.  
           [0013]    These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be clearly understood through a consideration of the following detailed description. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]    In the course of this detailed description, the reference will be frequently made to the attached drawings in which:  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1 is an isometric drawing of a conventional cable connector;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of one embodiment of a cable connector (with an angled connector end) constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 3 is the same view as FIG. 2, but with the components assembled together;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a second embodiment of a cable connector (withe an in-line connector end) constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 5 is the same view as FIG. 4, but with the connector components assembled together;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 6 is a diagram that illustrates the pressure reduction principle accomplished by use with the present invention;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of another embodiment of a cable connector constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention and having a right-angle configuration;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 8 is the same view as FIG. 7, but in a final, assembled condition;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of still another embodiment of a cable connector constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention and having an in-line configuration; and,  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 10 is the same view as FIG. 9, but in a fully assembled condition. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0025]    Referring first to FIGS. 2 and 3, they illustrate one embodiment of a cable connector constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention. This embodiment has an angled connector end, and more specifically an end in which the connector pins are oriented at about 90 degrees from the individual cable wires  30  of the cable  3  to which it is terminated. The connector assembly includes an insulative housing  2  and a cover plate  1  that mates therewith.  
         [0026]    The cover plate  1  has a flat, preferably planar cover portion having two fastening members  10  that depend downwardly from the cover portion for a preselected length along each of the two sides of the cover plate  1 . Each fastening member includes a first latch tab  100  that projects outwardly from the ends of the fastening members  10 . Another fastening member  11  extends forward from the anterior, or forward, end of the cover plate  1  and it has a second latch tab  110  projecting straight ahead from the said fastening member  11 , and a U-shaped upper holding mount  12  formed at the posterior end of the cover plate  1 .  
         [0027]    The housing  2  may be considered as divided into a pin section and a cable section, wherein the pin section and the cable section are joined together in a perpendicular arrangement. The pin section includes a plurality of pin channels, or grooves,  23  that contain a plurality of conductive pins or terminals, and each of the terminals having termination leads  24  dat the rear ends of the pins such that the leads  24  extend a certain distance from the pin section before they are bent, preferably at a right angle. The forward ends of the terminals are not shown, but they project into a socket at the forward end of the connector, which is also not shown, for mating with an opposing connector. The side walls  25  of the cable section and the side walls  26  of the pin section of the connector merge together into an L-shape and, furthermore, an opening is formed at the end of the said cable section, the shape of which matches that of the ensconcing structure of the said cover plate  1 .  
         [0028]    A pair of first latch holes  20  are formed at a suitable area at the lower edge of each said cable section side walls  25  and these holes  20  receive their corresponding opposing first latch tabs  100 . A second latch hole  21  is formed at the top of the cable section end plate  27  and receives the second latch tab  110  therein such that three points of fastening contact are defined between the cover plate and the connector body. The three latch holes are disposed in different directions. For example, the first latch holes  20  run aong the edges of the housing  2  extend generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the housing  2  or the cable  3 , while the second latch hole  21  extends crosswise, and preferably generally perpendicular thereto. Still further, the first latch holes  20  are spaced apart from the second latch hole  21  in the vertical direction a chosen distance L 1  which matches the distance L 2  which is the spacing between the first latch tabs  100  and the second latch tab  110 .  
         [0029]    Additionally, a support plate  28  is provided within an appropriate area of the cable section and it extends crosswise with respect to the wires, in order to facilitate the soldering of the cable  3  to the exposed terminal termination leads  24 . A lower holding mount  22  that has a configuration that matches that of the upper holding mount  12  of the cover plate is formed at the rear end of the cable section, and these upper and lower holding mounts  12  and  22  are capable of reliably clamping the end of the cable  3 . The cable  3  includes a plurality of wires  30  that are positioned within the cable section of the connector and the wires  30  are then correspondingly soldered to the termination leads  24 .  
         [0030]    A plurality of ridges  120  may be formed horizontally along the exterior surfaces of the upper and lower holding mounts  12  and  22  such that when molding plastic liquefies and flowsinto the mold, the ridges  120  provide for the clinging of the molten plastic such that when hardened, the joining together of the two pieces is optimal. A plurality of uneven height grooves  220  are formed horizontally along the interior surfaces of the upper and lower holding mounts  12  and  22  and are further disposed in a shallow to deep arrangement from the outside in such that during plastic liquefaction, a gradual pressure reduction results in the formation of the connector, wherein P 3 &lt;P 2 &lt;P 1 &lt;, as indicated in FIG. 6.  
         [0031]    Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, a second embodiment of the invention is illustrated in which the cable connector  1  is of the “in-line” style, and does not have any right-angle or other bend. It includes a cover plate  1 , a housing  2 , and a cable  3 . In this embodiment, the pin section and the cable section of the connector are joined together in a linear arrangement and are aligned along a common axis. In this manner, the terminal leads  24  extend from the said pin section in a horizontal array straight into the said cable section. Other than that, the remaining structure is the same as that described for the first embodiment.  
         [0032]    It will be understood that this embodiment is also a two-component assembly arrangement and when assembled, the end of the said cable  3  is first placed in the lower holding mount  22  of the housing  2 , the wires  30  of the said cable  3  are then respectively connected to the said pin leads  24  by soldering. Relying on the resilience of the fastening member  10  at the two sides of the cover plate  1 , the first latch tabs  100  are guided downward against the interior surface of the housing side walls  25  until the first latch tabs  100  pass through the first latch holes  20  of the housing  2  and the second latch tab  110  of the said fastening member  11  simultaneously is inserted through the second latch hole  21  of the housing  2  to enable a tight snap-fit that joins the cover plate  1  onto the housing  2 . Finally, in order to prevent excessive flexing and for protective purposes, an exterior strain relief  4  is molded over the rear ends  12 ,  22  of the connector parts  1 ,  2 , and the strain relief  4  provides a means of attachment between the said upper and lower holding mounts  12  and  22  and the said cable  3  (as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 5), which thereby completes its assembly.  
         [0033]    The cable connectors of the present invention possess the following advantages. Firstly, they have a simple two-component assembly. After the wires  30  of the cable  3  are soldered to the terminal leads  24 , the cover plate  1  is snap-fitted and joined to the housing  2 , thereby facilitating ease of assembly as well as greater assembly speed to achieve of an objective of increasing production capacity. The pressure reduction grooves  220  are formed at varying heights along the said upper and lower holding mounts  12  and  22  so that during the overmolding fabrication process, pressure reduction is effectively accomplished to prevent excessive pressure that results in plastic flow into the pin channels  23  of the housing  2 .  
         [0034]    In another important aspect of the present invention, and as illustrated in FIGS.  7 - 10 , the cable  1000  encloses a plurality of wires  1001  that are coupled to and positioned on the insulated connector housing  1002 . The forward end of the connector housing has the front mating ends of a plurality of conductive terminals and, furthermore, conductive terminals  2100  are disposed at one end of the housing  2000 , which are insertable into the corresponding socket of an opposing connector (not shown). Each of the terminals further has a terminating portion  2200  at its opposite extremity, preferably for soldering to exposed conductors of the cable  1000  in order to provide for signal transmission between the cable conductors and the terminals. The connector also includes a plurality of terminal-receiving passages, or channels,  2300  formed in the housing and disposed therein between the terminal front ends  2100  and the rear end  2200  of the housing. the terminals are disposed in these passages  2300  and the terminating portions  2400  of the terminals extend rearwardly therefrom to facilitate their joining to the cable wires  1001 .  
         [0035]    The connector housing  2000  preferably includes an extension block  2500  that projects vertically from the bottom section of the rear end portion  2200  of the housing and includes a plurality of grooves  2600  formed along the surface of the extension block  2500 , the grooves  2600  providing for a larger area of surface contact for any portion molded thereto. After the cable wires  1001  are soldered or otherwise attached to the terminal termination portions  2400 , a protective cover, or encasement portion  3000  is formed by molding, typically an overmolding process, and portions of the encasement portion  3000  fills the grooves  2600  of the extension block  2500  which increases the strength between the insulated housing  2000  and the encasement portion  3000 , to thereby preventing the loosening of the encasement portion  3000  due to excessive plugging and unplugging force. When the cable  1000  is subjected to a pulling force, the pulling force is transferred to the encasement portion  3000  and because the encasement portion  3000  is anchored to the extension block  2500 , the soldering joints between the wires  1001  and the termination leads  2400  remain unaffected.  
         [0036]    Additionally, the termination leads  2400  extend an appropriate distance from the area of the rear end  2200  of the housing  2000  before extending in its right-angle bend and the subsequent horizontally aligned array to the extension block  2500  top surface. The terminals further extend over a horizontally projecting rib  2700  so that the rib  2700  serves as a brace when the wires  1001  are soldered to the terminal leads  2400  and also prevents the pressure-imposed contortion of the terminal leads  24  which would otherwise be situated in midair.  
         [0037]    Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, another embodiment of the invention is illustrated which differs from the embodiment just described by its “in-line” configuration, rather than a right-angle configuration. This embodiment includes a cable  1000  and a cable connector  2000  that couples to the cable  1000  and it differs from the aforementioned embodiment in that the extension block  25  projects horizontally from the said connector housing rear face  2200 . the terminals extend from the housing and include termination portions  2400  in a horizontal array straight to the top end of the extension block  25  and across the rib  2700  that projects vertically from the top end of the said extension block  2500 . This rib  2700  serves as a brace when the wires  1001  are soldered, or otherwise attached, to the terminal termination portions  2400 .  
         [0038]    In summation of the foregoing section, since the invention herein improves upon the shortcomings of conventional cable connectors such as not providing for the effective prevention of soldering point fatigue and breakage by utilizing an extension block  25  and molding to effectively increase anti-pull resilience and, consequently, in a manner that many This detailed description only elaborates the most preferred embodiments of the invention herein and shall not be construed as a limitation of the present invention and, therefore, all structural modifications based on the disclosed content and the figures shall remain protected within the scope and claims of the invention herein.