Abstract:
A connector assembly ( 100 ) includes an insulative housing ( 1 ) having a main portion ( 11 ) and a tongue portion ( 12 ) extending forwardly from the main portion, the main portion ( 11 ) defining a depression ( 111 ) and the tongue portion ( 12 ) defining a cavity ( 121 ), and a column ( 1110 ) located in the depression; a fiber device ( 3 ) including a base ( 30 ), two lenses ( 33 ) and two fibers ( 35 ), the base enclosing the two lenses and the two fibers connecting to the two lenses, respectively; and the two fibers extending into the depression and crossing each other around the column.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention generally relates to a connector assembly, and more particularly to a connector assembly having floatable fiber device. 
       DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART 
       [0002]    At present, Universal Serial BUS (USB) is a widely used input/output interface adapted for many electronic devices, such as personal computer and related peripherals. In 1994, Intel, HP, IBM, NEC etc. together founded USB-IF to define a spec of USB. Nowadays, USB-IF has published several editions for USB, and transmitting rate of USB has becomes higher and higher. As development of electronic industry, higher transmitting rate of USB based connection accessory is needed. 
         [0003]    WO Pub. Pat. No. 2008/121731 A1 discloses an optical universal serial bus (OUSB). The OUSB includes a USB connector with a number lenses embedded in the USB connector and further connected with respective fibers for transmitting optical signal. Therefore, the OUSB can transmit signals up to 10 Gbps. However, as the lens are fixed to the USB connector, and they may fail to mate with counterparts if excessive error exits in manufacturing process. 
         [0004]    Hence, an improved connector assembly is highly desired to overcome the aforementioned problem. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a connector assembly with a floatable fiber device. 
         [0006]    In order to achieve the object set forth, a connector assembly comprises an insulative housing including a main portion and a tongue portion extending forwardly from the main portion, the main portion defining a depression and the tongue portion defining a cavity, and a column located in the depression; a fiber device including a base, two lenses and two fibers, the base enclosing the two lenses and the two fibers connecting to the two lenses, respectively; and the two fibers extending into the depression and crossing each other around the column. 
         [0007]    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 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is an assembled view of the connector assembly; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is an exploded, perspective view of a connector assembly, with an external cover and a cable thereof omitted; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is similar to  FIG. 2 , but viewed from another aspect; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a partially assembled view of the connector assembly; and 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a partial section view of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0013]    Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0014]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-5 , a connector assembly  100  in accordance with the present invention comprises an insulative housing  1 , a plurality of terminals  2  supported by the insulative housing  1 , a fiber device  3  mounted to the insulative housing  1 , a spring member  4 , a terminal seat  5 , an insulator  6 , a first metallic cover  7 , a second metallic cover  8 , an external cover  9  and a hybrid cable  10 . 
         [0015]    The insulative housing  1  includes a main portion  11  and a tongue portion  12  extending forwardly from the main portion  12 . A depression  111  is defined in an upper side of the main portion  11  and a number of grooves  112  are defined in back side of the main portion  11  and communicate with the depression  111 . A column  1110  is located in a middle section of the depression  111 . A hollow  113  is defined in a lower side of the main portion  11  to receive the terminal seat  5 . A cavity  121  is defined in an upper side of the tongue portion  12  and a slot  122  is located behind the cavity  121 . The slot  122  communicates with the cavity  121  and the depression  111 . The rear portion of the spring member  4  is accommodated in the slot  122 . Two guiding ribs  123  are arranged at opposite sides of the cavity  121 . A notch  129  is defined in the back side of the cavity  121  and disposed in front of the slot  122 . The front portion of the spring member  4  may enter the notch  129 , when it joggles along an up-to-down direction. A tapered stopper  124  is formed in a front side of the cavity  121 , and two convexes  126  are formed in a front side of the cavity  121  and disposed at opposite sides of the stopper  124 . A set of first terminal passages  127  and a set of second terminal passages  128  are defined in a lower side of the tongue portion  12 . The first terminal passages  127  are disposed in front of the second terminal passages  128 . 
         [0016]    The terminals  2  includes a set of first terminals  21  and a second of second terminals  22 . Arrangement of the first terminals  21  and the second terminals  22  is accordance with USB 3.0 Spec. 
         [0017]    The first terminal  21  has a first mating portion  211 , a first tail portion  213  connected to the cable  10 , and a first retention portion  212  connecting with the first mating portion  211  and the first tail portion  213 . The second terminal  22  has a second mating portion  221 , a second tail portion  223  connected to the cable  10 , and a second retention portion  222  connecting with the second mating portion  221  and the second tail portion  223 . The first mating portions  211  are respectively accommodated in the first terminal passages  127 , and the second mating portions  221  are respectively accommodated in the second terminal passages  128 . Therefore, the first mating portions  211  and the second mating portions  221  are divided into distinct rows along a front-to-back direction. The first retention portions  212  are embedded in the main portion  11  of the insulative housing  1 , and the second retention portions  222  are received in terminal slots (not numbered) in the terminal seat  5  and the insulator  6  is press-fitted with the terminal seat  5  to secure the second terminals  22 . The terminal seat  5  is further assembled to the hollow  113  of the insulative housing  1 . 
         [0018]    The fiber device  3  includes a base  30  with two lenses  33  enclosed in the base  30  and two fibers  35  coupled to the two lenses  33  respectively. Two guiding channels  31  are defined in a bottom side of the base  30  to cooperate with guiding ribs  123 . A cutout  32  is defined in a front side of the base  30  to receive stopper  124 . Therefore, the base  30  slides in the cavity  121  along the front-to-back direction. 
         [0019]    Each of the two fibers  35  extends into the depression  111  via the corresponding groove  112 . Part of the fiber  35  located in the depression  111  is bent to form an arched portion  351  which offsets extending direction of rest of the fiber  35  within the depression  111  and rounds/bypasses the column  1110 . Therefore, the two fibers  35  cross each other in the depression  111 , with the column  1110  encircled by the two arched portions  351  of the two fibers  35 . Thus, two fiber intersections respectively disposed in front of and behind the column  11110 . By this configuration, the fibers  35  are more flexible to let the fiber device  3  floatable freely. Furthermore, the fibers  35  are avoided breaking off when pulled or compressed. In addition, two aligning holes  34  are defined in the front side of the base  30  to match with aligning posts (not shown) of a complementary connector assembly (not shown), thus the lenses  33  mate with their counterpart accurately. A mounting pole  36  projects backwardly from a back side of the base  30  and inserted into a front portion of the spring member  4 . In an alternative embodiment, more lenses or fibers may be adopted. 
         [0020]    The fiber device  3  and the terminals  2  are respectively mounted on opposite sides of the insulative housing  1 , and the lenses  33  are arranged in front of the terminals  2 , therefore this structure may decrease size of the connector assembly  100 . 
         [0021]    The first metallic shell  7  and the second metallic shell  8  together shield the insulative housing  1 . The first metallic shell  7  includes a top side  71  and a bottom side  73  and two lateral sides  72  connecting with the top side  71  and the bottom side  73 . A tiny bugle  75  is formed on a front section of a bottom surface of the top side  71 . 
         [0022]    When the connector assembly  100  mates with the complementary connector assembly (not shown), the base portion  30  is pushed to move backwardly by the complementary connector and biased forwardly by the spring member  4  to adjust relation between the lenses  33  and counterparts. In addition, the front segment of the spring member  4  may gently joggle along up-to-down direction to adjust position of the lenses  33  so as to align the counterparts. When the connector assembly  100  is disconnected with the complementary connector assembly, the base portion  30  moves forwardly, and the stopper  124  cooperates with the cutout  32  to prevent the base sliding outward of the cavity  121 , and convexes  126  abut against the front side of the base  30 , and the bugle  75  abuts against a top side of the base  30 . Thus, the base  30  is restrained in the cavity  121 . 
         [0023]    The aforementioned embodiment introduces connector assembly with metallic contacts and lenses for electrical and optic signals transmitting. In alternated embodiment, the connector assembly may only include fiber device to transmitting optic signal. 
         [0024]    It will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or central characteristics thereof. The present examples and embodiments, therefore, are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein.