Cable assembly with conductive wires neatly arranged therein

A cable assembly comprises a mating member, a print circuit board having two conductive traces, an LED attached to the print circuit board, a cable having a positive wire and a negative wire connected with the mating member, and a pair of contacts respectively corresponding with the positive wire and negative wire. Said positive wire and negative wire respectively has an inner conductor. Each of said contacts defines a catch part connecting the inner conductor and a retaining part locks the print circuit board for electrically connecting said conductive trace.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to a cable assembly, and more particularly to a cable assembly with conductive wires neatly arranged therein by means of an individual organizer attached to each of the conductive wires.

2. Description of Related Art

Nowadays, cable assemblies are widely used in an electronic equipment, especially for transmitting power, and the performance of the cable assembly directly impacts on the entire electronic equipment whether can normally run.

CN Patent No. 2376104Y issued to Ye on Apr. 26, 2000 discloses a cable assembly with an LED thereon to indicate the work status thereof whether the power is on or not. Typically, the cable assembly has an insulative housing, a print circuit board received in the housing and having conductive paths, an LED soldered to the print circuit board, a plurality of contacts connected with the print circuit board and the LED, and a plurality of cables soldered to the print circuit board. As the cable assembly mated with the complementary connector, the LED is illuminated to indicate the power is on therebetween.

A related cable assembly can be found in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/381,798, which is currently pending before USPTO and assigned to the same assignee as the current application. The cable assembly comprises a mating member, a print circuit board, an LED attached to the print circuit board and a cable having a positive wire and a negative wire connected with the mating member. Said positive wire and negative wire are placed on one surface of the print circuit board, with the LED set on another surface. The positive wire and negative wire each respectively has an inner conductor soldered to a corresponding soldering pad on the one surface of the print circuit board. Conductive traces are defined on the other surface of the print circuit board and connected with the LED, the soldering pads electrically connects with corresponding conductive traces by vias through the print circuit board.

However, the cables are merely soldered on the conductive paths of the print circuit board, the state of above described is more likely to attribute the insecureness therebetween.

Hence, it is desirable to have an improved structure to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide a cable assembly defining a plurality of improved disposal of cables, a print circuit board and a plurality of contacts for connecting the cable and the print circuit board.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a cable assembly comprises a mating member, a print circuit board having two conductive traces, an LED attached to the print circuit board, a cable having a positive wire and a negative wire connected with the mating member, and a pair of contacts respectively corresponding with the positive wire and negative wire. Said positive wire and negative wire respectively has an inner conductor. Each of said contacts defines a catch part connecting the inner conductor and a retaining part locks the print circuit board for electrically connecting said conductive trace.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring toFIGS. 1-5, a cable assembly100made in accordance with the present invention comprises a cylindrical mating member4, a print circuit board2, a Light Emitting Diode (LED)3assembled to the print circuit board2, a supporter5made of transparent material receiving the LED3, a cable member6with positive wire61and negative wire62, a pair of contacts7respectively connecting the wires61,62and the print circuit board2, and an insulative shell1enclosing to the components mentioned formerly.

The insulative shell1has a hollowed configuration with a cylindrical shape, and is configured with a top shell11and a bottom shell12. The top shell11defines a first cambered groove111recessed upwards, a first semicircular hole113at front end thereof, and a first cutout114. A pair of holes112is defined in lateral sides of front portion of the top shell11. The bottom shell12is symmetrical to the top shell11in shape, and comprises a pair of block portions120in the depressed area thereof with a ridge1202. Additionally, a through hole1201is defined on the outer periphery of the bottom shell12and locates adjacent to the block portions120, the through hole1201extends through the bottom shell12along up-to-down direction. The bottom shell12defines a second cambered groove121in front-end corresponding to the first cambered groove111, and a second semicircular hole123together with the first semicircular hole113to form a circular hole. Furthermore, the bottom shell12also has a second cutout124matching with the first cutout114, and a plurality of posts122received in the corresponding holes112.

The print circuit board2is configured in rectangular structure, and it defines an upper surface21and a lower surface22, a pair of plated through holes210,211is arranged on the upper surface21in staggered relationship. The plated through holes210,211are not in a line along a direction perpendicular to a catch part, and the plated through hole210is closer to the front edge of the print circuit board2than the plated through hole211. The lower surface22has conductive traces220,221connected to the plated through holes210,211and extended forwards. A resistance222is defined on the middle position of the conductive trace221, and the resistance222has a transformer action. The LED3has a convex top, and disposed on the print circuit board2to form a unitary configuration by surface mount technique (SMT), such that the LED3sticks to front part of the lower surface22of the print circuit board2, and electrically connects with the conductive traces220,221.

The supporter5has a flat base portion51with a depression510recessed downwards on the front end thereof for receiving the LED3therein. A transparent column511is functioning as a light pipe and is protruding out of the bottom of the supporter5and is aligning with the depression510. Additionally, the supporter5defines an I-shape extension portion512in a back end thereof to cooperate with the block portion120of the bottom shell12.

The cable member6comprises a cable60a positive wire61and a negative wire62extending forwardly beyond the cable60, and a detective wire63located between the positive wire61and negative wire62. The positive wire61and negative wire62each respectively has inner conductors611,621with part of the corresponding outer jacket stripped away to a certain length from front end thereof to expose part thereof. The inner conductors611,621that exposed outside are offset from each other. The inner conductors611,621are arranged respectively corresponding to the plated through holes210,211.

Referring toFIG. 4, the contact7is made of conducting material, and defines a convex bodying portion70and an arrowheaded structure71extending downwardly from a side of the bodying portion70. The bodying portion70defines a cylindrical front-end portion700and a cambered back-end portion701. The front-end portion700defines a pair of parallel troughs702recessed inward on the outer face thereof. The arrowheaded structure71defines a pair of parallel supporting portions710, a pair of italic portions711extending downwardly from the corresponding supporting portions710, and an arrowheaded slot712formed by the supporting portions710and the italic portions711. A flat bottom715is formed at the intersection of the italic portions711. A corner713is formed at the intersection of the italic portion711and the supporting portion710.

The cylindrical mating member4comprises a hollow mating section41in the front end, a polygonal flange45surrounding the cylindrical mating member4, an anode tube42located behind the polygonal flange45and communicated with an inner wall46of the cylindrical mating member4, and a cathode tube43located behind the polygonal flange45and isolated from the anode tube42by plastic layer44. The cathode tube43is communicated with outer wall of the mating section41and has the same polarity with each other. However, in other alternative embodiment, the anode tube42and the inner wall46may be intergrally formed of one single piece structure, so do the cathode tube43and the outer wall of the mating section41.

In assembly, the inner conductors611,621of the positive wires61,62are wrapped round with the corresponding bodying portions70of the contacts7. The contacts7arranged in staggered relationship are corresponding with the conductors611,621. Then, the contacts7are inserted into the print circuit board2, the supporting portions710of the contacts7are received in the corresponding plated through holes210,211respectively; the italic portions711extend out of the lower surface22of the print circuit board2; the corners713lock the lower surface22of the print circuit board2through the plated through holes210,211. The LED3is attached to the lower surface22of the print circuit board2and electrically connected with the conductive traces220,221, and the resistance222provides voltage protection for the LED3. When solder material is used for soldering the contacts7and the conductors611,621, the solder material will along the arrowheaded structure71of the contact7to flow into the plated through holes210,211and ultimately connects the conductive traces220,221, therefore the cable member6achieves connect electrically with the LED3. Then, the LED3is received in the depression510of the supporter5as an indicator.

Then, cylindrical mating member4is electrically connected with the cable member6, the front end of the positive wire61is soldered to the anode tube42, the negative wire62is soldered to the cathode tube43with front end, the detective wire63extends through an aperture (not shown) in the back end of the cylindrical mating member4and enters into the cavity of the cylindrical mating member4. Finally, the top shell11is assembled to the bottom shell12, the supporter5is mounted to the block portions120with the I-shape extended portion512sliding along the ridge1202of the bottom shell12, and the transparent column511is received in the through hole1201to indicate the work status of the cable assembly100. The first cambered groove111of the top shell11cooperates with the second cambered groove121of the bottom shell12to receive the polygonal flange45. The posts122of the bottom shell12are respectively received in the relevant notches112, the first cutout114of the top shell11is cooperated with the second cutout124of the bottom shell12to receive the front part of the cable60of the cable member6. Thus, the cable assembly100is assembled.

In accordance with the embodiment of the present invention, the contacts are used for electrically connecting the cable member6and the print circuit board2, when solder material is used for soldering the contacts7and the conductors611,621, solder material will flows down to the plated through holes210,211and contacts the conductive traces220,221so as to achieve connect electrically between the cable member6and the LED3.