Cable connector and method of making the same

A cable connector includes an insulative housing, at least one group of circuit boards retained on the insulative housing, cables connecting with the circuit boards electrically, and insulator fixing the insulative housing, the circuit boards and the cables together. The insulative housing has a first receiving space and a second receiving space. The first receiving space spaces apart from the second receiving space along a front to back direction. Each circuit board has a front part received in the first receiving space and a rear part received in the second receiving space. The front part is formed with electrical contacts. The cables connect with the rear parts. The insulator is insert-molded in the second receiving space and encloses the rear parts.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a cable connector, and more particularly to a cable connector with circuit boards and method of making the same.

2. Description of Related Art

The common cable connector, such as mini SAS HD cable connector, usually has two retaining mechanisms. One of the retaining mechanisms is formed to retain a group of PCBs (Print Circuit Board) along a top to bottom direction after soldering some cables to the PCB. Another retaining mechanism is formed by being insert-molded around the PCBs to enclose the welding spots between the cables and the PCBs. The above two retaining mechanisms and PCBs are secured by an insulative housing. As described above, the cable connector is formed intricately and needs many working procedures to accomplish each forming steps. Said working procedures usually can be not controlled easily. Besides, said two retaining mechanisms waste too much insulative material that results in high cost and is not environmentally.

It is desirable to provide an improved cable connector and method of making the same for solving above problems.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, the present invention includes a cable connector. The cable connector comprises an insulative housing having a first receiving space and a second receiving space, the first receiving space spacing apart from the second receiving space along a front to back direction; at least one group of circuit boards, each circuit board having a front part received in the first receiving space and a rear part received in the second receiving space, the front part being formed with electrical contacts; cables connecting with the rear parts of the circuit boards electrically; and an insulator being insert-molded in the second receiving space to enclose the rear parts.

In another aspect, the present invention further method of making a cable connector. The method comprises: providing an insulative housing, the insulative housing having a first receiving space and a second receiving space, the first receiving space spacing apart from the second receiving space along a front to back direction; providing at least one group of circuit boards and assembling the circuit boards to the insulative housing, each circuit board having a front part received in the first receiving space and a rear part received in the second receiving space, the front part being formed with electrical contact; providing cables and assembling the cables to the rear parts of the circuit boards; filling insulative material to the second receiving space to insert-mold an insulator, the insulator enclosing the rear parts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT

Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe the embodiments of the present disclosure in detail. In the following description, the same drawing reference numerals are used for the same elements in different drawings.

Referring toFIGS. 1 to 2, an illustrated embodiment of the present disclosure discloses a cable connector100comprises an insulative housing1, at least a group of circuit boards, cables3electrically connecting with the circuit boards, and an insulator4retaining the cables3, circuit boards and the insulative housing1. The group of circuit boards has two circuit boards2parallel to each other in the present invention.

Referring toFIGS. 2 to 5, the insulative housing1is rectangular, and has a top wall111, a bottom wall113, a pair of side walls connecting two sides of the top wall111and bottom wall113, and an internal space12between the top wall111, bottom wall113and side walls. The pair of side walls comprises a first side wall112and a second side wall114. The internal space12extends along a front to back direction, and opens forward and backward.

The insulative housing1further has a first extension portion1121and a second extension portion1141upwardly extending from top ends of the side walls112,114respectively, a first bending portion1121′ and a second bending portion1141′ extending toward each other from top ends of the first extension portion1121and the second extension portion1141, and a spring arm1111extending from the top wall111. The spring arm1111is located between the first extension portion1121and the second extension portion1141, and has a linking portion1110connecting a front end of the top wall111, and a movable portion1112backwardly extending from the linking portion1110. The movable portion1112is formed with a locking protrusion1113at a front side thereof, a pair of projections1114below the first bending portion1121′ and the second bending portion1141′ and an operation portion1115at a rear side thereof.

Besides, referring toFIG. 3andFIGS. 6 to 8, the insulative housing1has a front surface121, a rear surface122and a separation wall123parallel to the front surface121and the rear surface122. The separation wall123divides the internal space12of the insulative housing1to a first internal space124and a second internal space125. The first internal space124spaces apart from the second internal space125along a front to back direction. The first internal space124is used to receive a mating connector (not shown), and the second internal space125is used to retaining the circuit boards2and the cables3. Both the first internal space124and the second internal space125are formed on the insulative housing1in the present invention that can save at least one retaining mechanism of the common cable connector as described in the background. Thereby the material and cost for making the cable connector100would be decreased.

The separation wall123defines a pair of openings1231for supplying the circuit boards2crossing there through. The circuit boards2cross through the openings1231from the rear surface122, and each of the circuit boards2is composed by a front part22received in the first internal space124and a rear part23received in the second internal space125along the front to back direction. The front part22is formed with electrical contacts to electrically contact with the mating connector. The rear part23is formed with welding spots (not shown) to connect with the cables3. As described above, the first internal space124and the second internal space125are divided by the separation wall123, and the openings1231are filled by the circuit boards2; thereby the insulator4can only be insert-molded in the second internal space125, and the electrical contacts on the front part22can be not affected in the molding process. The insulator4fixes the cables3, the circuit boards2and the insulative housing1together, and encloses the welding spots.

Referring toFIGS. 2, 3andFIGS. 6 to 8, the openings1231do not extend through the separation wall123along a transverse direction. The transverse direction is perpendicular to the front to back direction. Besides, the separation wall123defines a pair of limiting slots14at two sides of each opening1231. The limiting slots14are recessed from a rear side of the separation wall123and doing not extending through the separation wall123forwardly. The limiting slots14communicate with the opening1231along the transverse direction. Each circuit board2is composed by a body portion20and a pair of limiting portions21at two sides of the body portion20along the transverse direction. The limiting portions21outwardly extend from two sides of the rear part23of the body portion20. The limiting portions21abut against the front inner walls of the limiting slots14to prevent the circuit boards2from being inserted overly. Besides, the front sides of the limiting portions21are received in the limiting slots14for positioning the circuit boards2. In the embodiment of the present invention, the separation wall123is formed with two ribs1233at rear side thereof. The ribs1233connect with the side walls, and are located at two sides of the openings1231. The limiting slots14are recessed from the rear sides of the ribs1233.

In order to stably secure the circuit boards2to the insulative housing1, the circuit board2further defines a pair of cutouts24at two sides thereof. The cutouts24communicate with the second internal space125and are filled by the insulator4, which can make the circuit boards2be secured by the insulator4stably. In the embodiment of the present invention, the limiting portions21occupy two sides of rear parts23of the circuit boards2, thereby the cutouts24are recessed from outsides of the limiting portions21.

Referring toFIG. 3andFIGS. 6 to 8, in the embodiment of present invention, the circuit boards2are assembly by a tool. The insulative housing1defines two through holes1232at upper or lower side of each opening1231for making ways to the tool. In the present invention, the through holes1232comprise a first through hole1232aand a second through hole1232bat an upper side of the top one of the openings1231, and a third through hole1232cand a fourth through hole1232dat a lower side of the lower one of the openings1231. The first through hole1232aand the second through hole1232bare arranged close to the top wall111, and the third through hole1232cand the fourth through hole1232dare arranged close to the bottom wall113. The top wall111and the bottom wall113have a plurality of limiting blocks115protruding into the first internal space124. The limiting blocks124correspond to the through holes1232along the front to back direction, and space apart from the through holes1232to limit an operating distance of the tool. For strengthening the limiting blocks115, the top wall111and the bottom wall113are formed with a plurality of ribs116connecting a rear surface of the limiting blocks115and a front surface of the separation wall123. The ribs116extend along the front to back direction.

Referring toFIGS. 1 to 8, in another aspect, the present invention further relates to a method of making the cable connector100as described above, and the method comprises: providing an insulative housing1, the insulative housing1having a first internal space124and a second internal space125, the first internal space124spacing apart from the second internal space125along a front to back direction; providing at least one group of circuit boards2and assembling the circuit boards2to the insulative housing1, each circuit board2having a front part22received in the first internal space124and a rear part23received in the second internal space125, the front part22being formed with electrical contact; then providing cables3and assembling the cables3to the rear parts23of the circuit boards2; finally, filling insulative material to the second internal space125to insert-mold an insulator4, the insulator4enclosing the rear part23.

As described above, the cable connector100has a simple structure. Besides, both first and second receiving spaces124,125being formed on the insulative housing1can make the assemblage of the circuit boards2be easier, and the assembling process would be simplified; on the other hand, at least one extra retaining mechanism and the material for making it are saved. Furthermore, the separation wall123between the first and second receiving spaces124,125can avoid affecting the front parts22of the circuit boards2in the insert-molding process of the insulator4; and on the other hand, the insulator4can fill the whole second internal space125to enclose the welding spots, thereby the cable connector100is stable and safe.