Low profile cable connector

A cable connector for connecting a cable having an inner conductor includes an insulating housing having an assembling portion and a mating portion protruding from one side of the assembling portion, the mating portion including a mating cavity, the assembling portion including a receiving room communicating with the mating cavity; a contact having a connecting portion received in the receiving room for connecting the inner conductor of the cable and a contacting portion extending into the mating cavity; and a shell having a back portion assembled upon the assembling portion of the insulating housing. The insulating housing includes an elastic arm extending into the receiving room and located beside the connecting portion of the contact. The back portion of the shell includes a pushing portion pushing the elastic arm to press the connecting portion of the contact.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present disclosure relates to a cable connector, and more particularly to an L-shaped coaxial cable connector.

2. Description of Related Art

Coaxial cable connectors are widely used in notebook, mobile phone and other electronic devices for connecting a coaxial cable with a printed circuit board. U.S. Pat. No. 7,025,631 issued to Yamane on Apr. 11, 2006 discloses a coaxial cable connector. The coaxial cable connector comprises an insulating housing, a contact retained in the insulating housing, a shell surrounding the insulating housing and a coaxial cable connecting the contact and extending out of the insulating housing. The insulating housing comprises a tubular portion and a lid extending upwardly from the tubular portion. The contact comprises a flat soldering portion for soldering the coaxial cable thereon. The shell comprises a cover extending upwardly for covering the insulating housing and retaining the coaxial cable. When the cover is bent towards the insulating housing, the cover pushes the lid and presses the coaxial cable on the soldering portion. However, as the coaxial cable is sandwiched by the lid and the soldering portion of the contact, the height of the coaxial cable connector is high and can not meet the miniaturization tendency. Another aspect, as the coaxial cable is put on the flat soldering portion and capable of moving freely before fixing, the connection quality between the coaxial cable and the contact can not be ensured.

In view of the above, an improved cable connector is desired to overcome the problems mentioned above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a low profile cable connector.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a cable connector with a contact clipping a cable horizontally is provides. The cable connector includes an insulating housing having an assembling portion and a mating portion protruding from one side of the assembling portion, the mating portion including a mating cavity, the assembling portion including a receiving room communicating with the mating cavity; a contact having a connecting portion received in the receiving room for connecting the inner conductor of the cable and a contacting portion extending into the mating cavity; and a shell having a back portion assembled upon the assembling portion of the insulating housing. The insulating housing includes an elastic arm extending into the receiving room and located beside the connecting portion of the contact. The back portion of the shell includes a pushing portion pushing the elastic arm to press the connecting portion of the contact.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made to the drawings to describe a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure in detail.

Referring toFIGS. 1 to 6, an cable connector1in accordance with a first embodiment of the present disclosure comprises an insulating housing10, a contact20retained in the insulating housing10, a shell surrounding the insulating housing10and a cable40connecting the contact20and extending out of the insulating housing10. The cable40from the inside to the outside comprises an inner conductor41, a dielectric layer42surrounding the inner conductor41, an outer conductor43surrounding the dielectric layer42and a dielectric jacket44coating the outer conductor43.

Referring toFIGS. 3 to 6, the insulating housing10comprises an assembling portion11and a tubular mating portion12protruding from the assembling portion11. The mating portion12comprises mating surface121and a mating cavity122going through the mating surface121. The assembling portion11comprises a receiving room111communicating with the mating cavity122and a pair of elastic arms112obliquely extending into the receiving room111in a face-to-face manner. Each of the elastic arms112defines an inserting room113with an inner surface of the receiving room111. The elastic arm112comprises a hook portion117at a free end for retaining the contact20. In this embodiment, the assembling portion11further comprises a pair of T-shaped protrusions114extending opposite to each other and a supporting portion115extending along a radial direction of the tubular mating portion12for supporting the cable40. The supporting portion115defines a passageway116communicating with the receiving room111for accommodating the cable40.

The contact20a pair of connecting portions21located in the receiving room111, a pair of contacting portions22extending from the connecting portions21downwardly into the mating cavity122, and an arc-shaped portion23linking said a pair of connecting portions21at one end. When assembling the contact20into the insulating housing10in an up-to-down direction, the contact20locates between said a pair of elastic arms112, the contacting portions21extends into the mating cavity122, the connecting portions22are locked by hooks117of the elastic arms112so as to be retained thereon.

The shell30comprises a back portion31covering the assembling portion11of the insulating housing10and a tubular trunk portion32surrounding the mating portion12of the insulating housing10. The trunk portion32defines a cylindrical space33. The trunk portion32comprises a pair of T-shaped cutouts34for matching with the T-shaped protrusions114of the insulating housing10. The back portion31comprises a cover section311connecting the trunk portion32and a holding section312. The cover section311comprises a pair of pushing portions313for pushing the elastic arms112of the insulating housing10and a pair of retention tabs314located around the supporting portion115. The holding section312defines a plurality of wings for retaining the cable40tightly. In this embodiment, the trunk portion32defines a slot331for elastically deformation and a ring332for engaging a corresponding connector.

Referring toFIG. 6, when assembling the insulating housing10into the shell30, firstly, the mating portion12of the insulating housing is inserted into the trunk portion32of the shell30, the T-shaped protrusion114matches with the T-shaped cutout34. Then, the back portion31is bent towards the insulating housing10, the pushing portions313are received in the inserting room113and push the elastic arms112to move towards the contact20, the elastic arms112push the connecting portions22to clip the inner conductor41of the cable40tightly. As the elastic arms112are defined obliquely in a face-to-face manner, the distance h1between two outer sides of the two elastic arms free ends is less than the distance h2between two inner sides of the two pushing portions313while the distance h2is less than the distance h3between two outer sides of the other ends of the elastic arms. In the present disclosure, the inner conductor41of the cable40is clipped by the contact20horizontally before the shell30is bent, a stable connection between the contact20and the cable can be ensured. Another aspect, as no insulating lid between the shell and the contact is needed, the cable connector has a low profile.

FIGS. 7 and 8show a second embodiment of the present disclosure. An cable connector1′ comprises an insulating housing10′, a shell30′ and a cable40′ substantially the same with the first embodiment. The difference between the second and first embodiments is the structure of the contact. The contact20′ comprises two parts separated from each other. Each part comprises a connecting portion21′, a contacting portion22′ and a bending portion24′. The bending portion24′ is locked by a hook117′ of an elastic arm11′. A pushing portion313′ of the shell30′ pushes the elastic arm11′ urging the connecting portion21′ to clip an inner conductor41′ of the cable40′. The structure of the separated type contact is easy. The separated type contact can be made from a contact carrier where the contact in the first embodiment has been manufactured and removed for cost down.

While preferred embodiment in accordance with the present disclosure has been shown and described, equivalent modifications and changes known to persons skilled in the art according to the spirit of the present disclosure are considered within the scope of the present disclosure as defined in the appended claims.