Abstract:
A cable assembly ( 100 ) includes a first insulated housing ( 1 ) having at least a first mounting slot ( 101 ) and a corresponding second mounting slot ( 102 ) defined therein, a fastening member for fastening the first insulated housing and a panel together, the fastening member including a latching member ( 5 ) accommodated in the first mounting slot and anchoring plate ( 6 ) accommodated in the second mounting slot, the screw having a base portion and a shrinkable post portion integrated with the base portion, the anchoring plate defining a first through hole and a second through hole communicated with the first through hole, the post portion being larger than the second through hole and smaller than the first through hole; and the post portion of the latching member inserted into the first mounting hole and locked into the second through hole of the anchoring plate.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/221692, filed on Aug. 5, 2008 and entitled “CABLE CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY HAVING IMPROVED FIXING MEMBER”, which has the same assignee as the present invention. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to a cable assembly, and more particularly to a cable assembly having quick-lock means for fastening itself to a panel. 
         [0004]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0005]    In recent days, an electrical connector known as a Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (Serial ATA) connector, according to the newly developed Serial ATA interface standard, is developed to be generally used for connecting storage peripheral devices such as hard disk drives with a mother printed circuit panel so as to achieve signal or power transmission therebetween. The Serial ATA connector has many advantages such as low voltage requirement, low pin count and high speed transmission. 
         [0006]    A cable assembly is typically described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,896,556 issued to Wu on May 24, 2005. The cable assembly comprises a first housing extending in a lengthwise direction and a number of first and second contacts received in the first housing in a lateral direction perpendicular to the lengthwise direction, a cable including a number of conductors electrically connecting with the first contacts, a second housing back to back assembled to the first housing and a number of third contacts electrically connecting with the first contacts, a panel, a pair of screws inserting through the first housing and the panel, and a pair of screw caps engaging with the screws. The screw and the screw cap respectively have mutual cooperated screw thread. The panel could be fixed onto the first housing via the engagement between the screws and the screw caps. 
         [0007]    When the screw and the screw cap are assemble together, screwdriver or other tool is needed to operate them, furthermore, the screw thread of the screw and the screw thread of the screw cap may be abrased, and the engagement between the screw and the screw cap is not reliable enough for fastening the panel onto the first housing. 
         [0008]    Hence, a cable assembly having an improved fastening member is highly desired. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a cable assembly having an improved fastening member. 
         [0010]    In order to achieve the object set forth, a cable assembly in accordance with the present invention adapted for mounting to a panel defining at least a hole therein. The cable assembly comprises a first insulated housing having a base portion and a mating portion extending forwardly from the base portion, at least a first mounting slot and a corresponding second mounting slot defined in the base portion, said first mounting slot perpendicular to and in communication with the second mounting slot; a plurality of terminals received in the first insulated housing; a fastening member mounted to the base portion of the first insulated housing for fastening the first insulated housing to the panel, the fastening member including a latching member accommodated in the first mounting slot and an anchoring plate accommodated in the second mounting slot, the latching member having a base portion and a shrinkable post portion integrated with the base portion, the anchoring plate defining a first through hole and a second through hole communicated with the first through hole, the post portion being larger than the second through hole and smaller than the first through hole; and the post portion of the latching member inserted into the first mounting hole and locked into the second through hole of the anchoring plate, and the anchoring plate being moveable to align the post portion of the latching member with the first through hole of the anchoring plate to release the latching member from the anchoring plate. 
         [0011]    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 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is an exploded, perspective view of a cable assembly in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a view similar to  FIG. 1 , but taken from another aspect; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  shows the cable assembly separated from a panel; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a view similar to  FIG. 3 , but taken from another aspect; 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  shows the cable assembly being mounted to the panel; 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a view similar to  FIG. 5 , but taken from another aspect; 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 9  is an assembled perspective view showing the cable assembly mounted to the panel, with the fastening member under unlocked status; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  10 - 10  of  FIG. 9 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0022]    Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0023]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-8 , a cable assembly  100  adapted for mating with a panel  300  in accordance with the present invention comprises a first insulated housing  1 , a plurality of terminals  21 ,  22 ,  23 , a retention portion  4  retained in the first insulated housing  1 , a second insulated housing  7  assembled to the first insulated housing  1 , a cable  9  connected to the first insulated housing  1  via a connecting portion  8 , a pair of latching member  5  and a pair of anchoring plate  6  engaging with the latching member  5 . The latching member  5  and the anchoring plate  6  are cooperated as a fastening/fixing member. 
         [0024]    The first insulated housing  1  has an elongated base portion  10  and a mating portion  11  extending forwardly from a front face of the base portion  10 . The mating portion  11  has a pair of protruding posts  12  disposed at opposite ends thereof for guiding the cable assembly  1  to mate with a complementary connector (not shown) along a mating direction. 
         [0025]    The mating portion  11  includes a first and a second mating ports  11   a,    11   b  arranged in a side-by-side manner. The first mating port  11   a  has a lengthwise dimension smaller than that of the second mating port  11   b.  The base portion  10  defines a cavity  105  extending therethrough to communicate with the second mating port  11   b,  and a plurality of circular holes  107  and rectangular slots  106  located at upper and lower sides of the cavity  105 . The base portion  10  defines a receiving space  108  corresponding to the first mating port  11   a  in a rear face thereof. The first insulated housing  1  defines a plurality of first passageways  13  communicating with the first mating port  11   a  and the receiving space  108 , and a plurality of second passageways  14  communicating with the second mating port  11   b  and the cavity  105 . 
         [0026]    A pair of first mounting slots  101  are defined in lateral sections of the base portion  10  and arranged at opposite sides of the mating portion  11 . The first mounting holes  101  extend along a first direction (front-to-back direction). A pair of second mounting slots  102  are also respectively defined in the lateral sections of the base portion  10  and extending along a second direction (vertical direction). The second mounting slots  102  are arranged perpendicular to and in communication with the first mounting slots  101 , respectively. Two windows  103  are defined in an upper sides of the corresponding lateral section and communicate with each of the second mounting holes  102 . A horizontal slot  104  is defined in a lower side of the corresponding lateral section and intersects with the corresponding second mounting slot  102 . 
         [0027]    The first terminals  11  has four signal terminals and three ground terminals. The second terminals  22  are power terminals. Each first terminal  21  or second terminal  22  includes a contact portion  2   b,  a tail portion  2   c,  and an intermediate portion  2   a  interconnecting the contact portion  2   b  and the tail portion  2   c.  Each third terminal  23  has a flat portion  231  and a Z-shaped engaging portion  232  connected with the flat portion  231 . 
         [0028]    Each latching member  5  comprises a base portion  51 , a post portion  52  having a slit  53  defined therein to divide itself into two deformable parts, which are shrinkable toward an axial line of the post portion  52 . The post portion  52  has a platform  522  formed on a peripheral side thereof, a position recess  521  defined in the platform  522 . The platform  522  further defines a tapered front end  523 . 
         [0029]    The anchoring plate  6  comprises a main portion  60 , a first through hole  61  defined in a middle segment of the main portion  60 , a second through hole  62  defined in an upper segment of the main portion  60  and in communication to the first through hole  61 . The first through hole  61  is large than the post portion  52  in a diametrical direction, and the second through hole  62  is smaller than the post portion  52  in the diametrical direction, so that the post portion  52  can be inserted through the first through hole  61  freely, and locked with the second through hole  62 . Two stubs  63  are spaced part each other and extend upwardly from a top edge of the main portion  60 . A number of barbs  64  are formed on two lateral edges of the main portion  60 . 
         [0030]    The retention portion  4  has a plurality of third passageways  41  defined therein. 
         [0031]    The second insulated housing  7  includes a body portion  70 , a tongue portion  71  extending rearwardly from a middle portion of the body portion  70  for mating with a complementary second connector (not shown), and a planar plate  74  extending rearwardly from a lower section of the body portion  70  and parallel to the tongue portion  71 . A substantially U-shaped second wall  741  extends rearwardly from a lateral section of the body portion  70  and aligns with the tongue portion  71  along a horizontal direction. The body portion  70  has a plurality of locking beams  72  and posts  73  extend forwardly from a front face thereof. 
         [0032]    The connecting portion  8  comprises a base wall  81  and a boot portion  82  protruding rearwardly from a rear face of the base wall  81 . The boot portion  82  has a pair of insertion slots  83  extending through the connecting portion  8 . The base wall  81  comprises a pair of clasping portions  811  formed at a front side thereof. 
         [0033]    The cable  9  comprises a pair of wires  91  each includes an insulative jacket  911 , a pair of differential signal conductors  912  and a pair of ground conductors  913  exposed out of the jacket  911  at one end thereof. 
         [0034]    The panel  300  defines an opening  31  in a middle portion thereof and a pair of holes  32  at opposite sides of the opening  31 . 
         [0035]    In assembly of the cable assembly  100 , the first terminals  21  are inserted in third passageways  41  of the retention portion  4 . The retention portion  4  together with the first terminals  21  are mounted in the receiving space  108  of the first insulated housing  1 , with the intermediate portions  2   a  of the first terminals  21  retained in the first passageways  13  and the contact portions  2   b  exposed in the first mating port  11   a.  The second terminals  22  are inserted into the second passageways  14  of the first insulated housing  1  along the mating direction, with the contact portions  2   b  thereof exposed in the second ports  11   b.  Four signal conductors  912  of the cable  9  are respectively soldered with the tail portions  2   c  of the four signal terminals of the first terminals  21 . The ground conductors  913  of each wire  91  are soldered with the tail portions  2   c  of the ground terminals of the first terminals  21 . 
         [0036]    The connecting portion  8  is overmolded with the cable  9  and the first insulated housing  1  after the wires  91  are soldered with the first terminals  21 . The pair of clasping portions  811  of the base wall  81  are plunged into the depressions  104 . 
         [0037]    The second housing  2  is back to back assembled to the first insulated housing  1  with the posts  73  received in the holes  107  of the first insulated housing  1  and the locking beams  72  locking with into the slots  106  to thereby interlocking the first insulated housing  1  with the second insulated housing  7  together. The tail portions  2   c  of the second terminals  22  disposed in the cavity  105  and resiliently contact with the engaging portions  232  of the third terminals  23 . 
         [0038]    The anchoring plate  61  are respectively mounted to the second mounting slots  102 , with the second through holes  62  thereof respectively aligning with the first mounting slots  101 . The first insulated housing  1  is mounted to the panel  300 , with the second insulated housing  7  and the retention portion  8  together with the cable  9  extending outwardly from the opening  31 , and the holes  32  aligned with corresponding first mounting slots  101 . The post portion  52  of each latching member  5  is inserted through the hole  32  of the panel  300  and into the corresponding first mounting holes  101 . Then the post portion  52  is shrinkable along the diametrical direction and snacked into the second through hole  62  of the corresponding anchoring plate  6 , and the position recess  521  interlocks with the second through hole  62 , therefore the latching member  5  engages with the anchoring plate  6  reliably. The cable assembly  100  is securely fastened to the panel  300 . 
         [0039]    Referring to  FIGS. 9-10 , when the cable assembly  100  is demounted away the panel  300 , just push the anchoring plate  6  to move it upwardly, with the stubs  63  thereof through the windows  103  of the base portion  10 , and the post portion  52  is disposed in the first through hole  61  of the anchoring plate  6 . The latching member  5  are pulled out of the mounting slots  101  to separate the panel  300  and the cable assembly  100 . 
         [0040]    It can be understood that the cable assembly  100  is formed by integrating a cable connector with a power adaptor, wherein the cable connector comprises the first terminals  21  received in the first mating port  11   a  of the first insulated housing  1  and the cable  3  electrically connecting with the first terminals  21  for signal transmission, and wherein the power adaptor includes the second terminals  21  received in the second mating port  11   b  of the first insulated housing  1  and electrically connecting with the second terminals  22  received in the second insulated housing  7  for power transmission. 
         [0041]    It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.