Abstract:
An integrated design for an active HDMI connector is presented. The active HDMI connector comprises an active module circuit board, a connector pin assembly, connector pins, an insulation housing, and a metal connector shell. The connector shell partially encloses and partially exposes the active module. The connector pins each have a bent segment embedded in a molding assembly to fixate the pins within the molding assembly. The molding assembly defines a recessed slot for the active module. The active module has a cutout on a side of the module that is aligned with a tab on the connector shell. The tab is bent toward the inside of the connector shell to secure the active module inside the shell. The insulation housing includes pin separators that do not fully surround the connector pins.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present application relates to the field of HDMI data connectors. More particularly, the described embodiments relate to an active HDMI connector with an integrated connector and active module. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A high-definition multimedia interface cable (HDMI cable) can relay compressed or uncompressed video and audio data from a data source, such as a computer or media player, to a video and audio output device. A standard HDMI cable comprises a connector pin assembly soldered directly to cable wires. When a data signal is transferred through an ultra-thin HDMI cable or a long HDMI cable, there can be significant signal attenuation. If there is too much signal loss, the cable will be unable to meet the high HDMI data transfer rate standards. This problem has been addressed by adding an active module chipset to the connector pin assembly. The chipset boosts the HDMI data signal and equalizes the signal at the end of the cable to compensate for signal attenuation. 
       FIG. 1  shows a prior art active HDMI connector assembly  100 , which is provided in two parts. The first part of the connector assembly  100  is an active module circuit board  105  with an active chipset  150  to boost the HDMI data signal though the HDMI cable. The second part of the connector assembly  100  is a connector body  101  comprising a metal connector shell  110  enclosing a connector pin assembly  172  with connector pins  160  protruding from the assembly  172 . The connector shell  110  also encloses an insulation housing  200  that houses the pin assembly  172  and the connector pins  160 . The active module  105  is entirely exposed outside of shell  110 . The active module  105  abuts the connector pin assembly  172 , and the connector pins  160  are soldered to pin contacts  130  on the abutting end  140  of active module  105 . Cable contacts  120  on the opposite end of active module  105  can be soldered to cable conductor wires. 
       FIG. 2  shows a cross-section of insulation housing  200 , which surrounds the connector pin assembly  172  inside of shell  110 . The insulation housing  200  has a grid of pin separators  220  to protect and electrically isolate connector pins  160 . Each individual connector pin  160  is separated from other pins  160  inside the insulation housing  200  by the pin separators  220 . 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a prior art HDMI connector assembly. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a prior art insulation housing. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic view of an active module for an integrated HDMI connector assembly. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an active HDMI connector assembly with integrated design. 
         FIGS. 5 and 6  are perspective views of a tab for use with the integrated HDMI connector assembly. 
         FIGS. 7 and 8  are perspective views of a first molding assembly for the HDMI connector. 
         FIGS. 9 and 10  are perspective views of a second molding assembly for the HDMI connector. 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a connector pin assembly. 
         FIG. 12  is a schematic view of a pin fixation construction. 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view of an insulation housing for the connector pin assembly. 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view of the insulation housing in combination with the connector pin assembly. 
         FIG. 15  is a perspective view of the active module coupled with the insulation housing and connector pin assembly. 
         FIG. 16  is a perspective view of an active HDMI connector encased in a plug body. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIGS. 3-6  show one embodiment of an integrated active HDMI connector assembly  401 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the integrated active HDMI connector assembly  401  includes an active module circuit board  300  that is partially enclosed inside of a connector shell  400  and partially exposed outside of the shell  400 . The module  300 , more clearly shown in  FIG. 3 , has cable contacts  390  that can be soldered to cable conductor wires, and pin contacts  395  that can be soldered to connector pins. When assembled, the HDMI connector assembly  401  encloses the active chipset  330  on the active module  300 , providing improved electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. 
     The disclosed embodiments of the integrated HDMI connector provide a manufacturing advantage. The prior art active HDMI connector assembly  100  shown in  FIG. 1  is provided in two parts: an active module  105  and a connector body  101 . A cable manufacturer solders the connector body  101  to the active module  105 , and solders cable wires to cable contacts  120  on the module  105 . The integrated active HDMI connector assembly  401  disclosed herein provides the assembly  401  as a single unit, requiring the cable manufacturer to solder only once between the connector cable wires and cable contacts  390 . 
     The active module  300  contains a number of features that allow the module  300  to be secured in the shell  400 . The sides  310  of the module  300  contain cutouts  301 . The cutouts  301  are positioned to mechanically secure module  300  within shell  400  through the use of a tab  420  formed into the shell  400 . The shell  400  contains a cutout  450  providing access to an interior of shell  400 . After module  300  is inserted into the shell  400 , the tab  420  is bent inward toward the interior of shell  400  to align with the cutout  301  as in  FIG. 6 . The tab  420  prevents the module  300  from sliding into or out of the shell  400 . 
     Module  300  has two shoulders  320  extending outward from the sides  310  of module  300 . When the active HDMI connector assembly  401  is assembled, the module  300  partially protrudes from the shell  400 . The shoulders  320  abut the side edge  410  of shell  400 , which prevents the cable contacts  390  of module  300  from sliding into the shell  400 . Note that the shell  400  does surround the active chipset  330  on module  300 , which provides enhanced EMI shielding for the chipset  330 . 
       FIGS. 7-11  show perspective views of molding assemblies used to hold the contact pins in the HDMI connector assembly  401 .  FIGS. 7-8  show a top and bottom side, respectively, of a 10-pin molding assembly  710 .  FIGS. 9-10  show a bottom and top side, respectively of a 9-pin molding assembly  910 .  FIG. 11  shows the molding assemblies  710 ,  910  coupled to form a connector pin assembly  1150 . 
     In  FIGS. 7-8 , the 10-pin molding assembly  710  has contact pins  750  that are partially embedded in the molding assembly  710 . The pins  750  provide electrical data connection when the HDMI connector assembly  401  is plugged into a data source. The contact pins  750  have a distal end portion  751  that extends out of the molding assembly  710  and a proximal end portion  755  that protrudes from the molding assembly  710  into a recess  820  found on the bottom side of the molding assembly  710 . The proximal end portions  755  will be connected to the active HDMI module  300  in the active HDMI connector assembly  401 . 
     Molding assembly  710  also has features to mechanically secure the molding assembly  710  to other parts in the connector assembly  401 . A protrusion  830  on the bottom side of the molding assembly aligns the molding assembly  710  with a top side of a second molding assembly  910 . A protrusion  730 , a protruding wall  760 , and a shoulder  740  help secure the molding assembly  710  within an insulation housing  1310  shown in  FIGS. 13-14 . 
     In  FIGS. 9-10 , the 9-pin molding assembly  910  has contact pins  950  that are partially embedded in the molding assembly  910 . The contact pins  950  have a distal end portion  951  that extends out of the molding assembly  910  and a proximal end portion  955  that protrudes from the molding assembly  910  into a recess  1020  found on the top side of the molding assembly  910 . The proximal end portions  955  will be connected to the active HDMI module  300  in the active HDMI connector assembly  401 . 
     Molding assembly  910  also has features to mechanically secure the molding assembly  910  to other parts in the connector assembly  401 . One or more notches  1035  on the top side of the molding assembly  910  align with the protrusions  830  on the bottom side of molding assembly  710  to lock the molding assemblies  710 ,  910  together. An abutting edge  920  helps secure the molding assembly  910  in the insulation housing  1310 . 
       FIG. 11  shows the molding assemblies  710 ,  910  coupled together to create a connector pin assembly  1150 . When coupled, the recess  820  on the bottom of assembly  710  neighbors the recess  1020  on the top of assembly  910 . Together, the recesses  820 ,  1020  define a slot  1100 . The slot  1100  is sized to receive an edge  380  of the active module  300 . 
       FIG. 12  is a schematic side view of the connector pin assembly  1150  showing fixation of the connector pins  750 ,  950  within the molding assemblies  710 ,  910 . The pins  750 ,  950  have bent segments  1217  and  1219  that are partially embedded in molding assemblies  710 ,  910 . The bent segments  1217 ,  1219  fix the contact pins within the molding assemblies  710 ,  910  by resisting any force attempting to pull the pins  750 ,  950  linearly out of the molding assemblies  710 ,  910 . 
       FIGS. 13-14  show an insulation housing  1310  that houses the connector pin assembly  1150 . When the connector pin assembly  1150  is fully inserted into an opening  1315  of the housing  1310 , the 10-pin molding assembly  710  is secured in the housing  1310  by the protrusion  730  fitting into a notch  1355  of the housing  1310 . The protruding wall  760  abuts an edge of a cutout  1350  in the housing  1310 . Housing assembly contains pin separators  1320  and  1321 . When the connector pin assembly  1150  is coupled with the housing  1310 , the top pin separators  1321  separate the pins  750  of the 10-pin molding assembly  710 , and the bottom pin separators  1320  separate the pins  950  of the 9-pin molding assembly  910 .  FIG. 14  shows the insulation housing  1310  coupled with the connector pin assembly  1150 . 
     The insulation housing  1310  of  FIG. 13  differs from the prior art insulation housing  200  of  FIG. 2  because pin separators  1321 ,  1320  are open-ended. In other words, the top and bottom pin separators  1321 ,  1320  do not touch and to not run in-between the pins  750 ,  950  of the two molding assemblies  710 ,  910 . The prior art housing  200  contains a grid of pin separators  220 , but the improved integrated, shortened design of the disclosed embodiments do not require each pin  750 ,  950  to be completely surrounded by the pin separators  1321 ,  1320 . 
       FIG. 15  shows the integration of the connector pin assembly  1150 , the insulation housing  1310 , and the active module  300 . The cutout  302  of module  300  abuts the shoulder  740  of molding assembly  710  and allows the narrow edge  380  of active module  300  to extend into the interior of slot  1100 . The pin contacts  395  align with proximal pin end portions  955  in the integrated configuration when the edge  380  is within slot  1100 . Proximal pin end portions  755  also connect to pin contacts (not shown) on an underside of the active module  300 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the shell  400  wraps around the insulation housing  1310  and the majority of the active module  300 , exposing only shoulder portions  320  and the cable contacts  390  of module  300 . 
     The integrated active HDMI connector configurations shown in  FIGS. 4 and 15  allow the active HDMI connector assembly  401  to be physically shorter than the prior art connector assembly  100  of  FIG. 1  (although, notably, the shell  400  is longer than the shell  110 ). Currently, an active HDMI connector assembly  100  can be as short as 23.3 mm. The integrated active HDMI connector assembly  401  disclosed herein can reduce the length of the active HDMI connector assembly  401  to as little as 18.3 mm. 
       FIG. 16  shows the HDMI connector assembly  401  used in an HDMI cable  1610 . An insulating plug body  1600  surrounds the shell  400 , which in turn houses the insulation housing  1310  and contact pins  750 ,  950 . 
     The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the above description. Numerous modifications and variations will readily occur to those skilled in the art. For example, instead of two separate molding assemblies, the connector pin assembly could be provided as a single molding assembly containing both the 9-pin and 10-pin connectors. Since such modifications are possible, the invention is not to be limited to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described. Rather, the present invention should be limited only by the following claims.