Abstract:
A cable assembly ( 1 ) includes an insulative housing ( 11 ) having a base portion ( 110 ) and a tongue portion ( 112 ) extending forwardly from the base portion, a plurality of contacts mounted to the insulated housing; a metal shell ( 13 ) having a tube-shaped mating frame ( 1311 ) enclosing the tongue portion therein, and at least a cleat member ( 1314 ) formed on a rear portion of the mating frame; and a cable including a number of wires and strength member ( 222 ) therein, said wires respectively connected to the contacts, and said strength member wrapped around the cleat member and sandwiched between the base portion of the insulative housing and the cleat member.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/818,100, filed on Jun. 13, 2007 and entitled “EXTENSION TO UNIVERSAL SERIAL BUS CONNECTOR WITH IMPROVED CONTACT ARRANGEMENT”, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/982,660, filed on Nov. 2, 2007 and entitled “EXTENSION TO ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR WITH IMPROVED CONTACT ARRANGEMENT AND METHOD OF ASSEMBLING THE SAME”, both of which have the same assignee as the present invention. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a cable assembly, more particularly to a cable assembly with an enhanced interconnection means arranged between an electrical connector and a cable thereof to reinforce physical or mechanical connecting therebetween. 
   2. Description of Related Art 
   Recently, personal computers (PC) are used of a variety of techniques for providing input and output. Universal Serial Bus (USB) is a serial bus standard to the PC architecture with a focus on computer telephony interface, consumer and productivity applications. The design of USB is standardized by the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), an industry standard body incorporating leading companies from the computer and electronic industries. USB can connect peripherals such as mouse devices, keyboards, PDAs, gamepads and joysticks, scanners, digital cameras, printers, external storage, networking components, etc. For many devices such as scanners and digital cameras, USB has become the standard connection method. 
   USB supports three data rates: 1) A Low Speed rate of up to 1.5 Mbit/s (187.5 KB/s) that is mostly used for Human Interface Devices (HID) such as keyboards, mice, and joysticks; 2) A Full Speed rate of up to 12 Mbit/s (1.5 MB/s). Full Speed was the fastest rate before the USB 2.0 specification and many devices fall back to Full Speed. Full Speed devices divide the USB bandwidth between them in a first-come first-served basis and it is not uncommon to run out of bandwidth with several isochronous devices. All USB Hubs support Full Speed; 3) A Hi-Speed rate of up to 480 Mbit/s (60 MB/s). Though Hi-Speed devices are advertised as “up to 480 Mbit/s”, not all USB 2.0 devices are Hi-Speed. Hi-Speed devices typically only operate at half of the full theoretical (60 MB/s) data throughput rate. Most Hi-Speed USB devices typically operate at much slower speeds, often about 3 MB/s overall, sometimes up to 10-20 MB/s. A data transmission rate at 20 MB/s is sufficient for some but not all applications. However, under a circumstance transmitting an audio or video file, which is always up to hundreds MB, even to 1 or 2 GB, currently transmission rate of USB is not sufficient. As a consequence, faster serial-bus interfaces are being introduced to address different requirements. PCI Express, at 2.5 GB/s, and SATA, at 1.5 GB/s and 3.0 GB/s, are two examples of High-Speed serial bus interfaces. 
   From an electrical standpoint, the higher data transfer rates of the non-USB protocols discussed above are highly desirable for certain applications. However, these non-USB protocols are not used as broadly as USB protocols. Many portable devices are equipped with USB connectors other than these non-USB connectors. One important reason is that these non-USB connectors contain a greater number of signal pins than an existing USB connector and are physically larger as well. For example, while the PCI Express is useful for its higher possible data rates, a 26-pin connectors and wider card-like form factor limit the use of Express Cards. For another example, SATA uses two connectors, one 7-pin connector for signals and another 15-pin connector for power. Due to its clumsiness, SATA is more useful for internal storage expansion than for external peripherals. 
   The existing USB connectors have a small size but low transmission rate, while other non-USB connectors (PCI Express, SATA, et al) have a high transmission rate but large size. Neither of them is desirable to implement modern high-speed, miniaturized electronic devices and peripherals. To provide a kind of connector with a small size and a high transmission rate for portability and high data transmitting efficiency is much desirable. 
   In recent years, more and more electronic devices are adopted for optical transmitter. It may be good idea to design a connector which is capable of transmitting an electrical signal and an optical signal. Someone has begun to conceive such kind of connector which is compatible of electrical and optical signals transmitting. The connector includes metallic contacts assembled to an insulated housing and several optical lenses bundled together and mounted to the housing too. A kind of hybrid cable includes wires and optical fibers are respectively attached to the metallic contacts and the optical lenses. 
   However, the optical fibers are too delicate to be damaged, and reliable physical and mechanical interconnection between the connector and the cable is desired. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a cable assembly which has an enhanced interconnection means between wires and a connector. 
   In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a cable assembly in accordance with present invention comprises an insulative housing having a base portion and a tongue portion extending forwardly from the base portion, said tongue portion defining a top surface and a bottom surface opposite to the top surface; a plurality of contacts mounted to the insulated housing, each contact having a mating portion arranged proximate to one of the top or bottom surface of the tongue portion, and a tail portion extending beyond a back surface of the base portion; a metal shell having a tube-shaped mating frame enclosing the tongue portion therein, and at least a cleat member formed on a rear portion of the mating frame; and a cable including a number of wires and a strength member therein, said wires respectively connected to the contacts, and said strength member wrapped around the cleat member and sandwiched between the base portion of the insulative housing and the cleat member. 
   The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     For a more complete understanding of the present invention, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded, perspective view of a cable assembly in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a view similar to  FIG. 1 , but viewed from a different aspect; 
       FIG. 3  is a partially assembled view of the cable assembly; 
       FIG. 4  illustrates partial of strength member wrapped around cleat members formed on a shell of a connector; and 
       FIG. 5  is an assembled, perspective view of the cable assembly. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without such specific details. In other instances, well-known circuits have been shown in block diagram form in order not to obscure the present invention in unnecessary detail. For the most part, details concerning timing considerations and the like have been omitted inasmuch as such details are not necessary to obtain a complete understanding of the present invention and are within the skills of persons of ordinary skill in the relevant art. 
   Reference will be made to the drawing figures to describe the present invention in detail, wherein depicted elements are not necessarily shown to scale and wherein like or similar elements are designated by same or similar reference numeral through the several views and same or similar terminology. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1-5 , a cable assembly  1  according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a connector  1 A and a cable  2 B connected to the connector  1 A. Detail description of these elements and their relationship and other elements formed thereon will be detailed below. 
   The connector  1 A comprises an insulative housing  11  which has an insulative base portion  110  and an insulative tongue portion  112  extending forwardly from a lower portion of a front edge of the insulative base portion  110 , a set of first contacts  113  and a set of second contacts  114  supported by the insulative housing  11 , an optical module  12  accommodated in a cavity  1120  defined in a lower section of the tongue portion  12 . 
   The base portion  110  has a top surface  1101  which is higher than a top surface  1121  of the tongue portion  112  along a vertical direction; the base portion  110  further has a bottom surface  1102  is arranged same level as a bottom surface  1122  of the tongue portion  112 . The cavity  1120  is recessed upwardly from a front section of the bottom surface  1122  of the tongue portion  112 , with a front wall  1121  located in front of the cavity  1120 . Four passages  1124  are recessed backward from a front surface of the front wall  1121  and in communication to the cavity  1120 , and four slots  1126  are recessed downwardly from a back section of the bottom surface  1122  of the tongue portion  11  and the bottom surface  1102  of the base portion  110  and further communicate with the cavity  1120 . The slots  1126  respectively align with the passages  1124  along a longitudinal direction. 
   Each of the first contacts  113  includes a planar mating portion  1132  located on and supported by a front section of the top surface  1121  of the tongue portion  112 , a planar tail portion  1136  extending beyond a back surface of the base portion  110 , and a retention portion (not shown) received in the base portion  110  and connecting the mating portion  1132  and the tail portion  1136 . 
   The second set of second contacts  114  include two pairs of differential contacts  1141  arranged lateral sides for transmitting signals and a grounding contact  1143  located between the two pairs of differential contacts  1141  for preventing cross-talk. Each second contact  114  comprises a curved mating portion  1142  located above a back section of the top surface  1121 , a nest shaped (groove shaped) tail portion  1146  extending beyond the back surface of the base portion  110  and disposed higher than the tail portion  1136  of the first contact  113 , and a retention portion (not shown) received in the base portion  110  and connected to the mating portion  1142  and the tail portion  1146 . 
   The optical module  12  includes a holder member  122 , four lenses  120  enclosed within the holder member  122  and further projected outside from a front surface of the holder member  122 . The optical module  12  is accommodated in the cavity  1120 , with the lenses  120  projected into the passages  1124 . A positioning post  1127  is formed on a bottom surface of the cavity  1120  and inserted into an aperture  1123  located in a middle section of the holder member  122 , and a protrusion member  1222  extends into a recess  1128  defined in a back portion of the vertical wall  1122 . 
   The cable  2 B comprises a number of copper wires  21  for transmitting electrical signals and optical wires  22  for transmitting optical signals, and an insulative jacket  20  enclosing peripheral of the signal wires  21  and the optical wires  22 . Each optical wire  22  includes corresponding optical fiber  221  and associated strength member  222  for increasing strength of the cable  2 B or a tolerance the optical wire  22 , such that the delicate optical fiber  123  will not be damaged. The strength member  222  may be kevlar members, fiberglass, etc. The copper wires  21  are respectively connected to the tail portions  1136 ,  1146  of the first and second contacts  113 ,  114 , and the optical fibers  221  are coupled to the lenses  120 . 
   The cable assembly  1  further comprises a metal shell  13 . The metal shell  13  comprises a lower first part  131  and an upper second part  132  engaging with the first half part  131 . The first part  131  comprises a front tube-shaped mating frame  1311 , a rear U-shaped body section  1312  connected to a bottom side and lateral sides of the mating frame  1311 , and a cable holder member  1313  attached to a bottom side of the body section  1312 . A first cleat member  1314  and a second cleat member  1315  extend laterally from a rear section of a top side  1310  of the mating frame  1311 , and a tab  1316  is formed at a rear edge of the top side  1310  and located between the first and second cleat members  1314 ,  1315 . The second part  132  comprises an inverted U-shaped body section  1322  and two locking members  1324  extending forwardly from lateral walls of the body portion  1322 . 
   When assembly, partial of the insulative jacket of a front segment of the cable  2 B is stripped to have the copper wires  21  and optical wires  22  exposed outside, then the copper wires  21  are soldered to the first, second contacts  113 ,  114 , and the optical fibers  221  pass through the slots  1126  of the insualtive housing  11  and coupled to the lenses  120 . Secondly, the insulative housing  11  is inserted into the mating frame  1311 . Thirdly, the strength member  222  is tautened and wrapped around the tab  1316 , the second cleat member  1315 , and the first cleat  1314  sequentially, then the first and the second cleat members  1314 ,  1315  are bent downwardly and inwardly to press against the strength member  222 , thus the strength member  222  is clipped/sandwiched between the base portion  110  and the first and second cleat members  1314 ,  1315 . However, it should be noticed that the strength member  222  may be directly sandwiched between the first and second cleat members  1314 ,  1315  and the top side  1310  of the mating frame  1311 . The second part  132  is assembled to the U-shaped body section  1312  of the second part  131  to have partial of the strength member  222  sandwiched therebetween. The tab  1316  is arranged between a front edge of a top side of the second part and a geometric plane (not numbered) which is located adjacent to front edges of the cleat members  1314 ,  1315  and orthogonal to the cleat members  1314 ,  1315 . The tab  1316  is utilized for adjusting an extending direction of the strength member  222  disposed between the cable  2 B and the metal shell  13 . In another alternative embodiment, the strength member  222  may directly tautened and wrapped around the tab  1316 , and then the tab  1316  is bent toward the top side  1310  of the mating frame  1311  to sandwiched the Strength member  222  therebetween. Therefore, the strength member  222  is securely attached to the first half part  131  of the metal shell  13 . The two locking members  1324  engage with the first and second cleat members  1314 ,  1315 . The cable holder member  1313  is crimped to the insulative jacket  20  of the cable  2 B. 
   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. For example, the tongue portion is extended in its length or is arranged on a reverse side thereof opposite to the supporting side with other contacts but still holding the contacts with an arrangement indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.