Abstract:
A cable connector assembly ( 100 ) includes two rows of conductive terminals ( 2 ) held in an insulative housing ( 1 ), a plurality of wires ( 60 ) electrically connecting with the corresponding conductive terminals, and upper and lower spacers ( 41, 42 ) behind the insulative housing to arrange the wires in order. A plurality of first partitions ( 411 ) protrude upwards from top surface of the upper spacer to form a plurality of first slots ( 410 ) for receiving a group of the wires, and a plurality of second partitions ( 421 ) protrude downwards from bottom surface of the lower spacer to form a plurality of second slots ( 420 ) for receiving another group of the wires.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention generally relates to a cable connector assembly with plural rows of wires, and more particularly, to a cable connector assembly having a wire management member with a low profile. 
   2. Description of the Prior Art 
   Developed by Sony, Hitachi, Thomson (RCA), Philips, Matsushita (Panasonic), Toshiba and Silicon Image, the High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) has emerged as the connection standard for HDTV and the consumer electronics market. HDMI is the first and only digital interface to combine uncompressed high-definition video, multi-channel audio and intelligent format and command data in a single digital interface. 
   According to the connection standard of HDMI, an HDMI cable assembly generally comprises an insulative housing having a plurality of passages, a plurality of contacts disposed in the housing, a shielding shell surrounding the housing, a cable having a plurality of conductors terminated to the contacts and an insulated protecting cover molded over joint portions of the cable and the contacts. In addition, a spacer is provided to seal up rear openings of the passages during molding of the protecting cover. Generally, the spacer defines a plurality of though holes permitting tail portions of the contacts passing through to solder with the conductors of the cable. For achieving desired soldering effect, the tail portions and the conductors are supported by a rearwardly extending supporting plate. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is an object of the present invention to provide a cable connector assembly having a wire management member with a low profile. 
   In order to attain the object above, a cable connector assembly according to the present invention comprises two rows of conductive terminals held in an insulative housing, a plurality of wires electrically connecting with the corresponding conductive terminals, and upper and lower spacers behind the insulative housing to arrange the wires in order. A plurality of first partitions protrude upwards from top surface of the upper spacer to form a plurality of first slots for receiving a group of the wires, and a plurality of second partitions protrude downwards from bottom surface of the lower spacer to form a plurality of second slots for receiving another group of the wires. 
   Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The features of this invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention, together with its objects and the advantages thereof, may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals identify like elements in the figures and in which: 
       FIG. 1  is an assembled, perspective view of a cable connector assembly in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a partially assembled view of the cable connector assembly shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a view similar to  FIG. 2 , but viewed from another aspect; 
       FIG. 4  is an exploded, perspective view of the cable connector assembly shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a view similar to  FIG. 4 , but viewed from another aspect. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
   Please referring to  FIGS. 1-5 , a cable connector assembly  100  according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises an insulative housing  1 , a plurality of conductive terminals  2  disposed in the housing  1 , a PCB (Printed Circuit Board)  3  mounted behind the housing  1  and connected with the terminals  2 , a cable  6  with a plurality of wires  60  thereof, a wire management member for arranging the wires  60 , and a metal shell  5  shielding the housing  1  and the PCB  3 . 
   The housing  1  comprises a trapezoid space  11  formed by four walls in the front for receiving a complementary connector (not shown), and a rectangular space  12  at the rear end for receiving the PCB  3  therein. Two rows of terminal passages  13  are formed in upper and bottom walls of the housing  1 , and communicate with the trapezoid space  11  and the rectangular space  12 . 
   The terminals  2  are inserted into the terminal passages  13  from the rectangular space  12 , with elastic contact portions  21  in the front of the terminals  2  inserted into the trapezoid space  11 , and tail portions  22  in the rear to connect with the PCB  3 . A plurality of barbs  23  are formed with the middle of each of the terminals  2  to hold the terminal  2  in the housing  1 . 
   The PCB  3  defines upper and lower surfaces, each of the upper and lower surfaces forming a plurality of first conductive traces  31  at the front, a plurality of second conductive traces  32  at the rear, and a plurality of circuit lines  33  to connect the corresponding first and second conductive traces. The space between adjacent first conductive traces  31  is equal to that of adjacent conductive terminals  2  so as to facilitate to solder the terminals  2  to the first conductive traces  31 . The space between adjacent second conductive traces  32  is larger so that it is easy to solder the wires  60  to the second conductive traces  32 . 
   In this preferred embodiment, this built-in PCB  3  not only provide general signal transmission, but also is installed some function components, chips on to meet the needs of manufacturers or designers. 
   The wire management member is composed of upper and lower spacers  41 ,  42 . From top surface of the upper spacer  41  a plurality of convex bars  411  protrude upwards along the wires  60  to form a plurality of slots  410 , so as to accept and manage the wires  60 . Similarly, a plurality of convex bars  421  protrude downwards along the wires  60  from bottom surface of the lower spacer  42  to form a plurality of slots  420 , so as to accept and manage the wires  60 . 
   A pair of locking arms  412  protrude downwards from both sides of bottom surface of the upper spacer  41 , and each has an expansion  413  in the front. A pair of grooves  422  are formed at both sides of the lower spacer  42  to interferentially receive the locking arms  412 , and each forms a narrow neck  423  to prevent the expansion  413  from withdrawing from the groove  422 , so as to fix the upper and lower spacers  41 ,  42  together. Guide portions  413 ,  423  are formed to lead the expansions  413  through the narrow necks  423 . 
   In assembly, firstly, arrange the wires  60  in the corresponding slots  410 ,  420  of the upper and lower spacers  41 ,  42 , with the front end of the wires  60  exposed in front of the slots  410 ,  420  to facilitate removal of outer insulators  61  of the wires  60 . Secondly, Put a dab of glue in each slots  410 ,  420  to fix the wires  60  in the upper and lower spacers  41 ,  42 . Thirdly, remove the outer insulator  61  of the front end of the wires  60  by Laser Machining to expose inner conductors  62  outside. Fourthly, assemble the upper and lower spacers  41 ,  42  together, and solder the inner conductors  62  onto the PCB  3 .  100221  The metal shell  5  is stamped by a metal sheet and has an elongate base plate  51  with a through hole  510 . A box portion  52  enclosed by several sidewalls is formed in the front of the metal shell  5  to receive the insulative housing  1 . A pair of side walls  53  extend upwards from both sides of the rear of the base plate  51 , and forms a pair of retention portion  531  to engage with a cover shell (not shown) which is used to cover the rear of the metal shell  5 . Finally, a casing (not shown) is molded over the rear end of the metal shell  5 , the cover shell and the cable  6 . In this preferred embodiment, the detail of the cover shell and the casing is not shown, but is similar to corresponding parts of Chinese Patent No. 200420028550. 
   Note that the slots  410 ,  420  are formed in outer surfaces of the wire management member, and it is useful to reduce the height of the wire management member. As the wires  60  received in the slots  410 ,  420  are needed to be soldered to corresponding terminals  2  or conductive traces  32 , the space between upper and lower rows of slots  410 ,  420  is almost changeless, equal to that of adjacent rows of terminals or traces. Therefore, to reduce the height of the wire management member, it is necessary to reduce other dimensions that exclude the space between upper and lower rows of slots  410 ,  420 . It is obvious that the height of the wire management member is minimum, almost equal to the space between upper and lower rows of slots  410 ,  420 , in condition that the slots  410 ,  420  are formed in outer surfaces of the wire management member. On the other hand, it is easy and convenient to have the upper spacer  41  and the lower spacer  42  respectively assembled with the corresponding upper row wires and lower row wires and successively assembled to each other as the final assembly. It is noted that according to  FIG. 1  the rear edge of the printed circuit board  3  confronts a front face of the wire management member  41 ,  42 , and the front end of the insulator  61  of each wire  60  terminates in front of the rear edge of the printed circuit board. A depth of the slot  410  of the upper spacer  41  is offset from the upper surface of the printed circuit board  3 , and a depth of the slot  420  of the lower spacer  42  is offset from the second surface of the printed circuit board  3  so as to forgive diameter difference between the insulator  61  and the inner conductor  62 . A middle level of the printed circuit board  3  is coplanar with an interface between the upper spacer  41  and the lower spacer  42  where both the upper spacer  41  and the lower spacer  42  are back to back assembled to each other. 
   It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous, characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set fourth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosed is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of number, 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.