Patent Publication Number: US-6659793-B1

Title: Electrical connector assembly with extraction tool

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This present application is related to a U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/120633, invented by David Tso-Chin Ko, entitled “EXTRACTION TOOL FOR EXTRACTING ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR” filed on Apr. 4, 2002; and application Ser. No. 10/302,473 entitled “ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY WITH PULL TAB”, contemporaneously filed and invented by Yong-qian Zhong et al., assigned to the common assignee. Copies of the specifications are hereto attached. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention generally relates to a cable assembly, and more particularly to a cable assembly having an extraction tool providing a robust holding of the cable assembly for separating the connector from a mated connector. 
     2. Brief Description of the Related Art 
     The connector becomes smaller and smaller so as to benefit a thin, compact, and robust electrical device. As a result, it will be very difficult to get hold of it when it is removed from a mated connector. Sometimes the connectors are pulled out by their associated cables, which will destroy the electrical connection between the connectors and the cables. Some extractor tools have been invented to solve above-mentioned questions. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,256, issued to Faillace on Oct. 9, 1990, discloses an extraction tool inserted between an electrical connector. The extraction tool has a level arm and a pair of object-contacting arms. The extraction tool is useful for separating objects from other devices. However the extraction tool of Faillace patent occupies large outer space which does not meet trend of electronic devices. 
     JP Pat. Publication No. 2001-035592, issued on Feb. 9, 2001, discloses an L-shaped extraction tab for extracting a connector from a periphery equipment. The L-shaped extraction tab has a cylindrical part mating with the connector, an action part and a knob part extending from a free end of the action part, the action part further defines a recess for a cable of the connector to extend through. However, the recess defined in the extraction tab is much large, so that the cable may escape therefrom. Furthermore, the action part and the knob extend upwardly from the cable of the electrical connector, which occupies more space and an extra force may be exerted on the action part by accident to pull the electrical connector from the periphery equipment. 
     U.S. application patent Ser. No. 10/120633, assigned to the same assignee as the present invention, discloses a related pull tab for extracting an electrical connector from a mated connector, the pull tab has an engaging portion and a handling portion, the engaging portion has an engaging opening assembled to the electrical connector, and the handling portion defines a retaining aperture at a free end thereof receiving a cable of the electrical connector. However the retaining aperture is defined much big so that the cable may escape therefrom easily. Furthermore, the engaging portion engages with a shell or a cable retaining portion of the electrical connector, so that an outer force may not be transferred properly. 
     Hence, an improved extraction tool is desired to overcome the above-mentioned shortcomings. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of this invention to provide a cable assembly with an extraction tool facilitating extracting the cable assembly from a mated connector and occupying less space. 
     A cable assembly has an electrical connector, and an extraction tool for extracting the electrical connector from a mated connector. The extraction tool has a mounting portion and a handling portion. The mounting portion defines a mounting hole assembled to the electrical connector. The handling portion defines a first cavity for a cable of the electrical connector extending therethrough, a first sidelong slot defined communicating with the first cavity and a second cavity for receiving the cable. The first slot facilitates the assembling of the cable into the first cavity of the extraction tool, 
    
    
     Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front view of a cable assembly with an extraction tool of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a top view of the extraction tool of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a top view of the cable assembly of FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIGS. 1,  2  and  3 , a cable assembly  100  has an electrical connector  2  and an extraction tool  1  for extracting the electrical connector  2  from a mated connector (not shown). The electrical connector  2  has a mating portion  20 , a cable  22  and a retaining portion  201  retaining the cable  22  into the mating portion  20 . 
     The extraction tool  1  has a mounting potion  11  and a handling portion  13  extending from the mounting portion  11 . The mounting portion  11  defines a mounting hole  10  adjacent to a free end thereof. The mounting hole  10  has a diameter substantially equal to an exterior diameter of the mating portion  20  of the electrical connector  2 . The handling portion  13  defines a first cavity  12  adjacent to the mounting portion  11  with a width less than the diameter of the mounting hole  10 , a first slot  120  at a side portion thereof communicating with the first cavity  12 . The handling portion  13  further defines a second cavity  14  at a free end thereof, and a second slot  140  communicating with the second cavity  14 . 
     In assembly, a free end  220  of the cable  22  is soldered to an electrical element (not shown), the mounting hole  10  of the extraction tool  1  encircles the mating portion  20  of the electrical connector  2 . The cable  22  of the electrical connector  2  extends into the first cavity  12  of the extraction tool  1  by passing through the first slot  120  of the extraction tool  1 , thus the handling portion  13  extends upwardly from the cable  22  of the electrical connector  2 . The cable  22  of the electrical connector  2  is inserted into the second cavity  14  of the extraction tool  1  by passing through the second slot  140 , thus a free end of the handling portion  13  extends under the cable  22  of the electrical connector  2 . 
     In use, the cable  22  of the electrical connector  2  disengages the second cavity  14  of the handling potion  13  from the second slot  140 . An outer force is exerted on the handling portion  13  of the extraction tool  1  and is transferred to the electrical connector  2  by the engagement of the mating portion  20  and the mounting hole  10 . Thus, the cable assembly  100  is extracted from a mated connector. 
     An advantage of the present invention over the prior art results from the fact that the extraction tool  1  of the cable assembly  100  defines a first cavity  12  and a first slot  120  communicating with the first cavity  12 , thus the cable  22  of the electrical connector  2  may be assembled into the first cavity  12  through the first slot  120  which facilitating the assembly of the cable assembly  100 , as a result, the first cavity  12  may be much small, the cable  22  may not escape from the first cavity  12  of the extraction tool  1 . Another advantage of the present invention over the prior art results from the fact that the second cavity  14  and the second slot  140  communicating with the second cavity  14  are defined in the free end of the handling portion  13 . The free end of the handling portion  13  engages with the cable  22  of the electrical connector  2  through the second cavity  14  and the second slot  140 . As a result, the free end of the handling portion  13  occupies less space, and an improper outer force exerted on the extraction tool  1  may be prevented 
     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 disclosed 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.