Patent Publication Number: US-8113870-B2

Title: Cable connector assembly with a front shell

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention generally relates to a cable connector assembly, and more particularly to a cable connector assembly used for locking the strain relief thereof. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Nowadays, cable connector assemblies contain a strain relief molding outside the cable, and then put the cable molding with the strain relief in the shell of the cable assembly, CN patent No. 2390286Y issued on Aug. 2, 2000 to Lai discloses a cable connector assembly, the cable connector assembly comprises a method of installing the strain relief in the space of the shell, because of the joint force between the strain relief and the shell is small may occur the strain relief remove in the shell and then effect the electrical transmission. 
     Correspondingly, it is desired to have a cable connector assembly with improved jointing force between the strain relief and the shell. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a cable connector assembly may enforce the joint force between the strain relief and the shell. 
     In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a cable connector assembly in accordance with the present invention comprises an insulative housing and a plurality of contacts received therein, a cable connected with the contacts, a strain relief portion molded on the cable, the strain relief portion having a extruding portion on a front end thereof and a retaining portion behind the extruding portion, the retaining portion also having a pair of locking blocks at opposite sides thereof, and a cover enclosing the aforementioned components, a back surface of the cover defining a pair of gaps at opposite sides thereof and connected with the correspondence locking block in order to make the strain relief portion and the cover assemble together. 
     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 
         FIG. 1  is an assembled, perspective view of a cable connector assembly of the present invention connected with a Display port connector; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded, perspective view of the cable connector assembly; 
         FIG. 3  is similar to  FIG. 2 , but viewed from another aspect; 
         FIG. 4  is a partially assembled, perspective view of the cable connector assembly shown in  FIG. 2 ; and 
         FIG. 5  is another partially assembled, perspective view of the cable connector assembly shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe the present invention in detail. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , a cable connector assembly  100  in accordance with the present invention can be connected with another cable connector assembly  200  compatible with Display Port transmitting protocol to form an adapter. And the cable connector assembly  100  comprises an insulative housing  1 , a plurality of contacts  2  received in the insulative housing  1 , a print circuit board  3 , a metallic shielding  4  enclosing a mating port of the insulative housing  1 , a cable  5 , a metallic shell  6  enclosing the printed circuit board  3  and partial of the housing  1  and the cable  5 , and a cover  8  enclosing the aforementioned components. The cover  8  is made of insulative material, and comprises an upper cover  81  and an lower cover  82  assembled to each other along a direction perpendicular to a mating direction. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2-5 , the cable connector assembly  100  is compatible with Digital Visual Interface (DVI) transmitting protocol. The contacts  2  are assembled in the insulative housing  1 , and tail portions of the contacts  2  are bent downwards beyond the lower surface of the housing  1  and soldered to the printed circuit board  3 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , the insulative housing  1  defines a pair of fastening holes  12  at opposite sides thereof, a pair of nuts  9  are mounted in the corresponding fastening holes  12  and coupled to a complementary connector (not shown). The metallic shielding member  4  is enclosing the insulative housing  1  and the mating port of the cable connector assembly  100  to reduce Electro Magnetic Interference (EMI). The sheiding member  4  defines a vertical wall  42  with a pair of through holes  421  respectively aligned with corresponding fastening holes  12  along the mating direction. 
     The cable  5  defines a strain relief portion (not labeled) on the front segment thereof, the strain relief portion has a extruding portion  52  on a front end thereof and a rectangular retaining portion  51  behind the extruding portion  52 . The retaining portion  51  is spaced apart from the protruding portion  52 , and the retaining portion  51  has a larger width than the protruding portion  52  along a transverse direction. The retaining portion  51  also has a pair of locking blocks  53  at opposite sides thereof along a transverse direction. The locking blocks  53  are T-Shaped, the cable  5  also comprises a plurality of wires (not shown). 
     The shell  6  is made of metallic material and comprises a top shell  61  and a bottom shell  62  assembled to each other. The top shell  61  comprises a base portion  610  and an extension portion  612  bending upwards firstly and then extending forwardly from the base portion  610 , the extension portion  612  is wider than the base portion  610  along the transverse direction. The top shell  61  defines a pair of side walls  613  bent downwardly. 
     The bottom shell  62  comprises a lower wall  621  and a pair of lateral walls  623  bent upwards from both sides of the lower wall  621 . The lateral walls  623  are engaging with the corresponding side walls  613  of the top shell  61 . The lower wall  621  is recessed downwards to form a depression  622 , a pair of blocking portion  625  are located on the front end of the lower wall  621  and bent upwards to be perpendicular to the mating direction, and each blocking portion  625  defines a circular matching hole  6251 . 
     The cover  8  is made of insulative material and comprises a upper cover  81  and a lower cover  82  assembled to each other, The upper cover  81  defines a plurality of posts  811  around an inner wall thereof equably, The lower cover  82  defines a plurality of engaging holes  821  cooperating with corresponding posts  811 . The upper cover  81  and the lower cover  82  have the same configuration with each other, both of the upper cover  81  and the lower cover  82  define a clipping portion  813 , 823  and a groove  814 , 824  extending forward from the back surface of the cover  8 . The clipping portion has clipping surface  8130 , 8230 . two arc-shaped cutout  815  recessed upwards from the lower surface of the clipping portion  813  and spart from each other along the mating direction, two arc-shaped cutouts  825  recessed downwards from the upper surface of the clipping portion  823  and spart from each other along the mating direction. The back surface of the upper cover  81  defines a pair of gaps  816  at opposite sides thereof, The back surface of the lower cover  82  defines a pair of gaps  826  at opposite sides thereof. 
     In assemble, the contacts  2  are received in the insulative housing  1 , tail portion of the contacts  2  are soldered to a front of the printed circuit board  3 . The shielding member  4  is enclosing the insulative housing  1 . The wires of the cable  5  are soldered to a back area of the print circular board  3 . The aforementioned elements are assembled into the bottom shell  62 . the blocking portions  625  are adjacent to a front surface of the shielding member  4 , segments of the contacts  2  inserted through the printed circular board  3  are located in the depression  622  of the bottom shell  62 . The mating holes  6251  of the bottom shell  62 , the through holes  421  of the shielding member  4  and the fastening holes  12  of the insulative housing  1  are aligning with each other along the mating direction, and the nuts are inserted into the corresponding mating holes  6251 , the through holes  421  and the fastening holes  12  successfully, and to realize the mechanical connection between the bottom shell  62 , the shielding member  4  and the housing  1 . 
     Then the top shell  61  is assembled to the bottom shell  62  along an up-to-down direction, the side walls  613  of the top shell  61  are engaging with the lateral walls  623  of the bottom shell  62  to combine the top shell  61  and the bottom shell  62 . The extension portion  612  of the top shell  61  is shielding a rear section of the insulative housing  1 , and the base portion  610  is located above the printed circuit board  4 . Therefore, the shell  6  is enclosing the shielding member  4 , the housing  1  and the electrical connection area to reduce EMI. 
     Then the cover  8  is assembled to the aforementioned elements, the retaining portion  51  of the cable  5  is disposed in the receiving groove  824  of the lower cover  82  to prevent the cable  5  moving forth, the protruding portion  52  of the cable  5  is located in the arc-shaped cutouts  815   825 , the locking blocks  53  of the cable is located in the gaps  526 , then the upper cover  81  is assembled to the lower cover  82  along the up-to-down direction, the posts  811  of the upper cover  81  are inserted into the corresponding engaging holes  821  of the lower cover  82 , and the clipping portions  813  of the upper cover and the lower cover  82  are cooperated with each other to retain the cable  5 . The retaining portion  51  is located in the arc-shaped cutouts  815 , the locking blocks  53  is located in the gaps  816 . Thus, the cable connector assembly  100  is assembled. 
     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.