Patent Publication Number: US-6210229-B1

Title: Shielded cable connector assembly

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a connector, and especially to a shielded cable connector assembly. 
     U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,092,794 and 5,417,590 disclose two kinds of shielded cable connector assemblies. Each assembly includes a first shield, a second shield, a housing, a plurality of contacts and a cable. A pair of tabs is provided at an edge of the first shield to abut against the second shield whereby charges can be transferred therebetween. The tabs are usually small and project a small angle away from the first shield. Thus, the tabs do not firmly abut against the second shield. As a result, discharge is hindered and the accumulated charges will adversely affect signal transmission. Hence, an improved shielded cable connector assembly is required to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a shielded cable connector assembly having a grounding shield and a nose shield securely abutting against each other for ensuring proper discharge of accumulated charges resulting from electromagnetic interference. 
     Accordingly, a shielded cable assembly includes a housing having a front face, a rear face and a plurality of passageways defined through the faces, a plurality of contacts received in the passageways, a grounding shield, a nose shield, a cable having several wires therein, a circuit trace board forming a plurality of conductive pads thereon for soldering ends of the contacts and wires thereto, an upper shell, and a lower shell. One edge of the circuit trace board is received in the rear face of the housing. A pair of tabs upwardly extends from opposite ends of an outer edge of the grounding shield. The housing further includes a top face, a bottom face, and two sidefaces. A pair of niches is disposed between the housing and the nose shield for receiving the tabs of the grounding shield. The tabs securely abut against the nose shield to discharge accumulated charges thereby ensuing proper signal transmission. 
     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 exposed view of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an assembled view of FIG. 1 with the upper shell removed therefrom; and 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial view showing a tab of a grounding shield received in a niche between a housing and a nose shield. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a shielded cable connector assembly  10  includes a housing  1  having a front face  11 , a rear face  12  and a plurality of passageways (not shown) defined through the faces  11 ,  12 , a plurality of contacts  2  received in the passageways, a grounding shield  3  and a nose shield  4  respectively assembled to the back and front of the housing  1 , a cable  5  having several wires  51  therein, a circuit trace board  6 , which forms a plurality of conductive pads  61 ,  62  thereon for respectively soldering ends of contacts  2  and wires  51  thereto, assembled to the back of the housing  1 , an upper shell  7  and a lower shell  8  encapsulating the elements described before therebetween. 
     The housing  1  has a mating portion  13  forwardly extending therefrom and covered by the nose shield  4  to engage with a mating connector (not shown). The housing  1  further includes a top face  14 , a bottom face  15 , and two sidefaces  16 ,  16 ′. Three upper embossments  141 ,  142 ,  143  are formed on the top face  14  and three lower embossments (not shown) are formed on the bottom face  15 . A groove  17 ,  17 ′ is defined in each sideface  16 . A slot (not shown) is defined in the rear face  12  of the housing  1  for retaining an edge of the circuit trace board  6  therein. 
     The grounding shield  3  is stamped from a metal plate to have two sidewalls  31 ,  31 ′ and a rearward extending bifurcated retainer  32  . A pair of tabs  33  upwardly extends from opposite ends of an outer edge of the grounding shield  3 . An engaging portion  34  extends from the outer edge of the grounding shield  3  between the tabs  33  and defines an opening  35  therein. 
     An extending wall  41  projects from an end of the nose shield  4  opposite the front face  11  of the housing  1 . A pair of extensions  42  perpendicularly extends from an edge of the extending wall  41 . Each extension  42  defines a cavity  43  for engaging with the corresponding embossment  141 ,  143 . A pair of protrusions  44  is provided in opposite faces of the nose shield  4  for contacting grounding portions of the mating connector (not shown). A pair of niches  45  is defined in the front face  11  between the housing  1  and the nose shield  4  and exposed to the bottom face  15  for receiving the corresponding tabs  33  of the grounding shield  3 . The tabs  33  securely abut against the extending wall  41  of the nose shield  4  (FIG.  3 ). 
     The lower shell  8 , which is manufactured from plastic material, includes a main plate  81 , and a pair of flanges  82  upwardly extending from opposite sides of the main plate  81 . A rib  83  is formed inwardly projecting from each flange  82  at predetermined position, and a pole  84  upwardly extends from the main plate  81  proximate each rib  83 . A protruding edge  85  is provided along a top of each flange  82 . The upper shell  7  is identical to the lower shell  8  except that a channel (not shown) is provided along a top of each flange  71  instead of a protruding edge  85 . Thus, the upper shell  7  can be easily distinguished from the lower shell  8 . 
     In assembly, the grounding shield  3  is positioned in the lower shell  8  and the poles  84  of the main plate  81  are received in the corresponding holes  36  of the grounding shield  3 . The housing  1  together with the contacts  2 , the nose shield  4  and the circuit trace board  6  is positioned on the grounding shield  3  and the ribs  83  of the lower shell  8  are received in the corresponding grooves  17  of the housing  1 , the tabs  33  of the grounding shield  3  are received in the niches  45  of the housing  1 , and the embossment  142  is received in the opening  35  of the grounding shield  3 . The cable  5  is assembled to the lower shell  8  from a rear portion thereof. The ends of the wires  51  are electrically engaged with the corresponding conductive pads  62  of the circuit trace board  6 , and the end of the cable  5  is constrained by the bifurcated retainer  32 . The upper shell  7  is assembled to the lower shell  8  by engaging the protruding engages  85  of the lower shell  8  with the channels (not shown) of the upper shell  7 . 
     Another shield (not shown) may be provided above the circuit trace board  6  to abut against the grounding shield  3 . The shield may be identical to the grounding shield  3  without the tabs  33  provided thereon. 
     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.