Patent Publication Number: US-7210965-B1

Title: Cable connector assembly

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention generally relates to a cable connector assembly, and more particular to a cable connector assembly assembled securely and tightly. 
   2. The Related Art 
   At present, a cable connector assembly includes an electrical connector, a cable and an outer cover. The electrical connector has an insulative housing, a plurality of terminals received in the insulative housing and a shield covering the outer surface of the insulative housing. The cable is connected with an end portion of the terminals to provide electrical connection. An inner cover covers the connection portion of the cable and the terminals. The outer cover covers the outside of the inner cover and the shield of the electrical connector. Therefore the electrical connector, the cable and the outer cover are assembled as a whole to form the cable connector assembly. 
   It can be seen that the inner cover and the outer cover don&#39;t have buckling mechanisms. When the cable connector assembly is used to insert into a mating connector repeatedly, the inner cover and the outer cover are liable to loosen therebetween. Therefore, the cable connector assembly is not assembled securely and tightly. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   An object of the present invention is to provide a cable connector assembly which comprises an electrical connector including an insulative housing, a plurality of contacts received in the insulative housing, and at least one shelter covering the outer surface of the insulative housing, a cable electrically connecting to the contacts, an outer cover having a rear surface, an opening disposed on the rear surface, and an inner cover embedded in the outer cover and covering the electrical connector. The cable passes through the outer cover. The outer cover covers the electrical connector. The electrical connector has a plurality of front surfaces at a front portion thereof and a rear surface at a rear end thereof. The front surface of the inner cover leans against the front surfaces of the electrical connector and the rear surface of the outer cover leans against the rear surface of the electrical connector. A plurality of wedges are formed on the inner surface of the outer cover. A plurality of grooves corresponding to the wedges are formed on said inner cover, so that, the wedges are mated with said grooves respectively. 
   It can be seen that the inner cover is mated with the outer cover by the wedges of the outer cover and the grooves of the inner cover. Therefore, the cable connector assembly is assembled securely and tightly. 
   Other objects, novel features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a cable connector assembly in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the electrical connector of the cable connector assembly; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the insulative housing shown in  FIG. 2  viewing from rear side; 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the inner cover of the cable connector assembly; 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the outer cover of the cable connector assembly; 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the cable connector assembly; 
       FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the cable connector assembly; and 
       FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of the inner cover assembled with the electrical connector. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   In order to illustrate the present invention particularly, including technology, structure traits, aims and efficiency, a detailed explanation of a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be given thereinafter, with reference to the annexed drawings, for better understanding thereof to those skilled in the art. 
   Please refer to  FIG. 1 , a cable connector assembly  1  of this invention comprises an electrical connector  100 , a cable  200 , an inner cover  300  and an outer cover  400  covering the outer portion of the electrical connector  100  and the cable  200 . The inner cover  300  is received in one end of the outer cover  400  and covers the electrical connector  100 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 2 , the electrical connector  100  includes an insulative housing  11 , a printed circuit board  12  and a plurality of contacts  13  connecting the insulative housing  11  and the printed circuit board  12  electrically. A front shelter  14  encloses the front portion of the insulative housing  11 . An upper shelter  15  and a lower shelter  16  enclose the rear portion of the insulative housing  11 , the printed circuit board  12  and the contacts  13 . 
   Please further refer to  FIG. 2 , the front shelter  14  has a plurality of nicks  141  disposed at the rear portions of the top surface and the bottom surface respectively (only the nicks  141  disposed at the rear portion of the top surface are shown in  FIG. 2 ). 
   As illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the inner of the insulative housing  11  provides a plurality of contact channels  111  which extend from the front end to the rear end of the insulative housing  11  and receive the contacts  13  respectively. A plurality of protrusions  112  are protruded at the rear portions of the top surface and the bottom surface of the insulative housing  11  (only the protrusions protruded at the rear portion of the top surface are shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 ) respectively. A recess path  113  is defined at each lateral of the insulative housing  11 . The lateral and the rear end of the recess path  113  communicate with the outside. A plurality of buckling lumps  114  are protruded on the top surface of the insulative housing  11  and located on the top portion of the recess path  113 . Therefore, a hollow portion  115  is formed near to the recess path  113  and the buckling lumps  114 . A ladder protrusion  116  is protruded at the rear end of the hollow portion  115 . The ladder protrusion  116  has a front surface  118  formed at the front end of the ladder protrusion  116 . 
   The upper shelter  15  has a front surface  152  and a rear portion  153  backwardly extending from the upper shelter  15 . The upper shelter  15  has a plurality of upper clasping slices  151  outwardly protruding from the laterals thereof. 
   The lower shelter  16  has a front surface  162  and a rear portion  163  backwardly extending from the front surface  162 . The rear portion  163  is bent upward to form a rear surface  164 . The two laterals of the lower shelter  16  have lower clasping slices  161  each protruding outwardly. Each lower clasping slice  161  has a locking arm  165  extending forwardly. The locking arm  165  has a free portion and a hook  166  extending forward from the free portion. The front portion of the upper shelter  15  and the lower shelter  16  form front surfaces of the electrical connector  100 , the rear surface  164  of the lower shelter  16  forms the rear surface of the electrical connector  100 . 
   Refer to  FIG. 4 , the inner cover  300  has a flat and circular plate  350  extending backwardly. The plate  350  includes side plates  310  located at an arc portion of the inner cover  300  and middle plates  320  located at a middle portion of the inner cover  300 . A plurality of grooves  330  are formed on the middle plates  320 . The rear end of the grooves  330  communicate with outside. A raised board  340  is protruded inward and sited in the inner of the inner cover  300 . The raised board  340  has a pair of blocking board  341  located near to the side plates  310  and a blocking bar  342  located near to the middle plates  320 . 
   Refer to  FIG. 5 , the shape of the outer cover  400  is similar to the shape of the inner cover  300 . The outer cover  400  has a rear surface  410 , and an opening  411  is disposed on the rear surface  410 . A plurality of bulges  420  are defined in the laterals of the inner of the outer cover  400  for forming a plurality of notches  430 . A plurality of wedges  440  are formed on the inner surface of the outer cover  400 . 
   Now, referring to  FIGS. 1 to 6 , when assembling the cable connector assembly  1  of the invention, first, the front shelter  14  covers the insulative housing  11  and the top surface of the front shelter  14  buckles the buckling lumps  114  therebetween. The protrusion  112  is received in the nick  141 . The contacts  13  are inserted into the contact channels  111  of the insulative housing  11  and the printed circuit board  12  is connected to the contacts  13 . The cable  200  is clipped by a clip  21  and soldered on the printed circuit board  12 . Therefore, the cable  200  connects the contacts  13  electrically. And then, the upper shelter  15  and the lower shelter  16  cover the printed circuit board  12 . The rear portion  163  of the lower shelter  16  encloses the rear portion  153  of the upper shelter  15  and the rear surface  164  of the lower shelter  16  leans against the rear end of the upper shelter  15 . The locking arms  165  of the lower shelter  16  is inserted into the recess path  113  of the insulative housing  11  and the hook  166  is protruded from the recess path  113 . At last, the cable  200  passes through the opening  411  of the rear surface  410 . The outer cover  400  covers the electrical connector  100 . The upper clasping slices  151  and the lower clasping slices  161  are inserted into the notches  430  of the outer cover  400 . The inner portions of the side plates  310  mate with the hollow portion  115  of the insulative housing  11 . The front surfaces of the blocking boards  341  lean against the front surface  118  of the ladder protrusion  116 . The inner cover  300  is embedded in the outer cover  400  and the wedges  440  mate with the grooves  330  of the inner cover  300 . Therefore, the cable connector assembly  1  is assembled securely and tightly. 
   Please refer to  FIG. 7 , after assembling the cable connector assembly  1 , the top front surface of the blocking bar  342  leans against the front surface of the upper shelter  15 , the bottom front surface of the blocking bar  342  leans against the front surface of the lower shelter  16  and the rear surface  410  of the outer cover  400  leans against the rear surface  164  of the lower shelter  16  for restraining the cable connector assembly  1  from moving horizontally. 
   Refer to  FIG. 8 , the front surface  118  of the ladder protrusion  116  leans against the front surface of the blocking board  341  and the inner portions of the side plate  310  mate with the laterals of the insulative housing  11  for restraining the cable connector assembly  1  from swaying. 
   It can be seen that the inner cover  300  is mated with the outer cover  400  by the wedges  440  of the outer cover  400  and the grooves  330  of the inner cover  300 . Therefore, the cable connector assembly  1  is assembled securely and tightly. 
   In a preferred embodiment, the side plates  310  and middle plates  320  of the inner cover  300  can also be constructed in a whole plate. A plurality of dents are formed on the whole plate for mating with the wedges  440  of the outer cover  400 . 
   Although a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail hereinabove, it should be clearly understood that many variations and/or modifications of the basic inventive concepts herein taught which may appear to those skilled in the present art will fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention, as defined in the appended claims.