Patent Publication Number: US-8535090-B2

Title: Cable connector for connecting motherboard and hard disk drive

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to cable connectors and, particularly, to a cable connector for connecting a hard disk drive (HDD) to a motherboard. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     A cable connector for connecting an HDD to a motherboard usually includes two male connectors and a cable connected between the two male connectors. In use, one of the male connectors is connected to the motherboard and the other is connected to the HDD. The two male connectors are usually the same type of connectors, for example, the two male connectors may both be serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) connectors or serial attached small computer systems interface (SAS) connectors. Therefore, both the motherboard and the HDD must have compatible female connectors as there is no cross compatibility. The cable connector cannot be used when the motherboard and the HDD do not have the same type of female connectors. 
     Therefore, it is desirable to provide a cable connector, which can overcome the above-mentioned limitations. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the disclosures should be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a cable connector, according to an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is circuit diagram of the cable connector of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a cable connector  100  includes four first male connectors  10 , a second male connector  20 , four third male connectors  30 , four first cables  40 , four second cables  50 , four third cables  60 , and a binding member  70 . 
     The first male connectors  10  compose a first input/output terminal  101  of the cable connector  100 . In an exemplary embodiment, each first male connector  10  is an SATA male connector. 
     The second male connector  20  and third male connectors  30  compose a second input/output terminal  102 . In an exemplary embodiment, the second male connector  20  is an SAS male connector. Each third male connector  30  is an SATA male connector. 
     Each first cable  40  includes a first connection end  410  and a second connection end  420 . Each first connection end  410  is connected to a first male connector  10 . 
     Each second cable  50  includes a third connection end  510  and a fourth connection end  520 . Each third connection end  510  is connected to the second male connector  20 . Each fourth connection end  520  is connected to a corresponding second connection end  420 . Each first cable  40  is connected to a corresponding second cable  50 . 
     Each third cable  60  includes a fifth connection end  610  and a sixth connection end  620 . Each fifth connection end  610  is connected to a corresponding third male connector  30 . Each sixth connection end  620  is connected to a corresponding second end  420 . Each third cable  60  is connected to a corresponding second cable  50 . 
     The binding member  70  is made of insulative material, such as plastic or rubber. The binding member  70  binds the first cables  40 , the second cables  50 , and the third cables  60  together. The first input/output terminal  101  and the second input/output terminal  102  are respectively positioned at two sides of the binding member  70 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , each first male connector  10  includes seven terminals  1 - 7 . The terminals  1 - 7  are GND, RX+, RX−, GND, TX−, TX+, and GND. The second male connector  20  includes thirty six terminals A 1 -A 18  and B 1 -B 18 . Each third male connector  30  is the same as the first male connector  10  and includes seven terminals  1 - 7  which are GND, RX+, RX−, GND, TX−, TX+, and GND. 
     The terminals GND, RX+, RX−, GND, TX−, TX+, and GND of a first one of the first male connectors  10  are respectively connected to the terminals B 4 , B 2 , B 3 , B 1 , A 3 , A 2 , and A 1  of the second male connector  20 . The terminals GND, RX+, RX−, GND, TX−, TX+, and GND of a second one of the first male connectors  10  are respectively connected to the terminals B 7 , B 5 , B 6 , A 7 , A 6 , A 5 , and A 4  of the second male connector  20 . The terminals GND, RX+, RX−, GND, TX−, TX+, and GND of a third one of the first male connectors  10  are respectively connected to the terminals B 15 , B 13 , B 14 , B 12 , A 14 , A 13 , and A 12  of the second male connector  20 . The terminals GND, RX+, RX−, GND, TX−, TX+, and GND of a fourth one of the first male connectors  10  are respectively connected to the terminals B 18 , B 16 , B 17 , B 18 , A 17 , A 16 , and A 15  of the second male connector  20 . 
     The terminals GND, RX+, RX−, GND, TX−, TX+, and GND of each third male connector  30  are respectively connected to the terminals GND, RX+, RX−, GND, TX−, TX+, and GND of a correspond first male connector  10 . 
     In use, a motherboard (not shown) including a first female connector of a female SATA connector is connected to a corresponding first male connector  10 . An HDD (not shown) is connected to a third corresponding male connector  30  if the HDD includes a second female connector of the female SATA connector, or the HDD is connected to the second male connector  20  if second female connector is a female SAS connector. Inversely, the motherboard can be connected to the second male connector  20  if the first female connector is the SAS female connector and the HDD can be connected to the first male connector  10  if the second female connector is the SATA female connector. 
     As described above, the cable connector  100  capable of connecting the motherboard and the HDD comprising the same type of female connectors or comprising different types of female connectors. 
     It will be understood that the above particular disclosures and methods are shown and described by way of illustration only. The principles and the features of the present disclosure may be employed in various and numerous disclosures thereof without departing from the scope of the disclosure as claimed. The above-described disclosures illustrate the scope of the disclosure but do not restrict the scope of the disclosure.