Patent Publication Number: US-6210230-B1

Title: Cable connector

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an electrical connector and particularly to a hybrid connector terminated to a transmission line. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     With the ever-increasing miniaturization of electronic devices in a variety of industries, such as in the computer and telecommunication industries, along with the accompanying miniaturization of electrical connectors, considerable problems have been encountered in terminating miniature high-speed cables. A terminating system is normally disposed in a cable connector for terminating high-speed or high frequency coaxial cables of a transmission line. Examples of related art are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,711,686; 5,716,236; 5,718,607; and 5,768,771. As is shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a fragment of a conventional cable connector  9  includes a dielectric housing  90 , a forward shroud  91 , two screws  92 , a cover  93 , and a terminating system  14 . The terminating system  14  includes a grounding plate  94  and a pair of contact blocks  95  in which four contacts  96  are insert molded. One end of the grounding plate  94  has four arms  941  forming channels therein to hold high-speed cables  10  and to be in contact with metallic shields  11  of the cables  10 . The other end of the grounding plate  94  electrically connects with a corresponding element of a complementary electrical connector (not shown) to form a grounding path. The grounding plate  94  is partially accommodated in the dielectric housing  90  by being sandwiched between the contact blocks  95 , one upper, one lower. The contacts  96  are arranged in pairs on both sides of the grounding plate  94  to terminate inner conductors of the cables  10  held in the arms  941 . The contacts  96  must be precisely positioned in the course of insert molding. The small contacts  96  have a fragile structure and may be damaged or distorted by high-pressure molten plastic during the insert molding process. The two contact blocks  95  are first separately molded and are then assembled together to retain the grounding plate  94  therebetween. Such an assembly process is complicated and time and cost inefficient. Therefore, a cable connector with a terminating system, which can solve the above-mentioned problems, is desired. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A main object of the present invention is to provide a cable connector having an improved terminating system for reliably terminating high-speed cables and resolving problems of the conventional art. 
     A cable connector in accordance with the present invention mainly comprises a pair of covers, a pair of shielding shells, a forward shroud, an insulative housing, a plurality of data terminals arranged in terminal modules, and a terminating system for terminating high-speed cables. 
     The terminating system includes a dielectric spacer for being accommodated in the housing, a grounding plate stably retained in the spacer, and two pairs of signal terminals for connecting to inner conductors of the high-speed cables. The spacer defines corresponding passageways for the signal terminals to extend through. The grounding plate is of a two-layer configuration and has an upper and a lower plate connected at a leading edge. The grounding plate has an end opposite to the leading edge formed with four arms to hold the high-speed cables therein and to connect with metallic shields of the cables. The signal terminals each comprise a latch structure at an intermediate portion thereof including a first widened portion and a second widened portion. The first widened portion of the latch structure is dimensioned to be accommodated in a corresponding passage of the spacer and the second widened portion, having a larger width, fits between the housing and the spacer, thereby reliably retaining the signal terminals. 
     The housing defines a plurality of through holes therethrough, a slit adjacent to the through holes, and a pair of apertures disposed at each of opposite sides of the slit. The data terminals extend through the through holes and front ends of the grounding plate and the signal terminals extend through the slit and the apertures, respectively, into the forward shroud assembled to the housing. 
     Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a cable connector of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an assembled view of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view a terminating system of the present invention including a grounding plate, a spacer and four signal terminals; 
     FIG. 4 is an assembled view of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken from line  5 — 5  of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a terminating system of an alternative embodiment of the present invention including a grounding plate insert molded in a spacer and four signal terminals; 
     FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken from line  7 — 7  of FIG. 6, plus a housing surrounding the terminating system; 
     FIG. 8 is a fragment vertical cross-sectional view of a conventional cable connector; and 
     FIG. 9 is a perspective assembled view of a terminating system of the cable connector in FIG. 8 including a grounding plate, two contact blocks with four signal contacts. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIGS. 1-3, a cable connector according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention mainly comprises a pair of covers  1 , a pair of shielding shells  2 , a forward shroud  3  and a cable connector subassembly. The cable connector subassembly comprises an insulative housing  4 , three terminal modules  5 , and a terminating system  12 . The terminating system  12  includes a conductive grounding plate  6 , a dielectric spacer  65 , and four signal terminals  7 . Each terminal module  5  includes an elongated block and a plurality of data terminals  51 . 
     The insulative housing  4  is rectangular and has a mating face  41  and a connecting face  42  opposite to the mating face  41 . A cavity (not shown) is defined in the connecting face  42  to accommodate the terminal modules  5  and the spacer  65 . The housing  4  defines a plurality of through holes  43  therethrough in communication with the cavity in the connecting face  42 , a horizontal slit  44  and a pair of apertures  45  therethrough at each side of the slit  44  adjacent to the through holes  43 . 
     The forward shroud  3  has a base  31 , a front shell  32  depending from a front face of the base  31  in a forward direction, and a rear shell  34  depending from a rear face of the base  31  in a rearward direction. The front shell  32  defines an engaging cavity  33  therein to engage with a complementary connector and the rear shell  34  defines an opening (not shown) therewithin to receive the housing  4 . 
     The grounding plate  6  is of a two-layer configuration and has an upper and a lower plate connected at a leading edge by a bend. The grounding plate  6  has a blade portion  66  at a front end thereof and a connection portion  61  at an opposite rear end thereof. Four three-sided arms  611 , one opposite another, are formed by metal strips extending upwards from opposite lateral edges of the rear end of the grounding plate  6  and bending horizontally before then bending vertically downwards. Corresponding holding spaces  62  are defined within the arms  611 . Each of the upper and lower plate of the grounding plate  6  forms a stamped projection  63  near a middle section thereof. A pair of teeth  64  symmetrically extends outwards from each lateral edge between the projections  63  and the arms  611  of the grounding plate  6 . 
     The dielectric spacer  65  is roughly a cube mountable to the grounding plate  6 . The spacer  65  defines a slot  655  therethrough from a front surface  651  to a rear surface (not shown) opposite to the front surface  651  thereof and a pair of passages  656  at each side of the slot  655 . A top surface  652  and a bottom surface (not shown) opposite to the top surface  652  of the spacer  65  each forms a tab  654  to engage with the housing  4 . A right side surface  657  of the spacer  65  has a protrusion  653  protruding outwards therefrom and having an anti-polarizing function in assembly. 
     Each signal terminal  7  comprises a front portion  71  at a front end, a rear portion  72  at a rear end, and a latch structure  75  therebetween. The latch structure  75  includes a first widened portion  74  adjacent to the rear portion  72  and a second widened portion  73  between the first widened portion  74  and the front portion  71 . The width of the first widened portion  74  is larger than those of the front and rear portions  71 ,  72 , and smaller than that of the second widened portion  73 , but is substantially equal to the width of the passages  656  of the spacer  65 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 2,  4  and  5 , in assembly the grounding plate  6  is inserted through the slot  655  of the spacer  65  until the spacer  65  is stopped between the projections  63  and the teeth  64  of the grounding plate  6 . The first widened portions  74  of the signal terminals  7  are fitted in the passages  656  of the spacer  65  while the second widened portions  73  of the signal terminals  7  are stopped by the front surface  651  of the spacer  65 . The terminal modules  5  are inserted through the through holes  43  thereby being retained by the housing  4 . The assembled terminating system  12  is assembled with the housing  4  with the tabs  654  and the protrusion  653  engaging with corresponding structures (not shown) in the connecting face  42  of the housing  4 . The passages  656  and the slot  655  of the spacer  65  are aligned with the apertures  45  and the slit  44  of the housing  4 , so that the front portions  71  of the signal terminals  7  and the blade portion  66  of the grounding plate  6  extend through the apertures  45  and the slit  44 , respectively. The second widened portions  73  of the signal terminals  7  is pressed by corresponding structures in the housing  4  to provide a further retention to the signal terminals  7 . While the housing  4  with the terminating system  12  and the terminal modules  5  is assembled with the forward shroud  3 , the blade portion  66 , the front portions  71  and front ends of the data terminals  51  are accommodated in the engaging cavity  33  to be shielded. In use, the rear portions  72  of the signal terminals  7  are connected with inner conductors  82  of cables  8  and the arms  611  of the grounding plate  6  are in contact with metallic shields  81  of the cables  8  for the purposes of transmitting electrical signals and grounding the cable shields  81 , respectively. The blade portion  66  contacts a corresponding element of a complementary connector to form a grounding path and provide effective shielding. 
     The signal terminals  7  are not insert molded in the spacer  65  and need not be positioned during manufacturing of the spacer, thereby overcoming the difficulties in alignment of the conventional art and facilitating connection of the terminals  7  with the conductors  82  of the cables  8 . The signal terminals  7  are retained by the latch structures  75  engaging respectively with the insulative housing  4  and the spacer  65 , thereby providing a reliable retention during pull or insertion of the cable connector. One spacer  65  retains the grounding plate  6  thus simplifying the manufacturing procedure. 
     Referring to FIG. 6, a terminating system  13  of an alternative embodiment of the present invention comprises a conductive grounding plate  6 ′ insert molded in a dielectric spacer  65 ′ and four signal terminals  7 ′. The grounding plate  6 ′ includes a blade portion  66 ′ at a leading edge thereof and a connection portion  61 ′ at an opposite end thereof. The grounding plate  6 ′ is of a two-layer configuration and has an upper and a lower plate connected at a forward end by a bend. Four three-sided arms  611 ′ one opposite another are formed by metal strips extending upwards from lateral edges of the rear end of the grounding plate  6 ′ and bending horizontally before then bending vertically downwards. The spacer  65 ′ is located at an approximately longitudinal middle section of the grounding plate  6 ′. The spacer  65 ′ defines a pair of U-shaped channels  656 ′ separated by a block  652 ′ at each side of the grounding plate  6 ′ and a tab  654 ′ at the top surface of each block  652 ′. Each of the signal terminals  7 ′ includes a front portion  71 ′ at a front end thereof, a rear portion  72 ′ at an opposite end thereof, and a latch structure  75 ′ therebetween. The latch structure  75 ′ comprises a second widened portion  73 ′ adjacent to the front portion  71 ′, and a first widened portion  74 ′ between the second widened portion  73 ′ and the rear portion  72 ′. The first widened portion  74 ′ has a width larger than the front portion  71 ′ and the rear portion  72 ′ and smaller than the second widened portion  73 ′, but is substantially equal to the width of the channel  656 ′. 
     Referring to FIG. 7, in assembly, the first widened portions  74 ′ of the signal terminals  7 ′ are interferentially fitted into the corresponding channels  656 ′ of the spacer  65 ′, and the second widened portions  73 ′ are stopped by the front surface  651 ′ of the spacer  65 ′. The assembled terminating system  13  is then assembled with the insulative housing  4 ′, the tabs  654 ′ and the front sides of the second widened portion  73 ′ being engaged with corresponding structures in the housing  4 ′ respectively to reliably retain the grounding plate  6 ′ and the signal terminals  7 ′. In use, the rear portions  72 ′ connect to inner conductors  82 ′ of cables  8 ′ held in the holding spaces  62 ′ while the arms  611 ′ contact with metallic shields  81 ′ of the cables  8 ′ in the holding spaces  62 ′ of the arms  611 ′. 
     The signal terminals  7 ′ are also not insert molded in the spacer  65 ′ and thus need not be positioned during manufacturing of the spacer, thereby overcoming the difficulties in alignment of the conventional art and facilitating connection of the terminals  7 ′ with the conductors  82 ′ of the cables  8 ′. The signal terminals  7 ′ are retained by the latch structures  75 ′ respectively engaging with the insulative housing  4 ′ and the spacer  65 ′, thereby providing a reliable retention during pull or insertion of the cable connector. The grounding plate  6 ′ is insert molded in one spacer  65 ′ thereby avoiding assembly and simplifying manufacturing. 
     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.