Patent Publication Number: US-9425538-B2

Title: Cable connector assembly with a snap ring

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a cable connector assembly, and more particularly relates to a snap ring for establishing a connection between an insulative housing and a cover. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     China Patent No. 201690055, issued on Dec. 29, 2010, discloses a cable connector assembly comprising an insulative housing, a tubular contact received in the insulative housing, a cover mounted to the insulative housing, and a cable electrically connected with the tubular contact. The insulative housing comprises a main portion extending along a mating direction and a connecting portion extending rearwardly from the main portion. The connecting portion defines an exterior thread on an external surface thereof. The cover is made of thermoplastic rubber material and defines an internal thread on an interior surface thereof. The cover is connected to the connecting portion of the insulative housing via the thread. However, the thermoplastic material is subject to aging as time goes on. So the cover may become loose and disengage from the connecting portion of the insulative housing. 
     Hence, an improved cable connector assembly is required to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages of the related art. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a cable connector assembly having a snap ring to prevent the cover loosing. 
     In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a cable connector assembly includes: an insulative housing comprising a main portion extending along a mating direction and a connecting portion extending rearwards from the main portion, a tubular contact received in the insulative housing, a cable electrically connected to the tubular contact, a cover assembled to the connecting portion of the insulative housing via the thread, and a snap ring enclosing an outside of a connecting area between the cover and the insulative housing. 
     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 a perspective view of a cable connector assembly according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a partly exploded view of the cable connector assembly as shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a further exploded view of the cable connector assembly as shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the cable connector assembly as shown in  FIG. 3  from another aspect; 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded view of the cable connector assembly as shown in  FIG. 1 ; but removed the cover and the snap ring; 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded view of the cable connector assembly as shown in  FIG. 5  from another aspect; 
         FIG. 7  is a partly cross section view of the cable connector assembly taken along line  7 - 7  in  FIG. 1  from another aspect; and 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a snap ring according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 8 , a cable connector assembly  100  in accordance with the present invention for mating with a complementary connector (not shown) comprises an insulative housing  1 , a tubular contact  2  accommodated in the insulative housing  1 , a metal ring  6  disposed at an outside of the tubular contact  2 , a cover or screw cap  3  assembled to a rear end of the insulative housing  1 , a cable  4  electrically connected with the tubular contact  2  and a snap or holding ring  5  enclosing an outside of a connecting area of the cover  3  and the insulative housing  1 . 
     The insulative housing  1  comprises a main portion  11  extending along a mating direction, a connecting portion  12  extending rearwards from the main portion  11 , and a flange/boundary portion  13  disposed between the main portion  11  and the connecting portion  12  along a front-to-back or axial direction. A diameter of the flange portion  13  is larger than a diameter of the connecting portion  12 . 
     The main portion  11  has a front end face  110 . A pair of projecting portions  113  are symmetrical formed two sides of the main portion  11 , and approach to the front end face  110  of the insulative housing  1 . Each of the projecting portions  113  has a receiving hole  114 . The receiving hole  114  is penetrated the projecting portion  113  in a direction vertical to the mating direction. A hollow circular cavity  115  is formed at a center of the main portion  11  and depressed along the mating direction. The main portion  11  has a pair of rectangular slots  116  depressed rearwards from the front end face  110  of the main portion  11 . The pair of slots  116  are symmetry disposed in the left and right sides of the cavity  115  and disposed in the front end of the projecting portion  113 . The pair of slots  116  and the corresponding receiving hole  114  are intercommunicating. 
     The connecting portion  12  comprises plural spring tabs  121  spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction to form a shrinkable region. A plurality of indentations  122  are formed between the adjacent spring tabs  121  so as to have such spring tabs  121  form a radially shrinkable region. A circular space is surrounded by the spring tabs  121 . The flange portion  13  has a first side  131  approaching to the main portion  11  and an opposing second side  132  approaching to the connecting portion  12 . The connecting portion  12  has an external thread  123  on an exterior surface thereof to form a thread region. The external thread  123  is disposed at a front end of the spring tabs  121  to form a thread region and approaching to the second side  132  of the flange portion  13 . The cover  3  has an internal thread  31  on an interior surface thereof. The cover  3  is rotated and retained in the connecting portion  12  via the external thread  123  matching with the internal thread  31 . 
     The tubular contact  2  is made of metallic material. The tubular contact  2  comprises a base portion  21 , a columnar contact portion  22  extending forwardly from the base portion  21  and a tail portion  23  located at a rear end of the base portion  21 . An outer diameter of the contact portion  22  is smaller than an outer diameter of the base portion  21 . The base portion  21  defines a plurality of clamping portions  24  protruding outwards from an external surface to cooperate with the metal ring  6 . A front end of the clamping portion  24  is connected with the external surface of the base portion  21 , and a rear end of the clamping portion  24  slightly open toward the outside. 
     The metal ring  6  is cooperate with the tubular contact  2  to prevent the tubular contact  2  moving. The metal ring  6  comprises a front end portion  61  designed as a hollow cylindrical shape and plural lugs  63  connected to the front end portion  61 . The front end portion  61  has a plurality of holding pieces  62  bending inwardly. 
     The cable connector assembly  100  comprises a seal ring  7  surrounded the cable  4 . The seal ring  7  is inserted into the connecting portion  12  of the insulative housing  1  along an axial direction. 
     The cover  3  comprises a first opening  32 , a second opening  33  disposed at an end of the first opening  32  for the cable  4  passing through. The first opening  32  is communicated with the second opening  33  in a front-to-back direction. An inner diameter of the first opening  32  is larger than an inner diameter of the second opening  33 . The cover  3  comprises a plurality of grooves  30  spaced apart from each other on a surface thereof for increasing the friction force and an annular recess  34  depressed in a circumference direction and formed in a front section thereof. 
     The snap ring  5  has an inner wall  51 . The inner wall  51  has a protruding portion  52  engaged with the first side  131  of the flange portion  13  and a rib  53  cooperated with the annular recess  34 . Therefore, the cable connector assembly  100  can achieve waterproof and dustproof and increase its service life by the snap ring  5  establishing a tight fit between the insulative housing  1  and the cover  3 . The snap ring  5  has a larger inner diameter than an outer diameter of the flange portion  13 . The snap ring  5  consists of a first body  54  designed as a semicircular shape and a second body  55  designed as a semicircular shape that are connected together. The first body  54  has a first circular arc portion  56  and a latching arm  58  extending forwardly from the first circular arc portion  56 . The second body  55  has a second circular arc portion  57  and a notch  59  on a front end thereof to be mated with the latching arm  58  of the first body  54 . An end of the first body  54  is connected with an end of the second body  55 . The first body  54  and the second body  55  can be combined together. The latching arm  58  comprises an extending portion  581  and a locking block  582  projecting from a free end of the extending portion  581 . The notch  59  defines a tuber  591  engaged with the locking block  582  to complete a closed state of the snap ring  5 . 
     In assembling of the cable connector assembly  100 , the metal ring  6  is assembled to the tubular contact  2  firstly, then the tubular contact  2  accommodated in the insulative housing  1 . The contact portion of the tubular contact  2  is received in the cavity  115  and the tail portion  23  of the tubular contact  2  is electrically connected with the cable. The seal ring  7  is inserted into the circular space surrounded by the spring tabs  121  and surrounded the cable  4 . The cover  3  can rotate in the connecting portion  12  of the insulative housing  1  to squeeze the spring tabs  121 , thus filling the space between the spring tabs  121  and the cable  4  by seal ring  7 . The cover  3  is rotated and retained in the connecting portion  12  via the thread. Because the cover  3  is made of thermoplastic rubber material, it is apt to deform or become loose after a long time of use. By provision of the snap ring  5 , the outermost/front edge of the cover  3  may be radially shielded and protected. Notably, in this embodiment, the outermost/front edge of the cover  3  is also protected/shielded by the flange portion  13  along the axial direction. 
     It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous, characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set fourth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosed is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of number, 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.