Patent Publication Number: US-8979587-B2

Title: Cable assembly having a wire management with an electroplated layer

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a cable assembly, and more particularly to a cable assembly for high speed signal transmission. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     CN. Patent No.201708323U issued to Wu on Jan. 11, 2011 discloses a cable assembly comprising: a plurality of second terminals, an insulative housing molding outside the second terminals, a plurality of second terminals received in the housing, a flat cable electrically and mechanically connecting to the first and second terminals and a metallic shell shielding the insulative housing. And the flat cable comprises a plurality of inner conductors arranged into an upper row and a lower row. The upper row of the inner conductors are soldered to the second terminals and the lower row of the inner conductors are soldered to the second terminals. The flat cable further comprises a plurality of inner insulative layers respectively surrounding the corresponding inner conductors and a plurality of shielding layers respectively surrounding the corresponding inner insulative layers and an outer insulative layer surrounding the shielding layers. 
     However, if the shielding layer of the flat cable is not cut out for a long enough distance. As a result, the inner conductors are not convenient to solder to the first and second terminals. And, if the shielding layer of the flat cable is cut out for a too long distance. Thus, a crosstalk problem will be occurred between two adjacent inner conductors. In addition, the inner conductors are not easily positioned due to a lack of wire management of the cable assembly. 
     Thus, an improved cable assembly overcoming shortages of existing technology is needed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a cable assembly with an improved wire management to effectively improve the characteristic impedance mutation phenomenon and prevent crosstalk. 
     In order to achieve the object set forth, a cable assembly a cable assembly comprises an insulative housing; a plurality of terminals received into the insulative housing; a cable electrically connected to the plurality of terminals, the cable comprising two differential pairs of signal wires, each differential pair of signal wires comprising two signal wires, a grounding wire and a shielding layer surrounding the two signal wires and a grounding wire, front end regions of the signal wires and the grounding wires exposed out of the shielding layer; and a wire management assembled to a rear end of the insulative housing and defining a plurality of channels respectively plated with an electroplated layer, the front end regions of the signal wires and the grounding wires respectively passed through the plurality of channels and electrically connected to the corresponding terminals. 
     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 assembled, perspective view of a cable assembly in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded, perspective view of a cable assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is another exploded view similar to  FIG. 2 , taken from anther aspect; 
         FIG. 4  is a partially assembled, perspective view of a base portion of a wire management assembled to an insulative housing of a cable assembly and a plurality of terminals received into the insulative housing of  FIG. 2 ; and 
         FIG. 5  is another partially assembled, perspective view of  FIG. 4 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 2 , a cable assembly  100  comprises an insulative housing  1  assembled with an insulator  4 , a plurality of terminals  2  received into the insulative housing  1  and the insulator  4 , a wire management  3  assembled to a rear end of the insulative hosing  1 , a metallic shell  5  shielding the insulative housing  1 , a cable  7  electrically connected to the terminals  2 , and an insulative cover  6  covering a rear portion of the metallic shell  5 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 to 3 , a plurality of terminals  2  comprise a set of first terminals  20  and a set of second terminals  21 . Both the first terminal  20  and the second terminal  21  comprise a planar retention portion  201 ,  211  supported by the insulative housing  1 , a mating portion  202 ,  212  extending forwardly from the retention portion  201 ,  211  and a tail portion  203 ,  213  extending rearwardly from the retention portion  201 ,  211 . The mating portions  202  of the first terminals  20  are flat and stiff. And the mating portions  212  of the second terminals  21  are curved and elastic. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 to 5 , the insulative housing  1  is structured in a rectangular shape and has a U-shaped body portion (not figured) and a tongue portion (not figured) extending forwardly from the body portion. The insulative housing  1  defines a top surface and an opposite bottom surface. The U-shaped base portion defines a mounting cavity  11  recessed downwardly from the top face of the body portion. The insulative housing  1  defines a row of first terminal receiving passages  14  formed on the top surface of the insulative housing  1  and located in front of the mounting cavity  11  for receiving mating portions  212  of the set of second terminals  21 , and a row of second terminal receiving passages  10  located in front of the row of first terminal receiving passages  14  for receiving the mating portions  202  of the set of second terminals  20 . The insulative housing  1  further defines a plurality of grooves  12  formed on two opposite top and bottom surfaces for receiving tail portions  203 ,  213  of the first and second terminals  20 ,  21  and a pair of indentations  13  formed on two side surfaces thereof. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 to 5 , the insulator  4  is assembled to the insulative housing  1  along a vertical direction and defines a plurality slots  40  throughout front and rear surfaces thereof. The insulator  4  also defines a recesses  41  formed on a top surface thereof. The second terminals  20  are respectively received into the corresponding slots  40 . The retention portions  211  of the second terminals  21  are supported by the slots  40 , the mating portions  212  of the second terminals  21  extend forwardly from a front surface of the insulator  4  for a distance, and the tail portions  213  of the second terminals  21  extend rearwardly from a rear surface of the insulator  4  for a distance. The insulator  4  is mounted into the mounting cavity  11  of the insulative housing  1  to form an insulative piece. Thus, mating portions  212  of the second terminals  21  are received into the row of first terminal receiving passages  14  and located in back of the mating portions  202  of the first terminals  20 . The tail portions  213  of the second terminals  21  are received into the grooves  12  formed on the top surface of the insulative housing  1 . A blocking piece  42  is assembled to a rear end of the insulator  4  to cover rear ends of the slots  40 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 to 5 , the wire management  3  is assembled to a rear end of the insulative housing  1 . The wire management  3  is made of plastic material and comprises a base portion  31  and a cover portion  32  assembled to the base portion  31  along a vertical direction. The base portion  31  defines two arms  31  respectively extending forwardly from two lateral sides thereof. The base portion  31  has two rows of troughs  312  respectively formed on an upper and lower faces thereof and extending along a longitudinal direction, and a recess  313  formed on the upper surface and located in back of a row of troughs  312 . The recess  313  is communicated with the row of troughs  312  and extended along a transverse direction. The troughs  312  and recess  313  formed on the upper surface of the base portion  31  are plated with metallic material to form an electroplated layer  314 . The cover portion  32  also defines a row of troughs  320  formed on the bottom surface thereof. The row of troughs  320  are also plated with metallic material to formed another electroplated layer  322 . The base portion  31  also defines two cutouts  311  formed on two lateral sides thereof. The cover portion  32  is covered to the base portion  31  to form a receiving room(not figured). The cover portion  32  defines two latching portions  321  cooperated with two cutouts  311  to achieve an engagement between the base portion  31  and the cover portion  32 . When the base portion  31  is assembled to the cover portion  32 , a plurality of channels are formed by the troughs  312 ,  320 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 4 , the cable  7  comprises two differential pairs of signal wires  70  and other four wires (not shown) respectively located on two different plans. Each of the pair of signal wires  70  comprises two signal wires  701 , a grounding wire  702  and a shielding layer  703  made of aluminum foil surrounding the two signal wires  701  and a grounding wire  702 . The signal wire  701  comprises a conductor  7010  and an outer insualtive layer (not figured). The four signal wires  701  and two grounding wires  702  are received in a row of troughs  312  and electrically connected with the tail portions  213  of the second terminals  21 . And the four signal wires  701  and two grounding wires  702  are sandwiched between the base portion  31  and the cover portion  32 . Two grounding wires  702  of two pairs of signal wires  70  are firstly extended into the recess  313  and then received into a trough  312 . Two front end regions of the two shielding layers  703  of two signal wires  701  are located in the recess  313 . The other four wires are received into another row of troughs  312  and electrically connected with the tail portions  203  of the first terminals  20 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 to 5 , the metallic shell  5  comprises a first shielding piece  51  and a second shielding piece  52  assembled with each other along a vertical direction. The first shielding piece  51  comprises a front frame portion  510 , a n-shaped portion  511  rearwardly extending from a top side of the front frame portion  510 , and a cable holder  512  extending rearwardly from a rear edge of top section of the n-shaped portion  511 . An upper and a lower wall of the front frame portion  510  respectively defines two windows. Each side of n-shaped portion  511  defines two locking tabs  5102 . The second shielding piece  52  is U-shaped and comprises a bottom section  520 , a pair of side sections  521  extending upwardly from two sides of the bottom section, and two back sections  522  spaced apart with each other. The pair of side sections  521  respectively defines two locking holes  5210  cooperated with locking tabs  5102  of the n-shaped portion  511  of the first shielding piece  51 . 
     In this embodiment, the wire management  3  is formed by two separated pieces. The top surface of the base portion  31  and the bottom surface of the cover portion  32  are both plated with metallic material. In other embodiment, the wire management  3  is formed by an unitary piece. And, an inner surface of the wire management  3  are plated with metallic material. In this embodiment, the base portion  31  and the cover portion  32  are both made of insulative material easily and suitable to be plated. In other embodiment, only troughs  312 ,  320  where two differential pairs of signal wires  70  passed through are made of insulative material easily and suitable to be plated for saving manufacturing cost. Then, the troughs  310 ,  320  are plated with metallic material. 
     After the above describing, the entire solution of the cable assembly  100  is disclosed. As the cable assembly  100  comprises a wire management  3  plated an electroplated layer  314 ,  322  therein and the grounding wire  702  is contacted to the electroplated layer  314 ,  322 , so the shielding layer  703  is electrically connected to the electroplated layer  314 ,  322  through the grounding wire  702 . Thus, a grounding loop is formed between the shielding layer  703  and the electroplated layer  314 ,  322  to achieve a shield compensation of the shielding layer  703 . So, the shielding layer  703  can be cutout for a long distance for the signal wires  701  and the grounding wire  702  easily connected to the terminals  2 . In addition, characteristic impedance mutation phenomenon of the cable assembly  100  will be overcome. And, the crosstalk between the differential pairs of wires  70  can be well prevented. 
     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.