Patent Publication Number: US-8109788-B1

Title: Cable assembly with improved grounding bar

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to a cable assembly, and more particularly to a cable assembly used in electric device and having improved grounding bar. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Present cable assembly is needed to own low profile, small size and simple production. A micro coaxial cable assembly always comprises a housing, a plurality of contacts, a plurality of micro coaxial cables connected to the contacts and a grounding bar. U.S. Pat. No. 6,755,687, issued to Ko on Jun. 29, 2004, discloses a micro coaxial cable assembly. The cable assembly comprises a housing, a plurality of contacts, a plurality of micro coaxial cables, a pair of shells and a grounding bar. However, the grounding bar increases the height of the cable assembly and is not suit for low-profile cable assembly. 
     Hence, in this art, an improved cable assembly to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art should be provided. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A primary object, therefore, of the present invention is to provide a cable assembly with an improved grounding bar. 
     In order to implement the above object, the cable assembly comprises a housing comprising a main portion defining a connecting direction and a mating portion defining a mating direction, the connecting direction being perpendicular to the mating direction, a plurality of contacts receiving in the housing, a plurality of cables each comprising an inner conductor connected to the contacts and an outer conductor, a grounding bar connected to all the outer conductors of the cables. The grounding bar defines a long side extending along a direction perpendicular to the connecting direction and a short side extending along a direction parallel to the mating direction, and the housing comprises a receiving trough receiving the grounding bar. 
     Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a cable assembly in according with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a view similar to  FIG. 1 , but taken from a different aspect; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded, perspective view of the cable assembly in according with the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a partly assembled perspective view of the cable assembly of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a housing of the cable assembly in according with the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference will now be made in detail to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIGS. 1 to 5  illustrate perspective views of a cable assembly  1  made in accordance with the present invention. The cable assembly  1  comprises a housing  10 , a plurality of contacts  20  received in the housing  10 , a plurality of cables  30  each comprising an inner conductor  301  and an outer conductor  302 , a grounding bar  40  received in the housing  10 . 
     The housing  10  comprises main portion  12 , a mating portion  14 , and a pair of wing portions  16  connected to the main portion  12  and the mating portion  14 . The main portion  12  defines a connecting direction and the cables  30  extend along the connecting direction. The mating portion  14  is mated to a complementary connector along a mating direction perpendicular to the connecting direction. The main portion  12  comprises a plurality of holes  122  for receiving contacts  20 , a plurality of receiving slots  124  corresponding to the holes  122 , a supporting portion  126  with a plurality of receiving grooves  1260 , and a receiving trough  128  located between the receiving slots  124  and the supporting portion  126 . The holes  122  are staggered and arranged in two rows, and each the receiving slot  124  respectively passes through its corresponding hole  122 . The mating portion  14  comprises a rectangular mating groove  142 . The contacts  20  comprises connecting portions received in the holes of the main portion  12  and mating portions arranged on two side walls of the mating groove  142 . 
     The receiving trough  128  defines a longest side extending along a direction perpendicular to the connecting direction and the mating direction, a shortest side extending along the connecting direction and a middle side extending along the mating direction. The receiving trough  128  has a plurality of ribs  1280  located on the bottom thereof and a pair of block  1282  located on the two ends thereof to make the receiving trough  128  be of T-shaped configuration. Each of the two wing portions  16  defines an L-like configuration in a side view. 
     The grounding bar  40  is of vertical T-shape configuration and defines a long side  401  extending along a direction perpendicular to the connecting direction and a short side  402  extending along a direction parallel to the mating direction. The grounding bar comprises a dentate top portion  42  with a plurality of hollows  420 , and a plurality of gaps  430  located on the bottom there of and corresponding to the ribs  1280  of the housing  10 . The grounding bar  40  is received in the receiving trough  128  of the housing  10 . When the grounding bar  40  is inserted into the receiving trough  128 , the ribs  1280  are inserted into the gaps  430  for prevent the grounding bar  40  passing out of the housing  10 . The ribs  1280  and the gaps  430  combination the T-shaped grounding bar  40  and receiving trough  128  serve as downward stops for ground bar  40  assembly to the housing  10 . The inner conductors  301  of the cables  30  are connected to the contacts  20  and the outer conductors  302  of the cables are respectively received in the hollows  420  of the grounding bar  40  and electrically connected to the grounding bar  40 . 
     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.