Patent Publication Number: US-8113869-B2

Title: Cable connector assembly with a front shell

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention generally relates to a cable connector assembly, and more particularly to a cable connector assembly used for locking the strain relief thereof. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Nowadays, cable connector assemblies contain a strain relief molding outside the cable, and then put the cable molding with the strain relief in the shell of the cable assembly, CN patent No. 2390286Y issued on Aug. 2, 2000 to Lai discloses a cable connector assembly, the cable connector assembly comprises a method of installing the strain relief in the space of the shell, because of the joint force between the strain relief and the shell is small may occure the strain relief remove in the shell and the effect the electrical transmission. 
     Correspondingly, it is desired to have a cable connector assembly with improved jointing force between the strain relief and the shell. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a cable connector assembly may enforce the joint force between the strain relief and the shell. 
     In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a cable connector assembly in accordance with the present invention comprises an insulative housing and a plurality of contacts received therein, a cable connected with the contacts, a strain relief portion molded on the cable, the strain relief portion having a extruding portion on the front end thereof and a retaining portion behind the extruding portion, a plurality of retaining blocks arranged between the extruding portion and the retaining portion, a cover enclosing the aforementioned components, the cover comprises a upper cover and a lower cover, a surface of the upper cover and the lower cover defining a arc-shaped cutout, the retaining portion is mounted in the front of the arc-shaped cutout and the retaining block is locked in the arc-shaped cutout. 
     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 an assembled, perspective view of a cable assembly of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded, perspective view of the cable connector assembly; 
         FIG. 3  is similar to  FIG. 2 , but viewed from another aspect; 
         FIG. 4  is a partially exploded, perspective view of the cable connector assembly shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 5  is another partially exploded, perspective view of the cable connector assembly shown in  FIG. 2 ; and 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the cable assembly taken along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe the present invention in detail. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , a cable connector assembly  100  in accordance with the present invention comprises an insulative housing  1 , a plurality of contacts  2  received in the housing  1 , a printed circuit board  3 , a metallic shielding  4  enclosing a mating port  11  of the insulative housing  1 , a cable  5 , a metallic shell  6  enclosing the printed circuit board  3  and partially of the housing  1  and the cable  5  and a cover  8  enclosing the aforementioned components. the cover  8  is made of insulative material, and comprises a upper cover  81  and a lower cover  82  assembled to each other along a direction perpendicular to a mating direction. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2-5 , The contacts  2  are assembled in the insulative housing  1 , and tail portions of the contacts  2  are bent downwards beyond the lower surface of the housing  1  and soldered to the printed circuit board  3 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , the insulative housing  1  defines a pair of fastening holes (not shown) at opposite sides thereof, a pair of nuts  9  are mounted in the corresponding fastening holes to couple to a complementary connector (not shown). The metallic shielding  4  is enclosing the insulative housing  1  and a mating port of the cable connector assembly  100  to reduce Electro Magnetic Interference (EMI). The metallic shielding  4  defines a vertical wall with a pair of through holes (not shown) aligned with corresponding fastening holes along the mating direction. 
     The cable  5  defines a strain relief portion  50 , the strain relief portion has a extruding portion  52  on a front end thereof and a rectangular retaining portion  51  behind the extruding portion  52 , the retaining portion  51  is spaced apart from the protruding portion  52 , and the retaining portion  51  has a larger width than the protruding portion  52  along a transverse direction. The strain relief portion  50  defines a circular hole  53 , the middle between the extruding portion  52  and the retaining portion  51  defines four retaining blocks, two of the retaining blocks arranged on a left and a right sides of the circular hole  53  defines the first retaining blocks  54 , the first retaining blocks  54  are jointed with the front surface of the retaining portion  51  but not jointed with the back surface of the extruding portion  52 . The other two retaining blocks  54  arranged on an up and a down sides of the circular hole  53  defines the second retaining blocks  55 , the second retaining blocks  55  are jointed with the front surface of the retaining portion  51  and jointed with the back surface of the extruding portion  52 . The cable  5  also comprises a plurality of wires (not shown). 
     The metallic shell  6  is made of metallic material and comprises a top shell  61  and a bottom shell  62  assembled to each other. The top shell  61  comprises a base portion  610  and an extension portion  612  bending upwardly firstly and then extending forwardly from the base portion  610 , a cable receiving portion  615  extending backwards from the base portion  610 . The extension portion  612  is wider than the base portion  610  along the transverse direction. The top shell  61  defines a pair of the first side walls  613  bent downwardly, and the front end of the top shell  61  defines a front wall  614  bent downwardly. The middle portion of the front wall  614  defines a first through hole  6140  receiving the mating port  11  of the insulative housing  1 . The front wall  614  defines a pair of second through holes  6141  at opposite of the first hole  6140  aligned with corresponding fastening holes along the mating direction. 
     The bottom shell  62  comprises a lower wall  621  and a pair of lateral walls  623  bent upwards from both sides of the lower wall  621 . The lateral walls  623  are engaging with the corresponding side walls  613  of the top shell  61 . 
     The cover  8  is made of insulative material and comprises a upper cover  81  and a lower cover  82  assembled to each other. The upper cover  81  defines a plurality of posts  811  around an inner wall thereof equably, the lower cover  82  defines a plurality of engaging holes  821  cooperating with corresponding posts  811 . The upper cover  81  and the lower cover  82  have the same configuration with each other. Both of the upper cover  81  and the lower cover  82  define a clipping portion  813 ,  823  and a groove  814 ,  824  extending forward from the back surface of the cover  8 . The clipping portion  813 ,  823  has clipping surface  8130 ,  8230 . A first arc-shaped cutout  8131 , 8231  formed in the surface of the clipping surface  8130 , 8230 . A second cutout  815 , 825  formed in the lower surface of the groove  814 , 824 , the first cutout  8131 , 8231  spart from the second cutout  814 , 824  and parallel to each other. In the back view of the connector, a left end and a right end sides of the second cutout  815  disposed above the lower surface of the lateral walls of the upper cover  81 , the lower surface of the groove  814  defines a pair of first gaps  8150 , the gaps  8150  spart from each other and closing to the end of the second arc-shaped cutout  815 . The middle of the second arc-shaped cutout  815  defines a second gap  8151  extending along the lower surface of the groove  814 . In accord with the upper cover  81 , the lower surface  82  also defines a pair of third gaps  8250  and a forth gap  8251 . The configuration of the third gap  8250  is similar to the first gap  8150 , the configuration of the forth gap  8251  is a similar to the second gap  8151 , and detailed description is omitted here. 
     In assembly, the contacts  2  are received in the insulative housing  1  and tails portion of the contacts  2  are soldered to a front of the printed circuit board  3 . The metallic shielding  4  enclosing the insulative housing  1 . The aforementioned elements are assembled into the bottom shell  62 , and then the top shell  61  is assembled to the bottom shell  62  along an up-to-down direction, the side walls  613  of the top shell  61  are engaging with the lateral walls  623  of the bottom shell  62  to combine the top shell  61  and the bottom shell  62 . The extension portion  612  of the top shell  61  is shielding a rear section of the insulative housing  1 , and the base portion  610  is located above the printed circular board  4 . Therefore, the shell  6  is enclosing the shielding member  4 , the housing  1  and the electrical connection area to reduce EMI. 
     Then the cover  8  is assembled to the aforementioned elements, the retaining portion  51  of the cable  5  is disposed in the groove  824  of the lower cover  82  to prevent the cable  5  moving forth, the protruding portion  52  of the cable  5  is located in the middle of the first arc-shaped cutout  8231  and the second arc-shaped cutout  825  and put the lower second retaining blocks locked in the forth gap  8251 . A left and a right sides of the first retaining blocks  54  locked in the third gap  8250 , then the upper cover  81  is assembled to the lower cover  82  along the up-to-down direction, the posts  811  of the upper cover  81  are inserted into the corresponding engaging holes  821  of the lower cover  82 , and the clipping portions  813  of the upper cover  81  and the clipping portions  823  of the lower cover  82  are cooperated with each other to retain the cable  5 . The upper of the second retaining blocks  55  locked in the second gap  8151  of the upper cover  81 , the spare portion of the left and the right sides of the second retaining blocks  55  locked in the third gap  8250  are mounted in the first gap  8150 . Thus, the cable connector assembly  100  is assembled. 
     In the above embodiment, according to put the first and the second retaining blocks  54 , 55  between the extruding portion  52  and the retaining portion  51 , and at the same time the clipping portion  813 , 823  defines gaps cooperating with the first and the second retaining blocks to lock the strain relief portion  50  in the cover  8 . 
     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.