Patent Publication Number: US-8109779-B2

Title: Cable assembly with latching member

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to a cable assembly, and more particularly to a cable assembly with a latching member. 
     DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART 
     Nowadays, an electrical device has become lower profile and multi-functional, and a cable assembly for the electrical device is also capable of high-speed transmitting, and reliably connection and easily detachable with its counterpart. 
     CN patent No. 200420022197 issued to Peng on Sep. 7, 2005 discloses a cable assembly. The cable assembly includes an insulative housing, a plurality of terminals accommodated in the insulative housing, a metallic shell enclosing the insulative housing, two locking members mounted to two sides of the insulative housing and two clamping members adapted for securing the two locking members, an external cover and a cable. Each locking member has a mounting portion fixed to the insulative housing, a deformable arm connected to the mounting portion and deflected along up-to-down direction, in addition, a hook is formed at a front end of the deformable arm, and an upward protrusion is formed on the deformable arm and accessible by a deformable button which is formed on the external cover. However, partial of the locking member disposed behind the insulative housing may interferes with wires inside the cable, thus it is inconvenient in assembling process. On the other hand, following the spirit of the inventor&#39;s earlier invention, i.e, U.S. Pat. No. 7,651,379, a compact arrangement of new interface connector is desired for applying to a cable assembly. 
     Hence, an improved cable assembly is highly desired to overcome the aforementioned problems. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a lower profile and easily manufactured cable assembly. 
     In order to achieve the object set forth, a cable assembly in accordance with the present invention comprises an insulative housing having a main portion and at least one mounting arm extending rearwardly from the main portion, the at least one mounting arm defining a positioning hole; a plurality of terminals received in the insulative housing; a cable having a plurality of wires connected to the plurality of terminals, respectively; at least one latching member including a connecting arm, a latching arm and a retention arm, the latching arm and the retention arm spaced apart from each other and extend forwardly from the connecting arm, the retention arm inserted into the positioning hole in the at least one mounting arm, the connecting arm deflected outwardly; and an external cover enclosing the insulative housing and the latching member, the external cover having a deformable button for actuating the latching arm. 
     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 assembly in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is similar to  FIG. 1 , but viewed from another aspect; 
         FIG. 3  is a partially assembled view of the cable assembly; 
         FIG. 4  is an assembled, perspective view of the cable assembly; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-section view taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4 ; and 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-section view taken along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 4 ; 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-6 , a cable assembly  100  in accordance with the present invention comprises an insulative housing  1 , a terminal module  2 , two latching members  3 , a metallic shell  4 , an external cover  5 , a cable  6  and a strain relief  7 . 
     The insulative housing  1  includes a main portion  10  and two mounting arms  12  extending rearwardly from lateral sides of the main portion  10 . A receiving space  102  is recessed forwardly from a middle segment of a rear edge of the main portion  10 . A mating port or cavity  104  is recessed downwardly from a front segment of a top side of the main portion  10  and further communicates with the receiving space  102 . The mating port or cavity  104  has a mating face  1040  facing upwardly and a plurality of grooves  1040 ′ formed in the mating face  1040  in one row along a transverse direction. A depression  104 ′ is defined in a lower side of the main portion  10 , and the depression  104 ′ is of isosceles trapezoid shape, which has a horizontal side  1041 ′ and two oblique sides  1041 ′,  1042 ′. A slot  101  is defined in the mounting arm  12  and partial of main portion  10  in front of the mounting arm  12 . A positioning hole  126  is defined in a rear portion  124  of the mounting arm  12 , and a standoff  122  is formed on middle portion of the mounting arm  12  and projected upwardly. 
     The terminal module  2  includes a first terminal module  21  and a second terminal module  22 . The first terminal module  21  has an insulator (first insulator)  211  and a number of terminals (first contacts)  212  combined together by insert-molding process. The terminals (first contacts)  212  are divided into signal terminals (first signal contacts) and grounding terminals (first grounding contacts) configured to be longer than the signal terminals. The terminals  212  have contacting portions (first front contacting sections)  2120  disposed in front of an edge of the insulator  211  and tail portions (first rear soldering sections)  2122  which are accommodated in terminal slots  2112  defined in a back segment of the insulator  211 . Each contacting portion (first contacting section)  2120  of either the first signal contact or the first grounding contacts has a first contacting apexes. Two mounting holes  2110  are defined in a bottom side of the insulator  211  and a protruding portion  2111  are formed on a top side of the insulator  211 . 
     The second terminal module  22  has an insulator (second insulator)  221  and a number of terminals (second contacts)  222  combined together by insert-molding process. The terminals (second contacts)  222  are divided into signal terminals (second signal contacts) and grounding terminals (second grounding contacts) configured to be longer than the signal terminals. The terminals (second contacts)  222  have contacting portions (second front contacting sections)  2220  disposed in front of an edge of the insulator  221  and tail portions (second rear soldering sections)  2222  which are accommodated in terminal slots  2212  defined in a back segment of the insulator  221 . Each contacting portion (second contacting section)  2220  of either the second signal contact or the second grounding contacts has a second contacting apexes. Two mounting posts  2210  are formed on a top side of the insulator  221 . There are two protruding portions  2214  formed on a bottom side of the insulator  221 . 
     The first terminal module  21  and the second terminal module  22  are assembled together, with the contacting portions  2120 ,  2220  merged into one row, while the tail portions  2122 ,  2222  separated into two distinct rows along an up-to-down direction. The first insulator  211  and the second insulator  221  are essentially located at different levels defining two different rows in said transverse direction. The first contacting apexes of the first front contacting sections  2120  and the second contacting apexes of the second front contacting sections  2220  are both exposed above the mating face  1040 . The first front contacting sections  2120  of the first contacts  212  and the second front contacting sections  2220  of the second contacts  222  are mixed up with each other in said one row along said transverse direction under condition that both the first contacting apexes of the first signal contacts and the second contacting apexes of the second signal contacts are located at essentially a same first position in a front-to-back direction perpendicular to said transverse direction, and both the first contacting apexes of the first grounding contacts and the second contacting apexes of the second grounding contacts are located, in said front-to-back direction, a same second position in front said same first position. The mounting posts  2210  are inserted into the mounting holes  2110  so as to keep the first terminal module  21  and the second terminal module  22  together. The first terminal module  21  and the second terminal module  22  are assembled to the insulative housing  1 , with front segments of the insulators  211 ,  221  inserted into the receiving space  102 . 
     Each latching member  3  includes a connecting arm  30 , a latching arm  32  and a retention arm  33 . The latching arm  32  and the retention arm  33  are spaced apart from each other and extend forwardly from the connecting arm  30 . The latching arm  32  and the retention arm  33  are located in a vertical plane. The connecting arm  30  has a U-shaped body portion  31  and a first bridge portion  311  and a second bridge portion  312  formed with front ends of the body portion  31 . The first bridge portion  311  and the second bridge portion  312  are inwardly deflected and extend forwardly to engage with the latching arm  32  and the retention arm  33 , respectively. Therefore the U-shaped body portion  31  is disposed in other vertical plane and parallel to the latching arm  32  and the retention arm  33 . A tab  324  is formed on a top side of the latching arm  32  and proximate the first bridge portion  311 . The retention arm  33  is inserted into the positioning hole  126  of the mounting arm  12 , and the latching arm  32  is received in the slot  101  of the insulative housing  1 . The connecting arm  30  is located behind the mounting arm  12  and adjacent to an outer surface of the mounting arm  12 , therefore, more space is left inside the connecting arm  30 . 
     The metallic shell  4  has a first shell  41 , a second shell  42  and a third shell  43 . The first shell  41  includes a frame  411  to accommodate the main portion  10  therein. Two through holes  4110  are defined in a front segment of a top side  411  a of the frame  411  to allow hooks  322  of the latching arm  32  passing through. A first engaging portion  4110   a  projects backward from the top side  411   a . There is a positioning hole  4112  defined in the first engaging portion  4110   a  to latch with the protruding portion  2111  of the first terminal module  21 . The frame  411  has a bottom side  411   b  suitably matching with the depression  104 ′ of the insulative housing  1 . A second engaging portion  4110   b  projects backward from the bottom side  411   b . There is two positioning hole  4114  defined in the second engaging portion  4110   b  to latch with the protruding portions  2214  of the second terminal module  22 . 
     The second shell  42  includes a U-shaped main body  421  and a cable holder  423  integrated with the main body  421  and projecting backwardly. The third shell  43  includes an inverted U-shaped main portion  431  and a tail  433  extending rearward. The second shell  42  and the third shell  43  can be combined together along a vertical direction. 
     The external cover  5  includes an upper cover  51  and a bottom cover  52 . The upper cover  51  has a first hollow  511  and a second hollow  512  disposed behind the first hollow  511 . A rectangular shaped opening  5110  is located in the front portion of the upper cover  51 , and the opening  5110  further communicates with the first hollow  511 . A semicircular shaped outlet  513  is defined in the rear portion of the upper cover  51  and communicated with the second hollow  512 . A deformable button  514  is integrally formed with the upper cover  51  and floatable along up-to-down direction to enter the first hollow  511  so as to actuate the tab  324  of the latching arm  32 . In addition, a number of ribs  5140  are formed on a top side of the deformable button  514  to increase friction between user&#39;s thumb and the deformable button  514 . 
     The bottom cover  52  is similar to the upper cover  51 , and also has a first hollow  521  and a second hollow  522  disposed behind the first hollow  521 . An opening  5210  is located in the front portion of the bottom cover  52 , and the opening  5210  further communicates with the first hollow  521 . A semicircular shaped outlet  523  is defined in the rear portion of the bottom cover  52  and communicated with the second hollow  522 . 
     The cable  6  includes a number of wire groups enclosed in a jacket  60 . Each wire group includes a pair of signal wires  61  and a grounding wire  62  disposed aside the pair of wires  61 , and a shielding member  63  shrouding the pair of wires  61 . The shielding member  63  is aluminum foil or other similar structure. The strain relief member  7  is molded over a front segment of the cable  6 . 
     The signal wires  61  and the grounding wires  62  are put into terminal slots  2112 ,  2222  of the insulators  211 ,  221  and soldered to the tails  2122 ,  2222  of the terminals  212 ,  222 . In addition, some of the terminal slots  2112 ,  2222  for receiving the signal wires  61  are larger than those terminal slots  2112 ,  2222  for receiving the grounding wires  62 , to avoid misconnection problem between the terminals  212 ,  222  and the signal wires  61  and the grounding wires  62 . The strain relief member  7  is accommodated in the second hollows  512 ,  522 . 
     The two latching members  3  are transversally spaced apart from each other. As the two connecting arms  30  are transversally deflected outwardly, therefore, a distance (space) between the two connection arms  30  enlarges and there is no interfering problem between the cable  6  and the latching member  3 . 
     The cable assembly  100  is in accordance with DiiVA (Digital Interactive Interface for Video &amp; Audio) standard. Referring to  FIG. 1-2 , within the cavity  104 , along a left-to-right direction, there are thirteen terminals  212 ,  222  which are arranged in such manner: G-S-S-G-S-S-G-S-S-G-G-S-S. G represents grounding terminal, and S represent signal terminal There are three differential pairs consisted of six signal terminals located between grounding terminals. The differential pairs for high-speed transmitting used for conveying video signals. And a pair of signal terminals disposed in the right side cavity  104  used for audio signals. 
     When detach the cable assembly  100  from a complementary connector, just press the deformable button  514  to actuate the tab  324  of the latching arm  32 , and the latching arm  32  retreat into the slots  101 . When the pressing force is withdrawn, the deformable button  514  restored to their original positions, and the latching arms  32  also upwardly movement by rebounded force of the resilient tabs  304 . 
     It will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or central characteristics thereof The present examples and embodiments, therefore, are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein.