Patent Publication Number: US-8113889-B2

Title: Cable connector assembly with a unitary connector molded with another connector

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This application claims priority to prior Chinese patent applications 200920303145.3, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     The present invention generally relates to a cable connector assembly, and more particularly to a cable connector assembly being replaced easily. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Conventional cable connector assemblies are widely used in an electronic equipment, especially for transmitting power, and the performance of the cable connector assembly directly impacts on the entire electronic equipment. 
     A cable connector assembly is a power connector and comprises a first connector and a second connector. An insulative housing is over-molded with the first and second connectors. A power contact is received in the first connector. A signal contact is received in the second connector. An insulative cover covers the first connector and the second connector. The insulative housing conjuncts the first connector with the second connector along a transverse direction. However, when the cable connector assembly needs updating, the accessories of the cable connector assembly are inconvenient to change to achieve the updating, then it needs to design another cable connector assembly to meet the requirements of market. 
     Hence, an improved cable connector assembly is desired to overcome the above problems. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to one aspect of the present invention, a cable connector assembly comprises: a body portion comprising a cylindrical first connector and a cylindrical second connector, the first and second connectors each having a contact located at a central axis thereof; an insulative housing connecting the first and second connectors together along a transverse direction thereof, the insulative housing comprising an extending portion extending along a back to front direction perpendicular to the transverse direction, the extending portion located between the first and second connectors; a cable connected with the body portion; and an insulative cover over-molded on an electrical connection area between the body portion and the cable. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, a cable connector assembly for mating with a corresponding receptacle connector, comprising: a body portion having a first connector and a second connector side by side connected with each other by an insulative housing along a transverse direction, the first and second connectors presenting as annularity-shaped and each defining a slit recessed from an inner wall thereof for engaging with a protrusion of the receptacle connector; The insulative housing having an extending portion extending along a back to front direction between the first and second connectors for engaging with the receptacle connector; a cable connected with the body portion; and an insulative cover over-molded on an electrical connection area between the body portion, the insulative housing and the cable. 
     The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded, perspective view of a cable connector assembly in the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is similar to  FIG. 1 , but viewed from another aspect; 
         FIG. 3  is an assembled, perspective view of the cable connector assembly; and 
         FIG. 4  is an assembled, perspective view of the cable connector assembly and a corresponding receptacle. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe the present invention in detail. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-4 , a cable connector assembly  100  in accordance with the present invention comprises a body portion  1 , an insulative housing  2  being formed integrally with the body portion  1 , an insulative cover  4  and a cable  5  connected with the body portion  1 . The insulative cover  4  is over-molded on an electrical connection area between the body portion  1  and the cable  5 . The insulative cover  4  covers part of the body portion  1  and the insulative housing  2 . The cable connector assembly  100  is mating with a corresponding receptacle  200 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-4 , the body portion  1  comprises a cylindrical first connector  11  and a cylindrical second connector  12 . The first and second connectors  11 ,  12  present as annularity-shaped. Each first and second connectors  11 ,  12  have a contact  3  located at a central axis thereof. The first and second connectors  11 ,  12  extend along a back to front direction. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-2 , the first and second connectors  11 ,  12  each comprise an outer tube and an inner tube spaced apart from the outer tube along a radius direction thereof. The outer tubes include first outer tube  111  corresponding to the first connector  11  and second outer tube  121  corresponding to the second connector  12 . The inner tubes include first inner tube  112  corresponding to the first connector  11  and second inner tube  122  corresponding to the second connector  12 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-4 , The first outer tube  111  has a first curved tail  1111  at a rear side thereof and a first notch  1112  at a front side thereof. The first inner tube  112  has a first curved portion  1121  at the rear side thereof and a first slit  1122  at the front side thereof. The second connector  12  is symmetrical with the first connector  11 . The second outer tube  121  has a second curved tail  1211  at the rear side thereof and a second notch  1212  at the front side thereof. The second inner tube  122  has a second curved portion  1221  at the rear side thereof and a second slit  1222  at the front side thereof. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-2 , the insulative housing  2  is made of plastic material. The insulative housing  2  is insert-molded with the body portion  1 . The insulative housing  2  includes a connector portion  20  side by side connecting the first and second connectors  11 ,  12  along a transverse direction thereof, and an extending portion  23  extending forwardly from the connector portion  20 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-2 , the extending portion  23  extends along the back to front direction perpendicular to the transverse direction. The extending portion  23  locates between the first and second connectors  11 ,  12 . The extending portion  23  comprises a curved groove  231  at one side thereof and a flat surface  232  at another side thereof. The flat surface  232  is located at the bottom of the extending portion  23 , and the curved groove  231  is located at the top of the extending portion  23  and extends along the back to front direction. The extending portion  23  does not extend beyond a front end of the first and second connectors  11 ,  12  along the back to front direction. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-2 , the connection portion  20  is formed with a convex rib  21  and a recess  22  at two sides thereof. The convex rib  21  aligns with the recess  22  along an up to down direction. The extending portion  23  does not extend beyond the convex rib  21  and an inner wall of the recess  22  along the up to down direction thereof. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-2 , the insulative housing  2  further includes two insulative tubes  24 , two insulative tails  25 , a first hole  26  extending along a front to back direction of the first connector  11 , a second hole  27  extending along the front to back direction of the second connector  12 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-2 , One of the insulative tube  24  is located at a front end of the first outer tube  111  and the first inner tube  112 , the other of the insulative tube  24  is located at a front end of the second outer tube  121  and the second inner tube  122 . The insulative tails  25  align with each other along the transverse direction. One of the insulative tails  25  covers the first curved tail  1111  and the first curved portion  1121 , the other of the insulative tail  25  covers the second curved tail  1211  and the second curved portion  1221 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-2 , the contacts  3  includes a power contact  31  in the first connector  11  and a signal contact  32  in the second connector  12 . The power contact  31  and the signal contact  32  are made of conductive material. The power contact  31  is used for transmitting power and the signal contact  32  is used for transmitting signal. The power and signal contacts  31 ,  32  comprise a connecting portion in a back end thereof and a contacting portion in a front end thereof, the connecting portions define a diameter which is larger than that of the corresponding contacting portions. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-2 , The connecting portions include first connecting portion  311  corresponding to the power contact  31  and second connecting portion  321  corresponding to the signal contact  32 . The contacting portions include first contacting portion  312  corresponding to the power contact  31  and second contacting portion  322  corresponding to the signal contact  32 . The contacts define a plurality of grooves recessed from an outer surface thereof for engaging with the insulative housing  2  to enhance the combinations between the contact  3  and the insulative housing  2 . The grooves include first grooves  313  corresponding to the power contact  31  and second grooves  323  corresponding to the signal contact  32 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the insulative cover  4  is assembled to an outer side of the body portion  1  and the cable  5 . The insulative cover  4  is made of plastic material. The insulative cover  4  includes a receiving cavity  41  recessed from a front end thereof for receiving the first connector  11  and the second connector  12 . A circular pressing portion  42  is recessed downwards from a top surface of the insulative cover  4 . An indentation  43  is defined in a front end of the insulative cover  4  and recessed downwards from a top surface of the insulative cover  4  for preventing the cable connector assembly  100  from mis-mating with the corresponding receptacle  200 . The indentation  43  is located in front of the pressing portion  42 . A protrusion  44  is formed at a lower side of the indentation  43 . A convex set  45  is defined in a front end of the receiving cavity  41  and formed in an inner surface of the receiving cavity  41 . 
     The cable  5  comprises a plurality of wires (not shown) connected with the first connector  11  and the second connector  12 , and each wire comprises three conductors (not shown). The wires includes a first group wire and a second group wire. The three conductors of the first group wire is electrically connected with the power contact  31 , the first outer tube  111  and the first inner tube  112  respectively. The three conductors of the second group wire are electrically connected with the signal contact  32 , the second outer tube  121  and the second inner tube  122  respectively. 
     In assembly, firstly, insert-molding the first and second connectors  11 ,  12  to the insulative housing  2 ; Secondly, assembling the insulative cover  4  to the body portion  1  and the cable  5 , then the protrusion  44  is engaged with the curved groove  231  of the extending portion  23 , the convex set  45  of the insulative cover  4  presses the convex rib  21  at the back end of the insulative housing  2  from the back to front direction. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , the corresponding receptacle  200  is mating with the cable connector assembly  100 . The corresponding receptacle  200  includes a pair of cylindrical portion  201  received in the first connector  11  and the second connector  12  respectively, an inner surface  202  at the outside of the cylindrical portions  201 , and a gap  203  between the cylindrical portion  201  and the inner surface  202 . The first connector  11  and the second connector  12  are received in the gap  203 . The two cylindrical portions  201  are separated with each other. Each cylindrical portion  201  has an engaging hole  2011  extending along the front to back direction for engaging with the contact  3 . A plurality of protrusion  205  engages with the first and second notches  1112 ,  1212 , and the first and second slits  1122 ,  1222 . 
     An updating structure  204  is located between the two cylindrical portions  201 . The updating structure  204  includes a flat projection  2041  extending downwardly, a semi-circular projection  2042  extending upwardly, and a space  2043  between the flat projection  2041  and the semi-circular projection  2042 . The semi-circular projection  2042  is below the flat projection  2041 . The extending portion  23  of the insulative housing  2  is received in the space  2043 . The flat projection  2041  is engaged with the flat surface  232  of the extending portion  23 . The semi-circular projection  2042  is engaged with the curved groove  231  of the extending portion  23 . The semi-circular projection  2042  guides the cable connector assembly  100  to promote into the gap  203  easily. 
     As described above, the cable connector assembly  100  further includes the extending portion  23  extending forwardly between the first connector  11  and the second connector  12 . Thereby the extending portion  23  distinguishes the cable connector assembly  100  from normal connector which does not have said extending portion  23 , and facilitates replacement of the cable connector assembly  100 . Besides, the extending portion  23  defines the curved groove  231  which is easily to change for defining next generation of the cable connector assembly  100 . 
     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.