Patent Publication Number: US-9419385-B2

Title: Cable connector assembly with improved shell

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a cable connector assembly, and more particularly to the cable connector assembly with improved shell. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     U.S. Pat. No. 8,011,968 discloses a connector and a cable connected with the connector. The connector has a metallic shell, an insulative housing received in the shell, and a plurality of contacts retained on the insulative housing. The shell comprises a front shell enclosing the insulative housing and a back shell attached to the front shell and to a back side of the insulative housing. The front shell comprises a front portion and a rear portion extending from the front portion. The front portion includes a bottom wall, a top wall opposite to the bottom wall, and a pair of side walls extending upwardly from two lateral sides of the bottom wall. The rear portion includes a first wall extending from the bottom wall of the front portion and a pair of second walls extending upwardly from two lateral sides of the first wall. The bottom wall and the first wall are located on a same level. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 8,608,520 discloses a connector and a cable electrically connected with the connector. The connector has a connector housing, a plurality of contacts received in the connector housing, a printed circuit board electrically connected the connector housing and the cable, an insulating housing at least partly enclosing the printed circuit board, and a metallic shell disposed outside of the insulative housing. The insulating housing comprises a first portion and a second portion bent and backwardly extending from the first portion. The first portion and the second portion are located at different levels, and an extending direction of the cable is same with an extending direction of the second portion. The shell comprises an upper shell and a lower shell engaged with the upper shell. The lower shell comprises a mating portion and a bending portion connected with the mating portion. An extending direction of the bending portion is same with the extending direction of the second portion of the insulative housing. 
     A cable connector assembly with an improved shell is desired. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a cable connector assembly having an improved shell. 
     In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a cable connector assembly in accordance with the present invention comprises: a connector including a shell having a front shell and a back shell assembled to each other, an insulative housing received in the shell, and a plurality of contacts retained on the insulative housing, the front shell comprising a mating portion and a bending portion backwardly extending from the mating portion, the insulative housing comprising a body portion and a stepped portion extending backwardly from the body portion, each of the contacts comprising a contact portion, a retaining portion retained on the body portion, and a tail portion exposed on the stepped portion, the contact portion, the retaining portion, and the tail portion extending along a same direction; and a cable comprising a plurality of conductive wires connected with the tail portions of the contacts, the bending portion being mated with the back shell, the bending portion being aligned with the cable to form an angle with respect to the mating portion. 
     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 a perspective view of a cable connector assembly according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the cable connector assembly shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the cable connector assembly shown in  FIG. 1  from another aspect; and 
         FIG. 4  is a cross section view of the front shell taken along line  4 - 4  in  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 4 , a cable connector assembly  100  in accordance with the present invention comprises a connector  10 , a cable  20  electrically connected with the connector  10 , and an insulating sleeve  30  surrounding the connector  10 . The connector  10  is a B-type USB 3.0 plug, comprising a shell  1 , an insulative housing  12  received in the shell  1 , and a plurality of contacts  13  retained on the insulative housing  12 . The cable  20  comprises a plurality of conductive wires for signal transmission. The shell  1  is made of metallic material and comprises a front shell  11  and a back shell  14  assembled to each other. 
     The front shell  11  is stamped from a unitary one-piece metal sheet and comprises a mating portion  111  for connecting with a complementary connector and a bending portion  112  extending backwardly from the mating portion  111 . The mating portion  111  comprises a large section  1110 , a narrowing section  1111  disposed above the large section  1110 , and a receiving space  113  to receive the insulative housing  12 . The mating portion  111  comprises a bottom wall  114 , a top wall  116  opposite to the bottom wall  114 , and a pair of side walls  115  connecting the bottom wall  114  and the top wall  116 . A width of the bottom wall  114  is larger than a width of the top wall  116 . The bending portion  112  comprises a first wall  118  extending from an end of the bottom wall  114  of the mating portion  111 , and a pair of second walls  119  extending upwardly from two lateral sides of the first wall  118 . The first wall  118  of the bending portion  112  and the bottom wall  114  of the mating portion  111  are located on different levels. The second wall  119  of the bending portion  112  and the side wall  115  of the mating portion  111  are at least partially overlapped. A gap (not labeled) is formed between the second wall  119  of the bending portion  112  and the narrowing section  1111  of the mating portion  111 . 
     Each of the side walls  115  comprises a guide portion  1151  extending backwardly, an engaging hole  1152  located on the guide portion  1151 , and a stop portion  1153 . The second wall  119  of the bending portion  112  defines a spring tab  1191  engaged with the engaging hole  1152  to connect the second wall  119  with the side wall  115 . A front leading edge of the second wall  119  rests upon the stop portion  1153  for positioning the bending portion  112  and preventing the first wall  118  of the bending portion  112  from excessively bent. A width of the first wall  118  is larger than a width of the bottom wall  114 . 
     The back shell  14  shields the bending portion  112  and comprises an upper wall  141 , a mounting portion  142  extending downwardly from two lateral sides of the upper wall  141 , and a clamping portion  143  extending backwardly from the upper wall  141 . The upper wall  141  comprises a U-shaped recess  1410  and a shielding portion  1412  disposed on the left and right sides of the recess  1410 . When the back shell  14  is engaged with the front shell  11 , the shielding portion  1412  shields the gap to suppress EMI and the narrowing section  1111  is received in the recess  1410 . 
     The insulative housing  12  comprises a body portion  121  and plural stepped portions  122  extending backwardly from the body portion  121 . The stepped portions  122  comprise a first, a second, and a third stepped portions (not labeled) extending backwardly from a rear face of the body portion  121  and spaced apart from each other along a height direction of the insulative housing. It is convenient for the cable to solder with corresponding contacts  13 . 
     The contacts  13  comprise a first contacts  131  retained in the first stepped portion, a second contacts  132  retained in the second stepped portion, and a third contacts  133  retained in the third stepped portion. A length of the second contact  132  is larger than a length of the first contact  131 , and a length of the third contact  133  is larger than a length of the second contact  132 . Each of the contacts  13  comprises a contacting portion  1331 , a retaining portion  1332  retained on the insulative housing  12 , and a tail portion  1333  exposed on the stepped portion. The contact portion  1331 , the retaining portion  1332 , and the tail portion  1333  extend along a same direction. The cable  20  electrically connects with the tail portions  1333  of the contacts  13 . Prior to a bending operation, an original extending direction of the cable  20  is same as an extending direction of the contacts  13 . After a bending operation, the portion  112  is so bent as to mate with the back shell  14  and at the same time the cable  20  is also bent together with the bending portion  112 . An angle is therefore formed between the extending direction of the cable  20  and the mating portion  111 . In this embodiment, the angle formed by the cable  20  and the mating portion  111  is about  135  degrees. An angle formed between the first wall  118  and the bottom wall  114  is equal to the angle formed between the cable  20  and the mating portion  111 . Compared to prior art design, the angled arrangement saves space while easing its manufacturing. 
     In assembling of the cable connector assembly  100 , the contacts  13  are received in the insulative housing  12 . The cable  20  is electrically connected with the corresponding contacts  13 . After that, firstly, both the mating portion  111  of the front shell  11  and the bending portion  112  of the front shell  11  are disposed along a same line. Thus, the bottom wall  114  of the mating portion  111  is flush with the first wall  118  of the bending portion  112 . Then, the insulative housing  12  together with the contacts  13  and the cable  20  is mounted into the mating portion  111 . The bend portion  112  is bent and mates with the back shell  14 , leading to the cable  20  being bent with the bending portion  112 . Finally, the insulating sleeve  30  surrounds the connector  10 . 
     It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous, characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set fourth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosed is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of number, 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.