Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention generally relates to a cable connector assembly, and more particularly to a cable connector assembly with improved structure strength. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Nowadays, cable connector assemblies are widely used for connecting two electronic devices with different interfaces. The cable connector assembly usually comprises a cover, an electrical connector, and a cable connected to the electrical connector. The cover includes a top cover, a bottom cover, and a retaining space located therebetween to retain the electrical connector. The electrical connector has a mating port protruding forwardly beyond the cover for mating with a mating connector. The top cover defines a plurality of first positioning posts extending downwardly toward the bottom cover. The bottom cover defines a plurality of second positioning posts corresponding to the first positioning post of the top cover. The second positioning posts each defines a positioning hole adapted to retain the first positioning post therein to ensure the top cover and the bottom cover assembled together. However, the structure strength between the top cover and the bottom cover is weak. 
         [0005]    Correspondingly, it is desired to have a cable connector assembly with improved structure strength to address the problems stated above. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    According to one aspect of the present invention, a cable connector assembly comprises a top cover defining at least one first positioning post extending downwardly therefrom, a bottom cover being assembled to the top cover in an upper-to-lower direction thereof, an electrical connector including an insulative housing having and a plurality of terminals retained in the housing, at least one insulator cooperating with the top cover and the bottom cover to commonly define a retaining space to retain the electrical connector, and a cable connected to the terminals and extending beyond the top cover and the bottom cover. The first positioning post has a positioning hole. The bottom cover has at least one second positioning post extending upwardly toward the top cover and retained into the positioning hole of the positioning post of the top cover. The insulator defines a retaining slot passing therethrough along the upper-to-lower direction to retain the first positioning post of the top cover therein; 
         [0007]    According to one aspect of the present invention, a cable connector assembly comprises a metal top cover defining at least one first position post extending downwardly, a metal bottom cover being assembled to the top cover in an upper-to-lower direction thereof, an electrical connector including an insulative housing and a plurality of terminals received in the housing, at least one insulator sandwiched between the top cover and the bottom cover along the upper-to-lower direction, and a cable connected to the terminals and extending beyond the top cover and the bottom cover. The bottom cover has at least one second positioning post extending toward the top cover and retained into the positioning hole of the top cover. The insulator cooperates with the top cover and the bottom cover to define a retaining space to retain the electrical connector therein. The insulator defining a retaining slot to retain the first positioning post and the second positioning post therein. 
         [0008]    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 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is an assembled, perspective view of a cable connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the cable connector assembly shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is similar to  FIG. 2 , but viewed from another aspect; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a bottom cover, a screw and an insulator of the cable connector assembly shown in  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the cable connector assembly taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe the present invention in detail. 
         [0015]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-5 , a cable connector assembly  100  in accordance with the present invention comprises a cover  1 , a pair of metal screws  2 , a pair of insulators  3 , an electrical connector  4 , a cable  5  connected to the electrical connector  4 , and an insulative block  6 . The cover  1  is made of metallic material, and comprises a top cover  11  and a bottom cover  12  assembled to the top cover  11  along an upper-to-lower direction thereof. 
         [0016]    The electrical connector  4  is compatible with Digital Visual Interface (DVI) transmitting protocol, and includes an insulative housing  40 , a plurality of terminals  41  retained in the insulative housing  40 , and a metal shell  42  covering the insulative housing  40 . The insulative housing  40  is sandwiched between the pair of insulators  3  in a laterally direction perpendicular to the upper-to-lower direction. The pair of insulators  3  press forwardly against the insulative housing  40  for preventing the electrical connector  4  from moving rearwardly. The shell  42  includes a base  421 , a mating portion  422  protruding forwardly from the base  421 , and two opposite flanges  423  protruding laterally from the base  421  respectively. The mating portion  422  forms a font mating port  424  for receiving a mating connector(not shown). The flanges  423  each defines a through securing hole  425  locking with the screw  2 . The terminals  41  each defines a soldering tail  411  soldered to the cable  5 . 
         [0017]    A retaining space  10  is surrounded by the cover  1  and the pair of insulators  3  to retain the electrical connector  4  and the cable  6  therein. The top cover  11  includes a rectangle shape top wall  111 , a rear wall  112  bending downwardly from the top wall  111 , a pair of side walls  113  bending downwardly from the top wall  111  and connected to the rear wall  112 , a pair of first positioning posts  118 , a pair of enlarging portions  114  which extending downwardly from the top wall  111 , and a pair of second positioning posts  115  extending downwardly from the enlarging portions  114  respectively. The top cover  11  has a first opening  1131  disposed among the top wall  111  and the side walls  113 , a second opening  1121  opposited to the first opening  1131 . The first opening  1131  extends into the top wall  111  and the side walls  113 , but not passes through the top wall  111  and the side walls  113 . The second opening  1121  passes through the rear wall  112 . The openings  1121 ,  1121  are in communication with the retaining space  10 . 
         [0018]    The pair of side walls  113  each defines a cutout  1132  passing therethrough into the retaining space  10  and adapted to retain the insulator  3 . The first positioning posts  118  each defines a positioning hole  116 , and has a same dimension with the enlarging portion  114 . The first positioning posts  118  and the second positioning posts  115  are disposed on four apexes of a rectangle at end of the top wall  111  respectively. The second positioning posts  115  each defines a plurality of vertical ribs  1151  on an outer surface thereof. The top cover  11  defines a first vertical reinforce wall  1111  connected to the first positioning post  118 , the top wall  111  and the side wall  113 , and a second vertical reinforce wall  1112  connected to the enlarging portion  114 , the top wall  111  and the side wall  113 . 
         [0019]    The bottom cover  12  is similar to the top cover  11 , and includes a pair of first positioning posts  124  corresponding to the pair of second positioning posts  115  of the top cover  111 , and a pair of second positioning posts  125  corresponding to the pair of first positioning posts  118  respectively. The first positioning posts  124  each defines a positioning hole  126  adapted to retain the second positioning post  115  therein. The second positioning posts  125  each is retained into the positioning hole  116  of the first positioning  118  of the top cover  11 . The bottom cover  12  includes a bottom wall  121  opposited to the top wall  111  of the top cover  11 , a pair of side walls  123  and a rear wall  122  all of which bend upwardly from the bottom wall  121 , and an enlarging portion  128  extending upwardly from the bottom wall  121  to the second positioning post  125 . The pair of side walls  123  each defines a cutout  1232  formed together with the cutout  1132  of the top cover  11  to form a chamber for retaining the insulator  3  to prevent the insulator  3  from moving along the front-to-rear direction and the upper-to-lower direction. The pair of side walls  123  each combines with the side wall  113  of the top cover  11  to form a pair of circular holes  1230  passing through the side walls  113 ,  123  along the front-to-rear direction. The cutout  1132  is disposed between the pair of circular holes  1130 . 
         [0020]    The insulators  3  are sandwiched between the top cover  11  and the bottom cover  12  along the upper-to-lower direction, and each defines a locating hole  31  passing therethrough along the front-to-rear direction, a first retaining slot  32  disposed at a front end thereof, a second retaining slot  33  disposed at a rear end thereof. The first retaining slot  32  and the second retaining slot  33  extend through the insulator  3  along the upper-to-lower direction respectively. The first retaining slot  32  defines a first gap  320  extending to exterior of the insulator  3 . The second retaining slot  33  defines a second gap  330  extending to exterior of the insulator  3 . The locating hole  31  is disposed in an outer side of the first retaining slot  32  and the second retaining slot  33 . The locating hole  31  is divided into a front locating hole  311  and a rear locating hole  312  whose dimension is wider than the front locating hole  311 . 
         [0021]    The screws  2  each includes a middle portion  21  received into the locating hole  31 , a thread portion  22  locking in the securing hole  425  of the shell  42  of the electrical connector  4  and protruding forwardly beyond the flange  423  for latching with the mating connector, and a rotating portion  23  disposed on a rear end thereof for rotating the screw  2 . The middle portion  21  defines a circular ring  210  surrounding an outer side wall thereof and received in the rear locating hole  312  of the insulator  3  for preventing the screw  2  from over-moving along the front-to-rear direction. 
         [0022]    The cable  5  includes a strain relief portion  51  on a front end thereof and a plurality of wires (not shown) connected to the soldering tails  411  of the terminals  41  of the electrical connector  4 . The block  6  is insert molded with the soldering tails  411 . The strain relief portion  51  defines a cavity  510  extending forwardly therethrough to retain the block  6  therein, and a rear plate  511  enclosing the cavity  510 . The block  6  is sandwich between the pair of insulators  3  in the laterally direction. The rear plate  511  is located in the retaining space  10  and is pressed against by an inner wall of the rear walls  112 ,  122  of the cover  1  for preventing the cable  5  from breaking away from the electrical connector  4 . 
         [0023]    After the cable connector assembly  100  is assembled, the second positioning posts  115 , 125  of one of the top cover  11  and the bottom cover  12  that are retained into the positioning holes  126 ,  116  of the first positing posts  118 ,  124  of the other one of the top cover  11  and the bottom cover  12  respectively. The first positioning posts  118 ,  128  presses against the corresponding enlarging portions  114 ,  124  which are connected to the second positioning post  115 ,  125  along the upper-to-lower direction. The enlarging portions  114 ,  124  and the first positioning post  118 ,  128  of one of the top cover  11  and the bottom cover  12  are retained in the first locating slot  32  and the second locating slot  33  of the insulators  3  respectively to ensure the top cover  11  combined with the bottom cover  12  reliably. 
         [0024]    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.

Technology Category: 5