Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     Relevant subject matter is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/431,148 filed on May 6, 2003 and entitled “HIGH-SPEED LOW PROFILE CABLE ASSEMBLY WITH IMPROVED EMI SHIELDING” and U.S. Ser. No. 10/650,384 filed on Aug. 27, 2003 and entitled “HIGH-SPEED LOW PROFILE CABLE ASSEMBLY”, all of which are invented by the same inventor and assigned to the same assignee as this patent application. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to a cable assembly, and particularly to a high-speed cable assembly with a cable electrically connecting to a shielding of an electrical connector to thereby ensuring good electrical performance.  
         [0004]     2. Description of Related Art  
         [0005]     A cable assembly is commonly used in many electronic devices, such as desktop computers and notebook computers. The cable assembly typically includes a cable and two cable end connectors respectively terminated at opposite ends of the cable. The cable can be a coaxial cable, a flat cable or a multi-wire round cable. The cable is electrically connected with terminals of the cable end connectors by several commonly used connecting technologies, such as soldering, crimping and IDC (Insulation Displacement Contact).  
         [0006]     As miniaturization of the electronic devices becomes more prevalent, the cable assembly used to transmit signals in such devices is accordingly required to have a small dimension, such that the cable assembly do not occupy too much space in the device. Further, with the development of high-speed signal transmission technology, a metallic shielding is commonly employed to attach to the cable assembly in order to prevent EMI (Electro Magnetic Interference) from outer environments, thereby ensuring the cable assembly reliably transmitting high-speed signals.  
         [0007]     Attaching a metallic shielding onto an insulative housing of a cable end connector has been widely practiced in the art, and pertinent examples of such shieldings are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,380,223, 6,162,086 and 6,179,662.  
         [0008]     U.S. Pat. No. 5,380,223 discloses a cable assembly having a metallic shielding. The cable assembly comprises a housing insert with plural contacts retained therein and a cable electrically connecting with the contacts. The metallic shielding comprises an upper and a lower shield members secured with each other to define an interior space for receiving the housing insert therein. The upper and the lower shield members each are formed with an ear extending rearwardly from a rear end of a shield body thereof to commonly crimp a braided shield of the cable to effect grounding. Due to weak mechanical strength of a connecting portion between the ear and the shield body, the ear is apt to breakdown from the shield body. Therefore, the grounding effect of the cable assembly is adversely affected.  
         [0009]     Hence, an improved cable assembly is required to overcome the disadvantages of the related art.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     Accordingly, a first object of the present invention is to provide a cable assembly having a metallic shielding reliably and electrically connecting with a cable to ensure an enhanced electrical performance.  
         [0011]     A second object of the present invention is to provide a metallic shielding for a cable assembly, the shielding being conveniently attached to an insulative housing of the cable assembly and ensuring reliable EMI protection for the cable assembly.  
         [0012]     In order to achieve the objects set forth, a cable assembly in accordance with the present invention comprises an insulative housing having a plurality of terminals received therein, a metallic shielding at least partially enclosing the housing and defining a wall with an opening therein, a conductive adapter soldered to the shielding and having a tubular connecting portion extending outward away from the wall and a round cable including a bundle of wires enclosed in an EMI (Electro Magnetic Interference) shielding. The wires extend through the opening to electrically connect with the terminals under a condition that the tubular connecting portion engageably and electrically enclosing the EMI shielding.  
         [0013]     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  
       [0014]      FIG. 1  is a bottom assembled perspective view of a cable assembly in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  is a top exploded perspective view of the cable assembly shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0016]      FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of a metallic shielding of the cable assembly; and  
         [0017]      FIG. 4  is a view similar to  FIG. 1 , but not showing a housing and a sleeve of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0018]     Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0019]     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a cable assembly  1  in accordance with the present invention comprises an insulative housing  2  defining a longitudinal direction thereof, a plurality of terminals  3  adapted to be received in the housing  2 , a metallic shielding  4  adapted to be attached to the housing  2 , an adapter  5  adapted to be secured to the shielding  4 , a cable  6  adapted to extend through the adapter  5  to electrically connect with the terminals  3 , and an insulative sleeve  7  adapted to secure the adapter  5  and the cable  6  together.  
         [0020]     The housing  2  has a front mating portion  20  with a mating face  200  facing toward a complementary connector (not shown) and a rear body portion  22  extending rearwardly from the front mating portion  20 . The housing  2  defines a plurality of passageways  24  extending therethrough along a front-to-back direction and with the contacts  3  received therein. A pair of projections  26  is formed on opposite sides of the front mating portion  20  for coupling in a corresponding pair of recesses of the complementary connector to provide polarized mating of the cable assembly  1  and the complementary connector. A pair of cutouts  27  is defined in a top face and a bottom face of the mating portion  20 . Each terminal  3  includes a contacting portion  30  at a front end thereof for mating with the complementary connector and a crimping portion  32  at a rear end thereof to mechanically and electrically connect with the cable  6 .  
         [0021]     Referring to  FIG. 3  in conjunction with  FIG. 2 , the shielding  4  is formed by stamping and bending metallic sheet material. The shielding  4  includes a first shield member  41  and a second shield member  42  coupled with the first shield member  41 . The first shield member  41  comprises a top wall  410 , two opposite side walls  412  extending downwardly from opposite ends of the top wall  410  and a rear wall  414  extending downwardly from a rear edge of the top wall  410 . The top wall  410  has a first tongue portion  4100  at a front end thereof for being positioned on the top face of the front mating portion  20 . The first tongue portion  4100  has a tab  4102  formed thereon for engaging with the cutout  27  on the top face of the mating portion  20 . The side walls  412  and the rear wall  414  respectively define a plurality of recesses  4120 ,  4140  therein. The rear wall  414  defines a channel  4142  at a middle portion thereof.  
         [0022]     The second shield member  42  comprises a bottom wall  420 , two opposite side walls  422  extending upwardly from opposite ends of the bottom wall  420 , a rear wall  424  extending upwardly from a rear edge of the bottom wall  420 , and a front wall  426  extending upwardly from a front edge of the bottom wall  420 . A second tongue portion  4260  extends forwardly from a top edge of the front wall  426  for being positioned on the bottom face of the front mating portion  20 . The second tongue portion  4260  has a tab  4262  formed thereon for engaging with the cutout  27  on the bottom face of the mating portion  20 . The side walls  422  and the rear wall  424  respectively have a plurality of bulges  4220 ,  4240  formed thereon. The rear wall  424  defines an opening  4242  at a middle portion thereof.  
         [0023]     Referring to  FIG. 4 , when the first and the second shield members  41 ,  42  are coupled together, the side walls  412  of the first shield member  41  are coupled with the side walls  422  of the second shield member  42  by snapping the bulges  4220  into the recesses  4120 . At the same time, the rear wall  414  of the first shield member  41  is coupled with the rear wall  424  of the second shield member  42  by snapping the bulges  4240  into the recesses  4140 . The assembled first and second shield members  41 ,  42  cooperatively define therein a large cavity (not labeled) with an L-shaped cross-section along the longitudinal direction of the housing, and with a small receiving space  43  thereof for receiving the housing  2 . The opening  4242  of the second shield member  42  is aligned with the channel  4142  of the first shield member  41 .  
         [0024]     Referring back to  FIG. 2 , the cable  6  is a round cable comprising a bundle of wires  60  enclosed in an EMI (Electro Magnetic Interference) shielding  62  which is surrounded by an insulative jacket  64 . Each wire  60  is electrically connected to a correspqonding terminal  3  through an engagement between the crimping portion  32  of the terminal  3  and a conductive core of the wire  60 .  
         [0025]     The adapter  5  is made of conductive material such as steel. The adapter  5  has a rectangular base  50  and a cylindrical connecting portion  52  extending perpendicularly rearwardly from the base  50 . The adapter  5  defines a cylindrical hole  54  extending through a front face of the base  50  and a rear face of the connecting portion  52 . A diameter of the cylindrical connecting portion  52  is slightly smaller than a diameter of the opening  4242 . A diameter of the hole  54  is slightly larger than a diameter of the EMI shielding  62  of the cable  6 .  
         [0026]     In assembly, firstly, the adapter  5  is secured to the second shield member  42  by soldering. The base  50  abuts against the rear wall  424  and is located between the opposite side walls  422 . The connecting portion  52  extends outward away from the rear wall  424  through the opening  4242 . Secondly, the insulative sleeve  7  is slidably assembled around the cable  6 . The cable  6  is extended through the hole  54  of the adapter  5  with the wires  60  positioned in the second shield member  42 , and with the EMI shielding  62  in the hole  54  of the adapter  5  and electrically contacting with an inner circumferential face of the connecting portion  52 . The sleeve  7  is slid along the cable  6  to fixedly enclose the connecting portion  52  of the adapter  5 . Thirdly, the housing  2  with the terminals  3  retained therein is placed in the second shield member  42  with the tab  4262  of the second tongue  4260  fitted in the cutout  27  on the bottom face of the mating portion  20 . Each terminal  3  is electrically connected with the corresponding wire  60  of the cable  6 . Finally, the first shield member  41  is coupled to the second shield member  42  to form the shielding  4 . The tab  4102  of the first tongue  4100  is fitted in the cutout  27  on the top face of the mating portion  20 . The side walls  412  of the first shield member  41  are coupled with the side walls  422  of the second shield member  42  by snapping the bulges  4220  into the recesses  4120 . The rear wall  414  of the first shield member  41  is coupled with the rear wall  424  of the second shield member  42  by snapping the bulges  4240  into the recesses  4140 .  
         [0027]     From the above description, the adapter  5 , which is connected to the shielding  4 , not only secures the cable  6  to the shielding  4  but also electrically interconnects the EMI shielding  62  of the cable  6  with the shielding  4 , thereby establishing complete and reliable EMI protection throughout the cable assembly  1 . It is noted that the adapter  5  being secured to the shielding  4  by soldering simplifies the assembling process.  
         [0028]     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