CABLE CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY

• US 20040067680A1
• Filed: 10/04/2002
• Published: 04/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Wu, Jerry
• Granted Patent: US 6,739,904 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/497
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/595 Bolts operating in a direction transverse to the cable or wire
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6471 by special arrangement of ground and signal conductors, e.g. GSGS [Ground-Signal-Ground-Signal]
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6589 with wires separated by conductive housing parts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6658 on printed circuit board H01R13/6666 - H01R13/6691 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/18 Fastening by means of screw or nut

Abstract

A cable connector assembly (100) for use with a complementary connector includes an electrical connector (1), a cable (2) having signal conductors (22) and drain wires (23), a spacer (3) and ground plates (4). A terminal holder (14) of the connector has a printed circuit board (142) attached thereto, which defines a number of first and second conductive pads (144, 145) on opposite surfaces (147, 148) thereof. The first conductive pads are soldered to terminals (143) of the connector and signal pads (145a) of the second conductive pads are soldered to the signal conductors of the cable to thereby establish signal paths between the cable and the complementary connector. While, soldering portions (43) of the ground plates and drain wires are oppositely positioned on the opposite sides of the printed circuit board and are soldered to corresponding ground pads (145b) of the second conductive pads to thereby establish first and second ground paths between the cable and the complementary connector.

Claims

1. A cable connector assembly comprising:

a cable subassembly including a cable having a plurality of wire units, a spacer organizing said wire units, and a ground device disposed between said wire units, each wire unit comprising a pair of signal wires and a ground wire; and

an electrical connector adapted for electrically interconnecting said cable and a complementary connector, and comprising a shroud and a conductive device received in said shroud for providing electrical path between said cable and said complementary connector;

wherein there are two ground paths established from said ground device to said conductive device and from said ground wires to said conductive device, respectively, said two ground paths being located at opposite sides with respect to said conductive device such that substantially reducing crosstalk occurred during transmitting high rate data from said complementary connector to said cable.

2. The cable connector assembly as described in claim 1, wherein said spacer defines a plurality of slits thereon, and wherein said ground device comprises a plurality of ground plates and each ground plate has a retaining portion received in corresponding slit, an intermediate portion conductively contacting to corresponding ground wire and separating adjacent two wire units, and a soldering portion soldering to said conductive device.

3. The cable connector assembly as described in claim 2, wherein said conductive device comprises a terminal holder accommodating a plurality of terminals thereon, and a printed circuit board assembled on said terminal holder and electrically connecting to said terminals at a front end.

4. The cable connector assembly as described in claim 3, wherein said printed circuit board arranges ground pads on opposite surfaces thereof, wherein said ground wires are organized on a plane and soldered to corresponding ground pads on one surface while said soldering portions of said ground plates are soldered to corresponding ground pads on an opposite surface of said printed circuit board.

5. The cable connector assembly as described in claim 4, wherein said printed circuit board also provides a number of signal pads on said opposite surfaces thereof, said signal pads being alternately arranged between said ground pads and electrically connecting with said signal wires, respectively and correspondingly.

6. The cable connector assembly as described in claim 1, wherein said shroud includes a cover member and a base member cooperating with said cover member to providing a space for connection between said cable subassembly and said conductive device.

7. The cable connector assembly as described in claim 6, wherein said electrical connector further comprises a fastening means for interlocking said cover member with said base member.

8. The cable connector assembly as described in claim 1, wherein said electrical connector further comprises a pull tab and a latch spring attached on said pull tab, both of which are assembled onto said cover member and said base member.

9. The cable connector assembly as described in claim 1, wherein each of said wire unit has a shield wrapping around said pair of signal wires and said ground wire, and said ground device electrically contacts to said shields for protecting said cable from EMI.

10. A cable connector assembly, comprising:

a cable having a number of wire groups, each wire group including a ground wire and at least one signal wire;

a ground device comprising a number of ground plates disposed between said wire groups and electrically connecting with corresponding ground wires; and

an electrical connector, comprising

a shroud defining therein a space for accommodating said ground device and an end of said cable;

a terminal holder received in a front portion of said shroud and arranging thereon a number of terminals; and

a printed circuit board electrically connected with said terminals at an end thereof, said printed circuit board having rows of conductive pads arranged on the other end and disposed on opposite surfaces thereof, respectively, each row of conductive pads including alternatively positioned, signal and ground pads, wherein said signal pads are electrically connected with said signal wires, said ground pads on one surface are electrically connected with said ground plates, and said ground pads on opposite surface are electrically connected with corresponding ground wires.

11. The cable connector assembly as described in claim 10, further comprising an organizer attached on said cable for positioning said wire groups on a plane, said organizer defining a number of slits thereon.

12. The cable connector assembly as described in claim 11, wherein said ground plates each comprise a retaining portion retained in corresponding slit of said organizer so as to secure said ground plate aligning with corresponding ground pad, a soldering portion soldered to corresponding ground pad, and an intermediate portion interconnecting said retaining portion with said soldering portion.

13. The cable connector assembly as described in claim 10, wherein each wire group further includes a shield surrounding said ground wire and said at least one signal wire, said shield being conductive connecting with said ground wire.

14. The cable connector assembly as described in claim 10, wherein said electrical connector further comprises a latching device comprising a pull tab and a latch spring cooperating with said pull tab.

15. The cable connector assembly as described in claim 10, wherein said shroud is made of metal material and comprises a cover and a base, said cover being detachably assembled on said base.

16. A cable structure comprising:

at least one wire unit, said at least one wire unit including at least one signal conductor, at least one drain wire, and a shield wrapping about said insulated, signal conductor and said drain wire;

at least one ground plate being attached on an end of said wire unit and electrically contacting said drain wire; and

a printed circuit board electrically connecting with said wire unit and said ground plate in such a manner that two ground paths are established oppositely with respect to said printed circuit board, one ground path being established from said drain wire to said printed circuit board and the other ground path being established from said ground plate to said printed circuit board.

17. The cable structure as described in claim 16, wherein said one wire unit includes another signal conductor and the drain wire located between the two signal conductors, under a condition that said two signal conductors are respectively soldered on two opposite sides of the printed circuit board, and the drain wire and the grounding plate are also respectively soldered on said two opposite sides of the printed circuit board.

18. A cable assembly comprising:

a number of wire units each including a pair of signal conductors transmitting differential pair and at least one ground wire;

a printed circuit board being assembled to ends of said wire units;

a spacer being attached on said ends of said wire units and having a number of slits defined thereon; and

a number of ground plates being assembled between said ends of said wire units;

wherein said printed circuit board electrically connecting with said signal conductors, ground wires and said ground plates in such a manner that said signal conductors are conductively soldered on opposite sides of said printed circuit board with said ground plates and said ground wires being correspondingly arranged between adjacent signal conductors and soldered on said printed circuit board for reducing crosstalk.