Cable connector assembly with status indicator means

• US 20080003867A1
• Filed: 07/03/2006
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Wu, Jerry
• Granted Patent: US 7,429,188 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/490
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/502 composed of different pieces H01R13/514 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5804 comprising a separate cable clamping part H01R13/5841 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6585 Shielding material individually surrounding or interposed between mutually spaced contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/65914 Connection of shield to additional grounding conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6592 the conductive member being a shielded cable
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6658 on printed circuit board H01R13/6666 - H01R13/6691 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/7172 Conduits for light transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/7175 Light emitting diodes (LEDs)

Abstract

A cable connector assembly (100) includes an insulative housing (2) defining a number of receiving passages (23, 24), a number of contacts (3) respectively received in the receiving passages and including at least one detect contact (33), a circuit board (4) assembled to the insulative housing and including an LED (42) connecting with the at least one detect contact, a cable (6) electrically connecting with the circuit board, a rear cover (7) assembled to the housing, and status indicator means (82) molded with the rear cover and overlapping the LED to spread the light emitted by the LED outwardly for normal status indication.

Claims

1-18. -18. (canceled)

19. A cable connector assembly comprising:

an insulative housing defining a mating port therein;

a plurality of contacts disposed in the housing;

a printed circuit board located behind he housing and electrically connected to the contacts;

an LED located upon the printed circuit board;

a cable connected to the printed circuit board;

a cover enclosing the printed circuit board and a front portion of the cable; and

a first light pipe;

a second light pipe integrally formed in the cover and partially exposed to an exterior, and wherein the first light pipe transmit light from LED to the second light pipe to be spread to the exterior;

and wherein the printed circuit board is entirely received in the cover.

20. The assembly as claimed in claim 19, wherein the first light pipe defines two branches of which one is aligned with the LED and the other is aligned with the second light pipe.

21. The assembly as claimed in claim 19, wherein the first light pipe comprises a first body section aligning with the LED and an engaging section engaging with the insulative housing.

22. The assembly as claimed in claim 21, wherein the second light pipe comprises a second body section within the cover and a positioning section protruding through the cover.

23. The assembly as claimed in claim 22, wherein the first body section of the first light pipe comprises a first section aligning with the LED and a second section aligning with the positioning section of the second light pipe.

24. The assembly as claimed in claim 19, wherein the second light pipe is formed by means of molding and molded with the cover.

25. The assembly as claimed in claim 19, further comprising a front cover made of metal material and capable of being attracted by a complementary connector, and wherein the front cover is assembled to the housing with the contacts partially exposed therein.

26. The assembly as claimed in claim 25, wherein further comprising a cosmetic member assembled to front end of the housing received in the front cover for improving front view of the housing.

31. The assembly as claimed in claim 19, further comprising a plurality of conductive elements electrically connecting with the contacts and the circuit board, and wherein each conductive element comprises a connecting portion soldered with corresponding contact and a tail portion substantially perpendicular to the connecting portion and soldered with the circuit board.

32. The assembly as claimed in claim 19, further comprising a strain relief member electrically connecting with the circuit board and the cable.

33. The assembly as claimed in claim 32, wherein cable comprises an inner conductor protruding through the strain relief member to directly electrically connect with the circuit board, and a metal braiding layer electrically connecting with the strain relief member.

34. The assembly as claimed in claim 33, wherein the strain relief member forms a jointing portion extending forwardly therefrom to be soldered with the circuit board and the metal braiding layer of the cable.

37. The cable connector assembly as claimed in claim 19, wherein the second light pipe surrounds the printed circuit board and the LEDs thereon.

38. The cable connector assembly as claimed in claim 19, wherein the second light pipe has a pair of tips exposed to an exterior, and wherein the second light pipe directly intimately contact the corresponding first light pipes to transmit light from LED toward the exterior through the tips.

27-30. -30. (canceled)

35-36. -36. (canceled)

39. A cable connector assembly comprising:

an insulative housing defining a mating port therein;

a plurality of contacts disposed in the housing;

a printed circuit board located behind he housing and electrically connected to the contacts;

an LED located upon the printed circuit board;

a cable connected to the printed circuit board;

a cover enclosing the printed circuit board and a front portion of the cable; and

a first light pipe;

a second light pipe integrally formed in the cover and exposed to an exterior, and wherein the first light pipe transmit light from LED to the second light pipe;

wherein

the first light pipe and the second light pipe are intimately engaged with each other sharing a same interface therebetween.

40. The cable connector assembly as claimed in claim 39, wherein the first light pipe comprises a first body section aligning with the LED and an engaging section engaging with the insulative housing, the second light pipe comprises a second body section within the cover and a positioning section protruding through the cover, and wherein the first body section of the first light pipe comprises a first section aligning with the LED and a second section aligning with the positioning section of the second light pipe.

41. A cable connector assembly comprising:

an insulative housing defining a mating port therein;

a plurality of contacts disposed in the housing;

a printed circuit board located behind he housing and electrically connected to the contacts;

an LED located upon the printed circuit board;

a cable connected to the printed circuit board;

a cover enclosing the printed circuit board and a front portion of the cable; and

a first light pipe;

a second light pipe integrally formed in the cover and exposed to an exterior, and wherein the first light pipe transmit light from LED to the second light pipe;

further comprising a strain relief member electrically connecting with the circuit board and the cable;

wherein

cable comprises an inner conductor protruding through the strain relief member to directly electrically connect with the circuit board, and a metal braiding layer electrically connecting with the strain relief member.