CABLE CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY WITH IMPROVED PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD

• US 20110124220A1
• Filed: 11/23/2010
• Published: 05/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: WU, DOU-FENG, ZHANG, WEI, SU, PING-SHENG, XING, DA-WEI
• Granted Patent: US 8,124,496 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/449
• 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)
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/20 Coupling parts carrying sockets, clips or analogous contacts and secured only to wire or cable

Abstract

A cable connector assembly (100) comprises a mating member (3) assembled with a plurality of contacts (33, 34), a printed circuit board (2), a cable (7) having a plurality of wires (71) and a strain relief portion (72), and a light pipe located (4) between the printed circuit board and the strain relief portion. The printed circuit board is attached with a LED (24), and the LED is electrically connected with the contacts. The printed circuit board defines a front surface, a rear surface and a cutout (23) extending through the front surface and the rear surface along a mating direction, and the LED is disposed behind the rear surface of the printed circuit board, the wires are extending through the cutout of the printed circuit board and soldered to the contacts in front of the printed circuit board.

Claims

1. A cable connector assembly, comprising:

a mating member assembled with a plurality of contacts;

a printed circuit board attached with a LED, and the LED electrically connected with the contacts;

a cable having a plurality of wires and a strain relief portion; and

a light pipe located between the printed circuit board and the strain relief portion;

wherein the printed circuit board defines a front surface, a rear surface and a cutout extending through the front surface and the rear surface along a mating direction, and the LED is disposed behind the rear surface of the printed circuit board, the wires are extending through the cutout of the printed circuit board and soldered to the contacts in front of the printed circuit board.

2. The cable connector assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cutout is recessed in the middle of the printed circuit board.

3. The cable connector assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the printed circuit board is located neighboring to the light pipe.

4. The cable connector assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an inner cover and an outer cover, wherein the inner cover is molded on an electrical connection area between the contacts and the wires, and the outer cover is molded on the inner cover.

5. The cable connector assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein the inner cover is made of engineering plastic material and has a ringed depression on a back segment, the outer cover is defined in front of the depression, and the light pipe is defined on the depression, the strain relief portion is enclosing a back end of the inner cover.

6. The cable connector assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the contacts comprises a pair of signal contacts and a pair of power contacts, and each power contact has a bigger dimension than the signal contact.

7. The cable connector assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein each power contact defines a soldering portion extending outwards, and the printed circuit board has a pair of conductive portions soldered with the corresponding soldering portions.

8. The cable connector assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein the power contacts are extending through the cutout in the printed circuit board, and the soldering portions are adjacent to the corresponding portions.

9. The cable connector assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein the printed circuit board defines a plurality of resistors on the front surface thereof, and the resistors are opposite to the corresponding conductive portions.

10. The cable connector assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein a spacer is disposed between the power contacts, and has an upper wall located higher than a top surface of the power contacts.

11. The cable connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the light pipe defines a transmitting portion and a retaining portion behind the transmitting portion, and the retaining portion has a plurality of ribs and grooves in stagger relationship.

12. The cable connector assembly of claim 11, wherein the transmitting portion has a visible area on a rear end thereof.

13. The cable connector assembly of claim 12, wherein the visible area is exposed between the strain relief portion and an outer cover.

14. A cable connector assembly comprising:

a connector unit including an insulative housing with therein a plurality of signal contacts in a front-to-back direction and with a mating port in a front portion thereof;

a printed circuit board located behind the contacts and opposite front and rear surfaces thereof and a cutout extending therethrough in said front-to-back direction;

a cable including a plurality of wires located behind the printed circuit board with said wires extending forwardly through said cutout and electrically and mechanically connected to the corresponding contacts, respectively; and

a cover enclosing said connector unit, said wires and said printed circuit board.

15. The cable connector assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein said connector unit further includes a pair of power contacts extending rearwardly through the printed circuit board for not only mechanically and electrically connecting to the printed circuit board but also retaining relative positions between the housing and the printed circuit board in said front-to-back direction.

16. The cable connector assembly as claimed in claim 15, wherein said pair of power contacts are located by two sides of said signal contacts and extending through said cutout.

17. The cable connector assembly as claimed in clam 14, wherein a plurality of LEDs (Light Emitting Diode) are mounted on the rear surface of the printed circuit board, and a light pipe surrounds said LEDs under condition that a portion of the light pipe is exposed to an exterior.

18. A cable connector assembly comprising:

a connector unit including an insulative housing with therein a plurality of signal contacts in a front-to-back direction and with a mating port in a front portion thereof;

a printed circuit board located behind the contacts and opposite front and rear surfaces thereof and a cutout extending therethrough in said front-to-back direction;

a cable including a plurality of wires located behind the printed circuit board with said wires extending forwardly to electrically and mechanically connect to the corresponding contacts, respectively; and

a cover enclosing said connector unit, said wires and said printed circuit board;

wherein

said connector unit further includes a pair of power contacts extending rearwardly through the printed circuit board for not only mechanically and electrically connecting to the printed circuit board but also retaining relative positions between the housing and the printed circuit board in said front-to-back direction.

19. The cable connector assembly as claimed in claim 18, wherein said pair of power contacts are located by two sides of said signal contacts and extending through said cutout.

20. The cable connector assembly as claimed in clam 18, wherein a plurality of LEDs (Light Emitting Diode) are mounted on the rear surface of the printed circuit board, and a light pipe surrounds said LEDs under condition that a portion of the light pipe is exposed to an exterior.