Cable connector structure

• US 5,749,746 A
• Filed: 09/26/1995
• Issued: 05/12/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Ma, Frank C., Tan, Haw-Chan
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, HIEN D
• Application Number:
  US08/534,049
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• Field of Search: 439/350-358, 439/610, 439/493
• US Class Current: 439/357
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/504 different pieces being moulded, cemented, welded, e.g. ultrasonic, or swaged together
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/516 Means for holding or embracing insulating body, e.g. casing , hoods
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/582 the cable being clamped between assembled parts of the housing
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5845 the strain relief being achieved by molding parts around cable and connections
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6275 Latching arms not integral with the housing H01R13/6276, H01R13/6277, H01R13/6278 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6658 on printed circuit board H01R13/6666 - H01R13/6691 take precedence

Abstract

A cable connector includes a casing having two members ultra-sonically jointed to define therein an interior space for receiving a connector body which has a coupling end to couple to a counterpart connector with a plurality of slots formed therein, wherein the respective slot receives a connection pin, for establishing signal channel with a counterpart connector. A cable containing a number of conductors has a joint end received within the casing to allow the conductors to be electrically connected to the connector body via a circuit board. The joint end of the cable has two opposite shoulders each having a front face and an opposite rear face to be snugly receive within a chamber defined within the casing by two spaced wall segments with the front and rear faces thereof in abutment relationship with the wall segments to provide resistance to external force acting upon the cable. Each of the shoulders of the cable is provided with a hole into which a peg formed inside the respective chamber is received to provide a further resistance to the external force. The casing is further provided with two lock-in spring plates at two opposite sides thereof, each having a retaining section fixed inside the casing and a lock-in section outside the casing for securing the connector to the counterpart connector, a pushbutton section being integrally connected between the retaining section and the lock-in section to form a single piece member. The pushbutton section is accessible by a user to release the connector from the counterpart connector.

Claims

1. A cable connector comprising:

a casing defining therein an interior space having a first and a second openings;

a connector body disposed within the interior space of the casing with a coupling end partially projecting out of the first opening of the casing adapted to couple to a counterpart connector;

a cable containing at least one conductor, having a joint end received within the casing through the second opening of the casing with said at least one conductor electrically connected to the connector body with a connection means including a circuit board soldered to the connector body and in electrical connection with said at least one conductor;

a pair of insulation pads attached to two opposite surfaces of the circuit board for enclosing and protecting the circuit board; and

lock-in means comprising two spring plates, each having a rear retaining section retained within the casing and a front lock-in section projecting out of the casing to be movable between a first position where the lock-in section engages a counterpart lock-in member provided on the counterpart connector to secure the cable connector to the counterpart connector and a second position where the lock-in section disengages from the counterpart lock-in member of the counterpart connector, a pushbutton section being integrally connected between the retaining section and the lock-in section and user-operable to move the lock-in section between the first and second positions;

wherein

the lock-in section of each of the spring plates comprises a projection formed thereon adapted to be engageable with a notch formed on the counterpart lock-in member of the counterpart connector.

2. The cable connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the retaining section of each of the spring plates comprises an L-shaped bending to be snugly received within an L-shaped slot formed inside the casing.

3. The cable connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pushbutton section of each of the spring plates comprises raised strips formed thereon.

4. The cable connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pushbutton section is relatively offset outward with regard to the retaining section and the lock-in section, and the casing comprising at least two notches for allowing said pushbutton section to extend to an exterior for access from the exterior.

5. The cable connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the casing comprising a first casing member and a second casing member jointed together to form the casing.

6. The cable connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connector body comprises retaining means for securely retaining the connector body within the casing.

7. A cable connector for connecting to a counterpart connector, comprising:

a casing defining therein an interior space having a first and a second ends;

connector body disposed within the interior space of the casing adjacent said first end with a coupling end adapted to engage said counterpart connector;

a cable containing at least one conductor connected to said second end;

lock-in means comprising at least a lock-in section to engage a counterpart lock-in member of the counterpart connector and a retaining section retained within the casing; and

at least a pushbutton intermediating between and laterally offset to said lock-in section and said retaining section, wherein said casing includes at least a converging waist section, wherein said casing includes at least a converging waist section defining a spacing thereabout, and said pushbutton having a curve portion which complies with and projects out of a contour of said converging waist section, said curve portion being bent into the spacing to a minimum extent for a sufficiently large space remaining in the spacing for finger external access and operation, wherein said casing has at least two notches in said converging waist section for said pushbutton extending therethrough.

8. A cable connector assembly including two cable connectors for coupling to a pair of counterpart connectors which are close side by side positioned together, each of said connectors of said cable connector assembly comprising:

a casing defining therein an interior space having a first and a second ends;

a connector disposed within the interior space of the casing adjacent said first end with a coupling end adapted to engage one of said counterpart connectors;

a cable containing at least one conductor connected to said second end;

lock-in means comprising a rear retaining section retained within the casing and a front lock-in section to engage a counterpart lock-in member of the counterpart connector; and

at least a pushbutton being integrally connected between said retaining section and said lock-in section;

said casing of one of said two cable connectors including at least a converging waist section facing to another adjacent converging waist section of the casing of the other of said two cable connectors said converging waist sections being curved inwardly toward respective interior spaces of said two cable connectors and in opposite directions so as to define a spacing between said two opposite converging waist sections of said two cable connectors, wherein said two cable connectors are side by side positioned in a close spaced relationship and said pushbuttons each having a curve portion which complies with and projects out of a contour of said converging waist section, said curve portion being bent into the spacing to a minimum extent for a sufficiently large space remaining in the spacing for finger external access and operation.

9. The cable connector assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein said casing comprises at least two notches in said converging waist section for said pushbutton extending therethrough.

10. A cable connector comprising:

a casing defining therein an interior space having a first and a second openings;

a connector body disposed within the interior space of the casing with a coupling end partially projecting out of the first opening of the casing adapted to couple to a counterpart connector;

a cable containing at least one conductor, having a joint end received within the casing through the second opening of the casing with said at least one conductor electrically connected to the connector body with a connection means; and

lock-in means comprising two spring plates, each having a retaining section retained within the casing and a lock-in section projecting out of the casing to be movable between a first position where the lock-in member provided on the counterpart connector to secure the cable connector to the counterpart connector and a second position where the lock-in section disengages from the counterpart lock-in member of the counterpart connector, a pushbutton section being integrally connected between the retaining section and the lock-in section and user-operable to move the lock-in section between the first and second positions, wherein the connection means for electrically connecting the end of the cable to the connector body comprises a circuit board soldered to the connector body and in electrical connection with at least one conductive of the cable and the circuit board has two opposite surfaces to each of which an insulation pad is attached, to enclose and protect the circuit board.