Low profile mini coaxial cable connector

• US 6,305,978 B1
• Filed: 05/24/2000
• Issued: 10/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Ko, David Tso-Chin, Chandrasekhar, Rajagopalan
• Primary Examiner(s): PAUMEN, GARY F
• Application Number:
  US09/578,349
• Time in Patent Office: 517 Days
• Field of Search: 439/579, 439/610, 439/497
• US Class Current: 439/579
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/0512 Connections to an additional grounding conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/053 using contact members penetrating insulation

Abstract

A low profile mini coaxial cable connector 100 includes a contact set 10, a cable set 20, a grounding plate 30 a dielectric housing 40 and a metal shell 50. The contact set 10, the cable set 20 and the grounding plate 30 are fixedly accommodated in the housing 40 and the metal shell 50 encloses the housing 40. The metal shell 50 has two grounding tabs 513 electrically contacting the grounding plate 30. The metal shell 50 has an upper flap 51, a lower flap 52 and two side flaps 54, which extend from the upper flap 51 and which do not engage with but whose lower edges 541 are flush with side edges 523 of the lower flap 52. The housing 40 forms two buds 418 on two side surfaces thereof and each of the two side flaps 54 of the metal shell 50 defines a notch 517 which fixedly engages with a corresponding bud 418 of the housing 40 thereby reliably maintaining the metal shell 50 on the housing 40 and developing adequate normal force between the grounding tabs 513 and the grounding plate 30.

Claims

1. A low profile mini coaxial cable connector comprising:

a contact set having a dielectric insert and a plurality of conductive contacts fixedly received in the insert, each contact having a contact portion extending beyond the insert;

a cable set having a plurality of coaxial cables and a conductive grounding bar retaining the cables, each coaxial cable having a conductive core, a metal braid and a dielectric layer between the conductive core and the metal braid, said conductive core being electrically engaged with a corresponding contact and said metal braid being electrically engaged with the grounding bar;

a grounding plate having a plurality of grounding fingers and at least one grounding beam, said at least one grounding beam electrically contacting the grounding bar of the cable set;

an insulative housing having a panel defining at least one cutout therein and two opposite lateral bars, said housing fixedly accommodating the contact set, the cable set and the grounding plate therein; and

a metal shell enclosing the housing, said metal shell having an upper flap, a lower flap and a pair of side flaps downwardly extending from opposite side edges of the upper flap, said upper flap forming at least one grounding tab extending through the at least one cutout of the housing and electrically contacting the at least one grounding beam of the grounding plate, said pair of side flaps reliably engaging with said two opposite lateral bars of the housing and lower edges of the pair of side flaps not engaging with but being generally flush with opposite respective side edges of the lower flap whereby a total profile of the cable connector substantially equals a distance between a top face of the upper flap and a bottom face of the lower flap;

wherein the housing forms two buds on the two opposite lateral bars thereof, respectively, and each of the two side flaps of the metal shell defines a notch corresponding to one of the buds, said notches engaging with the corresponding buds, thereby preventing the upper flap from disengaging from the housing;

wherein the housing comprises a body portion which includes the panel and a rod positioned at an edge of the panel, said housing defining a slit between the panel and the rod through which the grounding fingers of the grounding plate extend;

wherein the housing comprises a tongue portion extending from the body portion, said tongue portion defining a plurality of cavities and a plurality of grooves in opposite surfaces thereof in which the plurality of contact portions and the plurality of grounding fingers are received, respectively;

wherein each contact has a tail portion fixedly received in the insert, the tail portion electrically contacting the conductive core of a corresponding cable;

wherein the grounding bar of the cable set is fixedly retained on the dielectric insert of the cable set;

wherein the grounding plate is located above the contact set in the assembled connector.