Cable assembly with unique strain relief means

• US 7,179,117 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2005
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Wu, Jerry
• Primary Examiner(s): DUVERNE, JEAN F
• Application Number:
  US11/119,300
• Publication Number:
  US 20060246770A1
• Time in Patent Office: 663 Days
• Field of Search: 439/460, 439/63, 439456-458, 439/701, 439/461, 439/459, 439146-147, 439/465, 439/76.1, 439607-610
• US Class Current: 439/460
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/512 assembled by screw or screws
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5845 the strain relief being achieved by molding parts around cable and connections
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/59 Threaded ferrule or bolt operating in a direction parallel to the cable or wire
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/65914 Connection of shield to additional grounding conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6658 on printed circuit board H01R13/6666 - H01R13/6691 take precedence

Abstract

A cable assembly (1) includes a connector module (3), a first cover-half (41) and a second cover-half (42) assembled to the first cover-half to enclose the connector module therebetween. The connector module includes an insulative housing (33), a number of contacts (35) retained in the insulative housing, a printed circuit board (34) assembled to the insulative housing and electrically connecting with the contacts, a number of cables (32) electrically connecting with the printed circuit board to form a number of junctions, and strain relief means (31). The strain relief means includes a main portion (310) molded with the junctions, a strain relief section (312) molded with the cables and interferentially received in a receiving hole (13) formed between the first and second cover-halves.

Claims

1. A cable assembly, comprising:

a connector module comprising;

an insulative housing;

a plurality of contacts assembled to the insulative housing;

a printed circuit board electrically connecting with the contacts;

at least one cable comprising a plurality of conductors electrically connecting with the printed circuit board to form a plurality of junctions therebetween; and

strain relief means comprising a main portion molded with said junctions between the at least one cable and the printed circuit board and a strain relief section molded with the said at least one cable; and

a cover enclosing the connector module, the cover defining a receiving hole, the strain relief section of said strain relief means and the at least one cable molded therein interferentially received in the receiving hole; and

wherein

the at least one cable is a standard Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA) cable and comprises a pair of signal conductors and a pair of grounding conductors located at opposite sides of the signal conductors.

2. The cable assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main portion of the stain relief means forms a slot to grasp the at least one cable when molding the strain relief means.

3. The cable assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the strain relief section of the strain relief means forms at least one rib on a periphery thereof to engage with the receiving hole of the cover.

4. The cable assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the cover comprises a first cover-half and a second cover-half assembled to the first cover-half, and wherein the receiving hole is formed by a first semicircular opening formed in a rear portion of the first cover-half and a second semicircular opening formed in a rear portion of the second cover-half.

5. The cable assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein the at least one rib of the swain relief section of the strain relief means engages with the first semicircular opening of the first cover.

6. The cable assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the second semicircular opening of the second cover-half forms a plurality of extrusions to engage with the strain relief section of the strain relief means.

7. The cable assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the strain relief means further forms a cable-tie section to hold the portion of the at least one cable exposed outside, and wherein the strain relief section is formed between the main portion and the cable-tie section.

8. The cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the pair of signal conductors of the at least one cable is wrapped by an insulative layer to isolate from the pair of grounding conductors, and wherein the pair of signal conductors respectively transmit positive and negative signals.

9. The cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the cover is made of metallic material.

10. The cable assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a pair of fastening members, the cover defines a pair of receiving passages at opposite sides thereof, and wherein the fastening members are respectively movably received in the receiving passages for engaging with a complementary connector.

11. The cable assembly of claim 10, further comprising a pair of springs respectively assembled to the fastening members for disengaging the cable assembly from the complementary connector.

12. The cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the printed circuit board forms a plurality of first conductive traces on a front portion thereof, and wherein the contacts comprise tail portions are soldered to the first conductive traces.

13. The cable assembly of claim 12, wherein the printed circuit board forms a plurality of second and third conductive traces on a middle portion and a rear portion thereof, and wherein the conductors of the cable are respectively soldered to the second and third conductive traces.

14. The cable assembly of claim 13, wherein the second and third conductive traces are arranged with equal trace number and interval.

15. The cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the insulative housing comprises a base portion and a pair of supporting portions extending rearward from the base portion, and wherein the printed circuit board is assembled to the supporting portions of the insulative housing.

16. A cable assembly, comprising:

a connector module comprising;

an insulative housing defining a front-to-back direction, a vertical direction and a transverse direction perpendicular to one another;

a plurality of contacts assembled to the insulative housing;

at least two cables extending along the front-to-back direction, each of said cables essentially being a differential pair and having a lying capsular cross-section, said cables arranged to be stacked upon each other in a vertical direction while with front ends offset from each other in said front-to-back direction to electrically connect to the corresponding contacts, respectively;

a cover enclosing the connector and defining a trough hole at a rear end; and

a train relief section interferentially located in said through and encircling said two cables.

17. The cable assembly as claimed in claim 16 wherein at least one of said cables is deflected toward the other to have the front ends of said two stacked cables are essentially located at a same horizontal plane;

wherein said horizontal plane is defined by a printed circuit board on which the front ends are surface-mounted.

18. The cable assembly as claimed in claim 16 wherein another two cables are side by side located beside said two cables in the transverse direction, and are encircled in said strain relief section.

19. The cable assembly as claimed in claim 17, wherein both said at least two cables define front deflected sections in compliance with a thickness of the printed circuit board.

20. The cable assembly as claimed in claim 17, wherein another two cables are stacked to said at least two cables, front ends of said another two cables are surface mounted to another horizontal plane of the printed circuit board opposite to said horizontal plane and cooperate with said at least two cables to sandwich the printed circuit board therebetween.

21. A cable assembly, comprising:

a connector module comprising;

an insulative housing defining a front-to-back direction, a vertical direction and a transverse direction perpendicular to one another;

a plurality of contacts assembled to the insulative housing;

a plurality of cables extending along the front-to-back direction with front ends located adjacent to and in alignment with the corresponding contacts, respectively;

a cover enclosing the connector module and defining a through hole at a rear end; and

an integrally formed strain relief devices including a large main portion at least partially covering said front ends of the cables, and a small stain relief section interferentially circumferentially received in said through hole and fully encircling said cables.

22. The cable assembly as claimed in claim 21, wherein the front ends of the cables are mounted upon a printed circuit board, and the large main portion is seated upon said printed circuit board to downwardly cover the front ends.