Cable assembly

• US 7,736,172 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2009
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yang, Guo-Hua, Liu, Su-Feng, Ko, David
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, HIEN D
• Application Number:
  US12/319,297
• Publication Number:
  US 20090176403A1
• Time in Patent Office: 526 Days
• Field of Search: 439/358, 439/495, 439/77, 439/607.49, 439/607.56
• US Class Current: 439/358
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/592 connections to contact elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6275 Latching arms not integral with the housing H01R13/6276, H01R13/6277, H01R13/6278 take precedence

Abstract

A cable assembly in accordance with the present invention comprises an insulative housing defining a supporting portion with an upper surface and a pair of fixing portions disposed at two sides of the supporting portion with a top surface higher than the upper surface, and a receiving space defined by the supporting portion and the pair of fixing portions; a flexible flat cable supported by the supporting portion of the insulative housing and received into the receiving space; an upper shell assembled to the insualtive housing and defining a main body portion covering to the flexible flat cable and a pair of positioning portions respectively attached to the pair fixing portions thereof, the upper shell having a recessed main body portion relative to the pair of fixing portions and received into the receiving space; and a pair of latch members respectively mounted on the pair of fixing portions.

Claims

1. A cable assembly, comprising:

an insulative housing defining a supporting portion with an upper surface and a pair of fixing portions disposed at two sides of the supporting portion with a top surface higher than the upper surface, and a receiving space defined by the supporting portion and the pair of fixing portions;

a flexible flat cable supported by the supporting portion of the insulative housing and received into the receiving space;

an upper conductive shell assembled to the insulative housing and defining a main body portion covering to the flexible flat cable and a pair of positioning portions respectively attached to the pair fixing portions thereof, the upper conductive shell having a recessed main body portion relative to the pair of fixing portions and received into the receiving space;

a pair of latch members respectively mounted on the pair of fixing portions;

wherein the pair of positioning portions of the upper shell are both bent upwardly and outwardly from two sides of the main body portion;

wherein each positioning portion comprises an L-shaped horizontal portion defining retaining hole and two spaced tabs bent downwardly from the side edge of the L-shaped horizontal portion;

wherein each fixing portion defines a wedge-shaped block thereon received in the retaining hole, a pair of upright retaining posts respectively formed on the top and bottom surface thereof and a L-shaped groove recessed from the top surface and side surface thereof receiving in each of the latch members;

wherein each latch defines a operating portion having a pair of holes corresponding to the pair of retaining posts, a resilient portion extending rearwardly and bending backward for a distance for receiving in the L-shape groove, and a locking barb extending forwardly from operating portion; and

wherein a lengthwise rib is formed at the front end of the supporting portion protruding upwardly and extending along a transverse direction for stopping the flexible flat cable moved forwardly.

2. The cable assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the cable assembly further defines a lower shell assemble to the insulative housing and engaged with the upper shell.

3. The cable assembly as recited in claim 2, wherein the lower shell defines a plurality of tabs disposed at two sides thereof and a pair of latch portion disposed at two sides of the rear edge thereof.

4. The cable assembly as recited in claim 3, wherein the insulative housing defines a plurality of positioning slots receiving the corresponding tabs of the lower shell.

5. The cable assembly as recited in claim 3, wherein the upper shell further defines a pair of engaging portions extending downwardly from rear edge of the positioning portions engaged with the pair of latch portion.

6. The cable assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the flexible flat cable is attached to the supporting portion of the insulative housing by glue.

7. The cable assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the flexible flat cable defines a top insulative layer, a bottom insulative layer and a plurality of conductors enveloped by the top and bottom insulative layer.

8. The cable assembly as recited in claim 7, wherein each conductor defnes a mating portion exposed out of the top insualtive layer.

9. The cable assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the main body portion of the upper shell defines two flanges protruding upwardly and extending in a widthwise direction.

10. A cable connector assembly comprising:

an insulative housing defining a longitudinal rib at a front end of a transverse middle supporting portion and a pair of fixing portions raised upwardly with regard to the supporting portion;

a flexible flat cable (FFC) positioned upon an upper surface of the supporting portion and being stopped moving forwardly by the longitudinal rib;

an upper conductive shell defining a middle main portion seated upon the FFC so as to cooperate with the supporting portion to sandwich said FFC therebetween, and a pair of positioning portions raised upwardly with regard to the middle main portion and securely seated upon the pair of fixing portions of the housing, respectively;

a bottom conductive shell defining a base portion directly abutting against an undersurface of the supporting portion;

wherein the base portion includes a front section upwardly offset from remainders and received in a recess formed in a front area of said undersurface of the supporting portion;

wherein a pair of latches pivotally mounted upon the pair of fixing portions;

wherein each positioning portion comprises an L-shaped horizontal portion defining retaining hole and two spaced tabs bent downwardly from the side edge of the L-shaped horizontal portion;

wherein each fixing portion defines a wedge-shaped block thereon received in the retaining hole, a pair of upright retaining posts respectively formed on the top and bottom surface thereof and a L-shaped groove recessed from the top surface and side surface thereof receiving in each of the latches;

wherein each latch defines a operating portion having a pair of holes corresponding to the pair of retaining posts, a resilient portion extending rearward and bending backward for a distance for receiving in the L-shape groove, and a locking barb extending forwardly from operating portion.

11. The cable connector assembly as claimed in claim 10, wherein each of said pair of latches defines a structure sandwiching the corresponding fixing portion therebetween in an up-and-down direction.