Abstract
An electrical cable connector comprising an insulating housing, a plurality of conductive contacts arranged on the insulating housing to be connected respectively with cables, and a resilient shell member attached to the insulating housing, wherein the resilient shell member includes a concealing portion for concealing a portion of the insulating housing on which the conductive contacts are arranged, a strip-shaped portion surrounding partially the insulating housing so as to cause an inner surface portion thereof to come into resilient contact with an outer surface portion of a mating connecting device, a pair of extended strip-shaped portions each extending to be bent from one of end portions of the strip-shaped portion so as to have a free end portion, and a pair of holding portions extending from the concealing portion for positioning respectively the extended strip-shaped portions from the outside thereof.
Claims
1. An electrical cable connector comprising; an insulating housing provided to be fitted to a mate insulating housing of a mate electrical connector fixed to a parts-mounting surface of a circuit board, a plurality of conductive contacts arranged on the insulating housing, each of which is provided with a cable connecting portion to be connected with a cable and a contact-connecting portion operative to be put in contact with a corresponding one of mate conductive contacts arranged on the mate insulating housing of the mate electrical connector to be connected to the circuit board, and a resilient shell member attached to the insulating housing for engaging resiliently with the mate electrical connector when the electrical cable connector is coupled with the mate electrical connector, wherein the resilient shell member includes a concealing portion for concealing a portion of the insulating housing on which the conductive contacts are arranged, a strip-shaped portion linked with the concealing portion to surround partially the insulating housing for causing an inner surface portion thereof to come into resilient contact with an outer surface portion of the mate electrical connector, a pair of extended strip-shaped portions each extending to be bent from one of end portions of the strip-shaped portion so as to have a free end portion and a pair of holding portions each extending from the concealing portion for positioning the extended strip-shaped portion from the outside of the same, and the strip-shaped portion and the extended strip-shaped portions constitute a spring member, and the insulating housing accompanied with an inner shell member has a top board portion on which a plurality of openings in which contact-connecting portions of the plurality of conductive contacts are arranged respectively are arranged and a cable supporting portion which is reinforced with the inner shell member.
2. An electrical cable connector according to claim 1, wherein each of the holding portions has a constraining portion extending along an outer surface of the extended strip-shaped portion from the concealing portion and a covering portion elongating to be bent from the constraining portion for covering the extended strip-shaped portions.
3. An electrical cable connector according to claim 1, wherein the resilient shell member constitutes a single member with the strip-shaped portion which surrounds partially the insulating housing so that the end portions of the strip-shaped portion face each other with a predetermined space therebetween and the extended strip-shaped portions extend to be bent respectively from the end portions of the strip-shaped portion so as to be opposite to each other.
4. An electrical cable connector according to claim 3, wherein the cable connecting portion of each of the conductive contacts is exposed outward on the insulating housing in a space between the extended strip- shaped portions of the resilient shell member opposite to each other.
5. An electrical cable connector according to claim 1, wherein the resilient shell member constitutes first and second shell components attached to the insulating housing and each of the first and second shell components is provided with a part of the strip-shaped portion and the extended strip-shaped portion, so that the part of the strip-shaped portion of the first shell component and the part of the strip-shaped portion of the second shell component face each other with the insulating housing therebetween and the extended strip-shaped portion of the first shell component and the extended strip-shaped portion of the second shell component are opposite to each other with a predetermined space therebetween.
6. An electrical cable connector according to claim 5, wherein the extended strip-shaped portion of the first shell component and the extended strip-shaped portion of the second shell component are operative to cause the free end portions provided respectively on the extended strip-shaped portions to be opposite to each other.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an embodiment of electrical cable connector according to the present invention which constitutes a plug connector, together with a plurality of coaxial cables connected with the plug connector, and a mating electrical connector which constitutes a receptacle connector and with which the plug connector is to be coupled, together with a circuit board on which the receptacle connector is mounted;
(2) FIG. 2 is a schematic bottom view showing the plug connector accompanied with the coaxial cables as shown in FIG. 1;
(3) FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing an insulating housing employed in the plug connector shown in FIG. 1, together with an inner shell member and a plurality of conductive contacts arranged on the insulating housing;
(4) FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a condition wherein the coaxial cables shown in FIG. 1 are connected respectively with the conductive contacts shown in FIG. 3 and outer conductors which the coaxial cables have respectively are linked with a ground bar member;
(5) FIG. 5 is a schematic bottom view showing the condition wherein the coaxial cables shown in FIG. 1 are connected respectively with the conductive contacts which are arranged on the insulating housing together with the inner shell member;
(6) FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing a resilient she member employed in the plug connector shown in FIG. 1;
(7) FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view showing a condition wherein the resilient shell member shown in FIG. 6 is attached to the insulating housing on which the inner shell member and the conductive contacts with which the coaxial cables are connected respectively are arranged as shown in FIG. 5;
(8) FIG. 8 is a schematic bottom view showing the condition wherein the resilient shell member shown in FIG. 6 is attached to the insulating housing on which the inner shell member and the conductive contacts with which the coaxial cables are connected respectively are arranged as shown in FIG. 5;
(9) FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view showing a condition wherein a pair of holding portions of the resilient shell member shown in FIG. 7 are folded down;
(10) FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view showing the receptacle connector shown in FIG. 1;
(11) FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view showing a condition wherein the plug connector accompanied with the coaxial cables as shown in FIG. 1 is coupled with the receptacle connector mounted on the circuit board as shown in FIG. 1;
(12) FIG. 12 is a schematic plan view showing a condition wherein the plug connector accompanied with the coaxial cables as shown in FIG. 1 is coupled with the receptacle connector shown in FIG. 1;
(13) FIG. 13 is a schematic side view showing the condition wherein the plug connector accompanied with the coaxial cables as shown in FIG. 1 is coupled with the receptacle connector shown in FIG. 1;
(14) FIG. 14 is a schematic bottom view showing the condition wherein the plug connector accompanied with the coaxial cables as shown in FIG. 1 is coupled with the receptacle connector shown in FIG. 1; and
(15) FIG. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line XV-XV in FIG. 13.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
(16) FIG. 1 shows a plug connector 11 which is constituted with an embodiment of electrical cable connector according to the present invention and accompanied with a plurality of relatively thin coaxial cables 13 connected thereto, and a receptacle connector 12 which is constituted with a mating electrical connector mounted on a circuit board 14 and with which the plug connector 11 is to be coupled. The receptacle connector 12 is fixed to a parts-mounting surface 14a of the circuit board 14, which faces upward in FIG. 1.
(17) The plug connector 11, that is, the embodiment of electrical cable connector according to the present invention, comprises an insulating housing 15 made of insulator such as plastics or the like, a plurality of conductive contacts 16 arranged on the insulating housing 15 and a resilient shell member 17 attached to the insulating housing 15, as shown also in FIG. 2. The insulating housing 15 is provided with an inner shell member 18 which is made of metal plate material and integrated with the insulating housing 15 by means of insert molding so as to reinforce the insulating housing 15. Each of the conductive contacts 16 is made of resilient conductive plate material to be shaped into a strip. The resilient shell member 17 is made of resilient conductive plate material subjected to bending processing.
(18) As shown in FIG. 3, the insulating housing 15 accompanied with the inner shell member 18 has a top board portion 20 on which a plurality of through-holes 19 are arranged and a cable supporting portion 21 which is reinforced with the inner shell member 18. Each of the conductive contacts 16 arranged on the insulating housing 15 is provided with a cable connecting portion 16a to be connected with a core conductor 13a (shown in FIG. 4 explained later) of the coaxial cable 13 and a contact-connecting portion 16b operative to be put in contact with a mate conductive contact 37 (shown in FIG. 10 explained later) provided on the receptacle connector 12 fixed to the parts-mounting surface 14a of the circuit board 14, and integrated with the insulating housing 15 to be partially buried therein by means of insert molding. The cable connecting portion 16a of each of the conductive contacts 16 is exposed outward on the cable supporting portion 21 of the insulating housing 15 and the contact-connecting portion 16b of each of the conductive contacts 16 is put in the through-hole 19 on the top board portion 20 of the insulating housing 15.
(19) As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the coaxial cables 13, each of which has an end portion at which the core conductor 13a and an outer conductor 13b are exposed, are put on the insulating housing 15 accompanied with the inner shell member 18 as shown in FIG. 3 in such a manner that the core conductor 13a of each of the coaxial cables 13 is positioned on the cable connecting portion 16a of a corresponding one of the conductive contacts 16 exposed outward at the cable supporting portion 21 of the insulating housing 15 and the outer conductor 13b of each of the coaxial cables 13 is positioned on the inner shell member 18 reinforcing the cable supporting portion 21 of the insulating housing 15. Then, the core conductor 13a of each of the coaxial cables 13 is connected with the cable connecting portion 16a of the corresponding one of the conductive contacts 16 by means of, for example, soldering and the outer conductor 13b of each of the coaxial cable 13 is put between a pair of ground bar members 22 facing each other so that the outer conductors 13b provided respectively in the coaxial cables 13 are linked with the ground bar members 22. A portion of the inner shell member 18 is soldered to the one of the ground bar members 22 facing each other through a through-holes 18a formed on the inner shell member 18.
(20) As shown also in FIG. 6, the resilient shell member 17 attached to the insulating housing 15 of the plug connector 11 shown in FIG. 1 includes a concealing portion 25 for concealing a portion of the insulating housing 15 on which the conductive contacts 16 are arranged, a strip-shaped portion 26 linked with the concealing portion 25 to extend around the insulating housing 15, and a pair of extended strip-shaped portions 27 each extending to be bent from one of end portions of the strip-shaped portion 26 so as to have a free end portion. The strip- shaped portion 26 and the extended strip-shaped portions 27 constitute a spring member. A pair of holding portions 28, each of which extends from the concealing portion 25, are provided for positioning respectively the extended strip-shaped portions 27 from the outside thereof. Each of the holding portions 28 extending from the concealing portion 25 has a constraining portion 29 extending along an outer surface of the extended strip-shaped portion 27 from the concealing portion 25 and a covering portion 30 elongating to be bent from the constraining portion 29 for covering the extended strip-shaped portions 27. Under such a condition, the strip-shaped portion 26 of the resilient shell member 17 is operative to cause an inner surface portion thereof to come into resilient contact with an outer surface portion of the receptacle connector 12 when the plug connector 11 is coupled with the receptacle connector 12.
(21) The resilient shell member 17 constitutes a single member with the strip-shaped portion 26 surrounding partially the insulating housing 15. The end portions of the strip-shaped portion 26 face each other with a predetermined space therebetween and the extended strip-shaped portions 27 extend to be bent respectively from the end portions of the strip-shaped portion 26 so as to be opposite to each other. The holding portions 28 corresponding respectively to the extended strip-shaped portions 27 extend from the concealing portion 25 so as to be opposite to each other. However, it is not necessary for the resilient shell member 17 to be limited to such an example as shown in FIGS. 1 and 6. For example, it is also possible that the resilient shell member 17 constitutes first and second shell components attached to the insulating housing 15 and each of the first and second shell components is provided with a part of the strip-shaped portion 26 and the extended strip-shaped portion 27. In such a case, the part of the strip-shaped portion 26 of the first shell component and the part of the strip-shaped portion 26 of the second shell component face each other with the insulating housing 15 therebetween, the extended strip-shaped portion 27 of the first shell component and the extended strip-shaped portion 27 of the second shell component are opposite to each other with a predetermined space therebetween so as to cause the free end portions provided respectively on the extended strip- shaped portions 27 to be opposite to each other, and each of the extended strip-shaped portions 27 is positioned from the outside thereof with the holding portion 28 extending from the concealing portion 25.
(22) As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the resilient shell member 17 shown in FIG. 6 is caused to be attached to the insulating housing 15 which is provided with the inner shell member 18 shown as shown in FIG. 5 and on which the conductive contacts 16 with which the coaxial cables 13 are connected respectively are arranged. On that occasion, the concealing portion 25 of the resilient shell member 17 covers the top board portion 20 of the insulating housing 15 on the conductive contacts 16 are arranged and the cable supporting portion 21 of the insulating housing 15, the strip-shaped portion 26 linked with the concealing portion 25 surrounds partially the top board portion 20 of the insulating housing 15, and the extended strip-shaped portions 27 elongating respectively from the end portions of the strip-shaped portion 26 are opposite to each other with the cable supporting portion 21 of the insulating housing 15 therebetween, In such a condition, the cable connecting portion 16a of each of the conductive contacts 16 exposed outward at the cable supporting portion 21 of the insulating housing 15 is positioned in the space between the extended strip-shaped portions 27 of the resilient shell member 17 opposite to each other.
(23) After the resilient shell member 17 is attached to the insulating housing 15 which is provided with the inner shell member 18 and on which the conductive contacts 16 with which the coaxial cables 13 are connected respectively are arranged, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, each of the covering portions 30 constituting respectively the holding portions 28 each extending from the concealing portion 25 of the resilient shell member 17 is bent inward, so that each of the extended strip-shaped portions 27 of the resilient shell member 17 is positioned from the outside thereof with the constraining portion 29 constituting the holding portion 28 and covered with the covering portion 30 constituting the holding portions 28, as shown in FIG. 9. Thereby, each of the extended strip-shaped portions 27 is properly and surely positioned with the holding portion 28 including the constraining portion 29 and the covering portion 30. Further, the concealing portion 25 of the resilient shell member 17 is soldered to the other of the ground bar members 22, which are facing each other with the outer conductors 13b provided respectively in the coaxial cables 13 therebetween, through a through-hole 25a formed on the concealing portion 25. As a result, the plug connector 11 with which the coaxial cables 13 are connected as shown in FIG. 1 is obtained.
(24) The receptacle connector 12, which is constituted with the mate electrical connector and with which the plug connector 11 is to be coupled, is provided with a mate insulating housing 35 made of insulator such as plastics or the like and a pair of holding metal members 36 fixed to the mate insulating housing 35 by means of, for example, insert molding, as shown also in FIG. 10.
(25) The mate insulating housing 35 has a protrusion 35a which comes into the plug connector 11 when the plug connector 11 is coupled with the receptacle connector 12. A plurality of mate conductive contacts 37 are arranged on the mate insulating housing 35. Each of the mate conductive contacts 37 is made of resilient conductive plate material to be shaped into a strip and provided, respectively at both end portions of the stripe, with a board connecting portion 37a to be connected with a circuit terminal provided on the parts-mounting surface 14a of the circuit board 14 and a contact-connecting portion 37b operative to be put in contact with the contact-connecting portion 16b of the conductive contact 16 provided on the plug connector 11 with which the coaxial cables 13 are connected. The board connecting portions 37a provided respectively on the mate conductive contacts 37 are arranged to project from the mate insulating housing 35 to the outside of the mate insulating housing 35 so as to be connected respectively with the circuit terminals provided on the parts-mounting surface 14a of the circuit board 14 by means of, for example, soldering. The contact-connecting portions 37b provided respectively on the mate conductive contacts 37 are arranged along an inside wall surface and a top surface of the protrusion 35a provided on the mate insulating housing 35.
(26) The holding metal members 36 are placed to be opposite to each other with the mate insulating housing 35 therebetween in a direction along which the mate conductive contacts 37 are arranged on the mate insulating housing 35. Each of the holding metal members 36 has a body portion 38 extending along the mate insulating housing 35 and a plurality of fixing portions 39 each projecting from the body portion 38 to be fixed to the parts-mounting surface 14a of the circuit board 14. When the plug connector 11 is coupled with the receptacle connector 12, the strip-shaped portion 26 of the resilient shell member 17 provided on the plug connector 11 causes the inner surface portion thereof to come into contact with an outer surface portion of the body portion 38. Each of the fixing portions 39 is fixed to the parts-mounting surface 14a of the circuit board 14 by means of, for example, soldering and thereby the receptacle connector 12 is fixed to the parts-mounting surface 14a of the circuit board 14.
(27) Under such a condition, the plug connector 11 which is constituted with the embodiment of circuit board connecting device according to the present invention is caused to be coupled with the receptacle connector 12 which is constituted with the mating connecting device.
(28) On that occasion, under a situation wherein the coaxial cables 13 are connected with the plug connector 11, the insulating housing 15 of the plug connector 11 is fitted to the mate insulating housing 35 of the receptacle connector 12 in such a manner that the protrusion 35a provided on the mate insulating housing 35 of the receptacle connector 12 is inserted into the inside of the insulating housing 15 of the plug connector 11. As a result, the plug connector 11 accompanied with the coaxial cables 13 is put in connecting-coupling with the receptacle connector 12 accompanied with the circuit board 14, as shown in FIG. 11 (the schematic perspective view showing), FIG. 12 (the schematic plan view in which the circuit board 14 is omitted to be shown), FIG. 13 (the schematic side view in which the circuit board 14 are omitted to be shown), FIG. 14 (the schematic bottom view in which the circuit board 14 is omitted to be shown), and FIG. 15 (the schematic cross-sectional view taken along line XV-XV in FIG. 13).
(29) Under a condition wherein the plug connector 11 is put in connecting-coupling with the receptacle connector 12, as shown in FIG. 15, the contact-connecting portions 16b of each of the conductive contacts 16 arranged on the insulating housing 15 of the plug connector 11 is caused to come into contact with the contact-connecting portion 37b of a corresponding one of the mate conductive contacts 37 arranged along the inside wall surface and the top surface of the protrusion 35a provided on the mate insulating housing 35 of the receptacle connector 12 so that the conductive contacts 16 of the plug connector 11 are contact-connected respectively with the mate conductive contacts 37 of the receptacle connector 12. As a result, the core conductor 13a of each of the coaxial cables 13 connected respectively with the cable connecting portions 16a of the conductive contacts 16 is linked, through the conductive contact 16 and the mate conductive contact 37, to a corresponding one of the circuit terminals provided on the parts-mounting surface 14a of the circuit board 14 with which the board connecting portions 37a of the mate conductive contacts 37 are connected respectively, so that the coaxial cables 13 are put in a condition of electrical connection with the circuit board 14.
(30) Further, when the plug connector 11 is put in connecting-coupling with the receptacle connector 12, the strip-shaped portion 26 of the resilient shell member 17 provided on the plug connector 11, which extends to surround partially the insulating housing 15, is operative to cause the inner surface portion thereof to come into resilient contact with the outer surface portion of the body portion 38 of the holding metal member 36 provided on the receptacle connector 12 so as to cause the plug connector 11 to be locked to the receptacle connector 12, as shown in FIGS. 11 to 14. Under such a condition, since the strip-shaped portion 26 and the extended strip-shaped portion 27 of the resilient shell member 17 provided on the plug connector 11 constitute the spring member and each of the extended strip-shaped portions 27 of the resilient shell member 17 is positioned from the outside thereof with the holding portion 28 extending from the concealing portion 25 of the resilient shell member 17, a resilient pressing force by the spring member constituted with the strip- shaped portion 26 and the extended strip-shaped portion 27 of the resilient shell member 17, acts on the strip-shaped portion 26 so that the inner surface of the strip-shaped portion 26 is caused to contact resiliently with the outer surface portion of the body portion 38 of the holding metal member 36 provided on the receptacle connector 12. On that occasion, the extended strip-shaped portion 27 which elongates to be bent from the end portion of the strip-shaped portion 26 so as to have the free end portion and is positioned from the outside thereof with the holding portion 28 extending from the concealing portion 25, is operative to enhance the resilient pressing force by the spring member acting on the strip-shaped portion 26.
(31) Accordingly, in the plug connector 11 provided with the resilient shell member 17, the strip-shaped portion 26 of the resilient shell member 17 is able to keep sufficient resiliency even under a situation wherein the resilient shell member 17 including the strip-shaped portion 26 is reduced in its size in a direction perpendicular to the parts-mounting surface 14a of the circuit board 14, to which the receptacle connector 12 is fixed, along with a reduction in thickness of the plug connector 11 as a whole for achieving low-profile, and in addition, is less susceptible to changes with time on the same. Therefore, with the plug connector 11, the strip-shaped portion 26 of the resilient shell member 17 on which the resilient pressing force by the spring member constituted with the strip- shaped portion 26 and the extended strip-shaped portion 27 of the resilient shell member 17 acts, is able to cause surely and stably the inner surface portion thereof to come into resilient contact with the outer surface portion of the body portion 38 of the holding metal member 36 provided on the receptacle connector 12 even under the situation wherein the plug connector 11 as a whole is subjected to reduction in its thickness for achieving low-profile, so that the plug connector 11 is maintained properly and surely in connecting-coupling with the receptacle connector 12.
