Cable adapter and cable assembly

Abstract

The application relates to a cable adapter and a cable assembly, the cable assembly comprising cables I and at least two cables II connected through the cable adapter, and the cables I being connected with connectors I for connecting with power end connectors; the cables II being connected with connectors II for connecting with device end connectors. The cable assembly can realize the conversion from one-way signal to multi-way signal, can reduce the cost of power transmission materials, improve the installation efficiency, reduce the occupation of the cable assembly to the overall space of a base station, and meet the high-integration requirement of communication equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of connector technology, specifically relating to a cable adapter and cable assembly. Background Technology

[0002] In existing technologies, to achieve power transmission between the power module and the MMU or RU on a communication base station, a double-ended cable assembly is used to supply power to the outdoor base station's MMU or RU and other electrical equipment. The two ends of the cable are connected to connector I and connector II, respectively. Connector I is mated with a connector fixed on the power module, and connector II is mated with another connector on the MMU or RU chassis, forming a circuit for current transmission.

[0003] When multiple MMU / RU or other electrical devices are deployed on a communication base station, existing technologies require multiple cable assemblies for power transmission and multiple connectors on the power module for connection to these components. Figure 1 The multiple components result in material waste, occupy a large space, and greatly reduce installation efficiency. Furthermore, the cables run counter to the current requirements for miniaturization of communication base stations. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To reduce the space occupied by cable assemblies in the overall base station, this invention provides a one-to-many cable adapter and cable assembly for power transmission in communication base stations. It can reduce the cost of power transmission materials, improve installation efficiency, and reduce the space occupied by cable assemblies in the overall base station while ensuring the performance of the cable assembly, thus meeting the high integration requirements of communication equipment.

[0005] The objective of this invention and the technical problem it solves are achieved by the following technical solution. According to this invention, a cable assembly includes a cable I connected via a cable adapter and at least two cables II, wherein the other end of the cable I is connected to a connector I for connection to a power supply connector; and the other end of each cable II is connected to a connector II for connection to a device connector.

[0006] The objectives of this invention and the technical problems it addresses can be further achieved by the following technical measures.

[0007] The aforementioned cable assembly includes connectors and cables connected by screws, welding, or crimping.

[0008] In the aforementioned cable assembly, cable I and cable II are connected within the cable adapter housing via crimp terminals, double-ended connecting tube crimping, or direct welding.

[0009] The aforementioned cable assembly includes a waterproof cable adapter, and the connection between cable I and cable II within the cable adapter is waterproofed and / or shielded.

[0010] The aforementioned cable assembly includes a cable adapter 3 comprising a housing and an adapter box 36 located within the housing. A positive conductive plate 361 and a negative conductive plate 362 are fixed inside the adapter box 36. The positive and negative terminals of the cables I2 and II4 are respectively connected to the positive conductive plate 361 and the negative conductive plate 362.

[0011] In the aforementioned cable assembly, the positive conductive plate 361 and the negative conductive plate 362 are arranged in layers within the adapter box 36, and the different layers are separated by an insulator 364.

[0012] The aforementioned cable assembly, wherein the positive and negative terminals of cable I2 and cable II4 are connected to the positive conductive plate 361 or the negative conductive plate 362 by means of crimping terminals 365 or direct welding by means of brazing or ultrasonic welding.

[0013] In the aforementioned cable assembly, the positive and negative terminals of cable I2 and cable II4 are crimped to the crimp terminal 365 and then fixed to the corresponding conductive plate by screws 366.

[0014] The aforementioned cable assembly has a housing consisting of an upper housing 32 and a lower housing 33, forming a two-piece snap-fit ​​structure.

[0015] In the aforementioned cable assembly, both cable I2 and cable II4 are provided with cable protective sleeves 10 to prevent the cables from contacting the housing of the cable adapter 3. The cable protective sleeves 10 pass through the housing of the cable adapter 3 and are matched and limited by the clamping holes 35 on the housing. The clamping holes 35 are also provided with structures to enhance the clamping force.

[0016] The aforementioned cable assembly has an insulator 364 with terminal mounting holes for the crimp terminals 365 and screws 366 to be recessed into the insulator and fixedly contact the conductive plate. Furthermore, each terminal mounting hole on the insulator 364 has terminal anti-rotation barriers 3651 extending from both sides to prevent the crimp terminals from swaying.

[0017] The aforementioned cable assembly also includes an insulator 364 below the conductive plate with a clearance groove 3652 for avoiding the screw 366 and allowing the screw 366 to be locked in place. The clearance groove is a blind groove to prevent conduction between adjacent conductive plates.

[0018] The aforementioned cable assembly, the adapter box 36, is further provided with a shielding conductive plate 363 for connecting with the cable shielding layer 11 of cable I2 and cable II4.

[0019] The aforementioned cable assembly, wherein the positive conductive plate 361, the negative conductive plate 362 and the shielding conductive plate 363 are wider toward the cable I2 and narrower toward the cable II4.

[0020] The aforementioned cable assembly, wherein the cable adapter 3 has a process hole on its housing for making the wall thickness uniform, and also has a structure that can increase the surface area to enhance heat dissipation.

[0021] Compared with existing technologies, this invention has significant advantages and beneficial effects. Through the above technical solution, this invention achieves considerable technological advancement and practicality, and has broad industrial application value, possessing at least the following advantages:

[0022] This invention relates to a cable assembly that comprises a larger-gauge cable (I), a cable adapter, multiple smaller-gauge cables (II), and multiple connectors, forming a one-to-many cable assembly. The power module outputs a high-power current through connector I and the larger-gauge cable I. After being converted by the cable adapter, the current is split into multiple smaller-power current streams, which are then transmitted to various electrical devices via multiple smaller-gauge cables (II) and connectors (II), thus achieving multi-channel current transmission. This invention reduces the cost of power transmission materials, improves installation efficiency, and minimizes the space occupied by the cable assembly in the base station while ensuring the performance of the cable assembly, meeting the high integration requirements of communication equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the use of existing cable assemblies in a general selection base station;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the cable assembly of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the use of the cable assembly of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the cable assembly adapter structure according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the shielding treatment of the cable assembly adapter structure in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the cable assembly adapter structure in Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the cable assembly in Embodiment 3 of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the cable assembly adapter structure in Embodiment 3 of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 9 This is another schematic diagram of the cable assembly adapter structure in Embodiment 3 of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 10 This is an exploded view of the adapter box in Embodiment 3 of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the adapter box and the crimp terminal in Embodiment 3 of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 12 Schematic diagram of the insulator of the adapter box in Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

[0035] [Explanation of Key Component Symbols]

[0036] 1: Connector I

[0037] 2: Cable I

[0038] 3: Cable adapter

[0039] 4: Cable II

[0040] 5: Connector

[0041] 6: Power supply chassis

[0042] 7: Equipment chassis

[0043] 8: Power supply chassis connector

[0044] 9: Connector at the equipment chassis end

[0045] 10: Cable protection sleeve Detailed Implementation

[0046] To further illustrate the technical means and effects adopted by the present invention to achieve the intended purpose, the following detailed description of the specific implementation, structure, features and effects of the cable assembly proposed according to the present invention is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments.

[0047] Please see Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the cable assembly of the present invention. The cable assembly includes a connector I1, a cable I2, a cable adapter 3, a cable II4, and a connector II5. One end of the cable I2 is connected to the connector I1, and the other end is connected to at least two cables II4 through the cable adapter 3. Each cable II4 has a connector II5 connected to its other end.

[0048] Please see Figure 3 In use, the cable assembly of this invention connects connector I1 to the connector fixed on the power supply chassis 6, and connector II5 to the connector fixed on the chassis 7 of the power supply equipment such as MMU or RU, forming a circuit to transmit current. Thus, power can be supplied to multiple power supply devices through a single input connector I1.

[0049] This invention relates to a cable assembly that comprises a larger-gauge cable I2, a cable adapter 3, multiple smaller-gauge cables II4, and multiple connectors, forming a one-to-many cable assembly. The power module outputs a high-power current through connector I1 and the larger-gauge cable I2. After being converted by the cable adapter 3, the current is split into multiple smaller-power currents, which are then transmitted to various electrical devices via multiple smaller-gauge cables II4 and connectors II5, thereby achieving multi-channel current transmission. The conversion forms of this invention's cable assembly include, but are not limited to, one-to-two, one-to-three, one-to-four, and other one-to-many conversion forms.

[0050] The connection methods between cables I2 and II4 within the cable adapter 3 include, but are not limited to, terminal conversion, crimping, and welding. Furthermore, the cable adapter 3 is waterproof and can be used outdoors. Its compact structure and small overall size allow for the use of both shielded and unshielded cable assemblies. It can be installed on-site for cable connections or manufactured in the factory.

[0051] The connection methods between connector I1 and cable I2, and between connector II5 and cable II4, include screw crimping, welding, and crimping, but are not limited to these methods. When using screw crimping, the screw head can have a hexagonal or Phillips head, but is not limited to these structures.

[0052] Please see Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the cable adapter structure according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In this embodiment, cables I2 and II4 are connected by welding within the cable adapter 3. Specifically, the positive terminal of cable I2 is welded to the positive terminal of each cable II4, and the negative terminal of cable I2 is welded to the negative terminal of each cable II4, thereby achieving the conduction and transfer of positive and negative terminals.

[0053] After the positive and negative terminals of cables I2 and II4 are soldered, insulating tape is used to wrap each solder joint, ensuring that the insulating tape completely covers the conductor. After wrapping, waterproofing is applied, and then a shielding layer 31 is installed on the outside. (See also...) Figure 5 In this embodiment, the shielding layer 31 includes, from the inside out, a copper sheet, a wave-blocking sleeve, and a shielding wire. The copper sheet is wrapped around the waterproofed insulating tape, the wave-blocking sleeve is fitted onto the copper sheet, and the shielding wire is welded to the surface of the wave-blocking sleeve using a lap welding process.

[0054] The connection points of cables I2 and II4 are waterproofed after the shielding connection treatment is completed. The cable adapter 3 includes an adapter housing, which is a two-piece snap-fit ​​structure, comprising an upper housing 32 and a lower housing 33. The upper housing 32 and lower housing 33 are fastened together by a screw assembly 34 after snapping. The screw head in the screw assembly 34 can be a hexagonal or Phillips head, but is not limited to these structures. In other embodiments of the invention, the upper housing 32 and lower housing 33 of the cable adapter can also be fixed by means of forced installation, riveting, etc.

[0055] Both cables I2 and II4 are equipped with cable protective sleeves 10 to prevent contact with the upper and lower housings 32. These sleeves prevent direct contact between the cables and the adapter housing, thus preventing cable damage. For better waterproofing and dustproofing, the upper and lower housings 32 and 33 have clamping holes 35 for holding the cable protective sleeves on cables I2 and II4. These clamping holes 35 have raised ribs on their surface to enhance clamping force, facilitating a tighter grip on the cable protective sleeves. Preferably, to prevent damage to the cables during engagement, the engagement points of the upper and lower housings 32 and 33 with cables I2 and II4 are chamfered.

[0056] While welding offers the advantage of structural simplicity, it concentrates the tension on the weld joints when the cable is under tension, requiring high weld strength and making it difficult to guarantee the product's tensile strength. To enhance the tensile strength of this cable assembly, Embodiment 2 of this invention provides a cable assembly that achieves connection via crimping.

[0057] Please see Figure 6 In this embodiment, the positive and negative terminals of cable I2 and all cables II4 are crimped together via double-ended connecting tubes 11, thereby achieving conduction and switching between the positive and negative terminals. Specifically, in this embodiment, the switching between cable I2 and all cables II4 is achieved through two double-ended connecting tubes 11. One double-ended connecting tube is connected at one end to the positive terminal of cable I2 and at the other end to the positive terminal of each cable II4; the other double-ended connecting tube is connected at one end to the negative terminal of cable I2 and at the other end to the negative terminal of each cable II4. Specifically, the positive and negative terminals of cable I2 and cable II4 are both located within their respective double-ended connecting tubes 11.

[0058] After the positive and negative terminals of the aforementioned cable I2 and all cables II4 are crimped together through the double-ended connecting tube 11, insulating tape is used to wrap the double-ended connecting tube to ensure that the insulating tape completely covers the double-ended connecting tube 11 and the cable conductor. Then, a shielding layer 31 is covered on the outside of the insulating tape. In this embodiment, the shielding layer includes a copper sheet wrapped around the insulating tape, a wave-damping sleeve covering the copper sheet, and shielding wires welded to the surface of the wave-damping sleeve.

[0059] After the shielding connection is completed, waterproofing is applied, and then adapter housing I and adapter housing II are assembled and tightened using screw assemblies.

[0060] While crimping is a relatively simple method for cable connection, it limits the number of conductors that can be crimped simultaneously within a connecting tube, making the process more complex. Furthermore, when the cable is under tension, the force is concentrated at the crimping point, requiring high strength and making it difficult to guarantee the product's tensile strength.

[0061] To further enhance the tensile strength of the product, Embodiment 3 of this invention provides a solution for connection via an adapter box. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 7-12 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of various parts in Embodiment 3 of the present invention. In this embodiment, an adapter box 36 is fixed inside the outer shell of the cable adapter 3. A positive conductive plate 361 and a negative conductive plate 362 are fixed on the adapter box 36. The positive terminals of cables I2 and II4 are connected to the positive conductive plate 361 of the adapter box 36, and the negative terminals are connected to the negative conductive plate 362, thereby realizing the connection between cable I2 and multiple cables II4. At this time, cables I2 and II4 are still limited by the cable protective sleeve 10 fitted around their periphery and the clamping holes 35 on the upper shell 32 and the lower shell 33.

[0062] In this embodiment, both cable I2 and cable II4 have cable shielding layers 11, and the adapter box 36 is also provided with a shielding conductive plate 363 for connecting with the cable shielding layers 11 of cable I2 and cable II4.

[0063] Preferably, to save space and minimize product size, the positive conductive plate 361 and the negative conductive plate 362 are arranged in layers, and the shielding layer adapter plate 363 can be arranged according to the space and installation requirements in the adapter box 36. In this embodiment, the shielding layer conductive plate 363, the positive conductive plate 361, and the negative conductive plate 362 are arranged vertically in layers within the adapter box 36.

[0064] The adapter box 36 also includes an insulator 364, on which the positive conductive plate 361, the negative conductive plate 362, and the shielding conductive plate 363 are all fixed in layers. In this embodiment, the insulator 364 is arranged in three layers from top to bottom, including an upper fixing plate 3641, a middle fixing plate 3642, a lower fixing plate 3643, and a support 3645 connecting the fixing plates. The shielding conductive plate 363 is fixed on the upper fixing plate 3641, the positive conductive plate 361 is fixed in the fixing groove formed between the upper fixing plate 3641 and the middle fixing plate 3642, and the negative conductive plate 362 is fixed in the fixing groove formed between the middle fixing plate 3642 and the lower fixing plate 3643. The positive terminals of cables I2 and II4 are connected to the positive conductive plate 361 via corresponding crimp terminals 365. One end of each crimp terminal 365 is crimped to the positive terminal of cable I2 or cable II4, and the other end is fixed to the positive conductive plate 361 with screws 366. Similarly, the negative terminals of cables I2 and II4 are connected to the negative conductive plate 362 via corresponding crimp terminals 365. One end of each crimp terminal 365 is crimped to the negative terminal of cable I2 or cable II4, and the other end is fixed to the negative conductive plate 362 with screws 366. The cable shielding layer 11 of cables I2 and II4 is also connected to the shielding layer conductive plate 363 via corresponding crimp terminals 365. One end of each crimp terminal 365 is connected to the shielding wire of the cable shielding layer 11, and the other end is fixed to the shielding layer conductive plate 363 with screws 366.

[0065] In this embodiment, both the upper fixing plate 3641 and the lower fixing plate 3643 are provided with terminal mounting holes for fixing the crimp terminals 365. The crimp terminals for connecting and fixing the positive and negative poles of the cable to the positive and negative conductive plates are located in the corresponding terminal mounting holes. The crimp terminals in the terminal mounting holes on the upper fixing plate 3641 are connected and fixed to the positive conductive plate, and the crimp terminals in the terminal mounting holes on the lower fixing plate 3643 are connected and fixed to the negative conductive plate. To facilitate the fixing of the crimp terminals on the positive conductive plate, through holes are also provided at positions corresponding to the terminal mounting holes on the shielding conductive plate 363 and the upper fixing plate 3641.

[0066] To prevent the crimp terminals from wobbling or rotating during installation, both the upper fixing plate 3641 and the lower fixing plate 3643 have terminal anti-rotation barriers 3651 extending out to block the crimp terminals 365 on both sides.

[0067] The positive and negative conductive plates and the shielding conductive plate of this invention are provided with threaded holes for screw mounting and fixing of terminals. The middle layer fixing plate 3642 is provided with a relief groove 3652 at the position corresponding to the terminal mounting hole to avoid the screw 366. The relief groove is a blind groove, which completely separates the positive and negative conductive plates and the screws on them to prevent the conductive plates on both sides of the middle layer fixing plate 3642 from conducting.

[0068] In this embodiment, each layer of conductive sheet is fixed inside the adapter box, and the insulator can play a supporting and insulating role. The multi-layer structure of the insulator ensures that there is no conductivity between the conductive plates.

[0069] In addition to the terminal crimping in this embodiment, the connection between the cable and the conductive plate in this invention can also be achieved by directly welding the conductor or shielding onto the corresponding conductive plate through brazing or ultrasonic welding. The welding method can eliminate the need for terminals, simplify the insulation structure, eliminate the need for pre-reserved terminal mounting holes and terminal anti-rotation barriers, and further reduce the product size.

[0070] In this embodiment of the invention, the cable adapter housing is further provided with limiting platforms 37 for blocking and limiting the two ends of the adapter box insulator support 3645. The two limiting platforms 37 that block and limit the two ends of the support 3645 are respectively located in the upper housing and the lower housing, and the adapter box is fixedly positioned after the upper and lower housings are fastened together.

[0071] In this embodiment, after the cable inside the adapter box 36 is connected, it is waterproofed, and then the upper and lower housings of the adapter are assembled and fastened with screws.

[0072] Compared to welding or crimping methods, the adapter box structure in this embodiment offers better overall integrity. The conductive plates are separated by insulators, which provide both support and insulation. When the cable is under tension, the force is transferred to the adapter box through the terminals. The adapter shell then closes the adapter box, acting as a limiting element. The tension is transferred to the shell, preventing stress concentration at the conductor connections, thus resulting in good overall tensile strength. Furthermore, the shielding in this structure is connected to the shielding layer conductive plate. Heat within the product can be sequentially transferred through the conductive plates, insulators, and shielding layer conductive plates to the cable shielding layer, and then to the outside, facilitating heat dissipation.

[0073] In this embodiment, the positive conductive plate 361, the negative conductive plate 362, and the shielding conductive plate 363 are all narrow on the side facing cable I2 to achieve fixation with a single large-diameter cable; and wide on the side facing cable II4 to achieve fixation with multiple small-diameter cables; this structure allows for a smaller overall product size. Preferably, the conductive plates are trapezoidal or triangular in shape.

[0074] The adapter housing of this invention has process holes 38 to ensure uniform wall thickness. The housing also features multiple chamfers and shapes to increase surface area, enhance heat dissipation, and improve aesthetics.

[0075] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention in any way. Although the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make some modifications or alterations to the above-disclosed technical content to create equivalent embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Any simple modifications, equivalent changes, and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention shall still fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A cable adapter comprising a housing and an adapter component located within the housing, one end of the adapter component being for connection to a cable I and the other end being for connection to at least two cables II, such that current is split from one path into at least two paths; The outer casing is equipped with an adapter box, which contains a positive conductive plate, a negative conductive plate, and a shielding conductive plate. The positive and negative conductive plates are used to connect the positive and negative terminals of cable I and cable II, respectively, and the shielding conductive plate is used to connect with the cable shielding layers of cable I and cable II. The positive electrode conductive plate, negative electrode conductive plate, and shielding layer conductive plate are fixed on the insulator inside the junction box in layers, and the different layers are separated by the insulator; each of the above conductive plates is fixed with a screw, which is used to fix the crimped terminal after being crimped with the positive / negative / shielding layer of cable I or cable II to the conductive plate. The insulator includes an upper fixing plate, a middle fixing plate and a lower fixing plate. The upper fixing plate and the lower fixing plate are provided with terminal mounting holes for the crimping terminals and screws to be recessed into the insulator and fixedly contact the conductive plate. Each terminal mounting hole also has terminal anti-rotation barriers extending from both sides to prevent the crimping terminals from swaying. The middle layer fixing plate is also provided with a clearance groove for avoiding screws and allowing the screws to be locked in place. The clearance groove is a blind groove to prevent the conductive plates of adjacent layers from conducting.

2. The cable adapter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The holes on the outer casing for cable I and cable II to enter are clamping hole structures that can clamp the cables.

3. The cable adapter according to claim 2, characterized in that: The outer shell is a two-piece snap-fit ​​structure consisting of an upper shell and a lower shell.

4. The cable adapter according to claim 3, characterized in that: The outer casing is provided with process holes for uniform wall thickness and a structure that can increase the heat dissipation area.

5. A cable assembly, characterized in that: It includes a cable I and at least two cables II connected by a cable adapter as described in any one of claims 1-4, and the other end of cable I is connected to a connector I for connection to a power supply connector; The other end of each cable II is connected to a connector II for connection to the device end connector.

6. The cable assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that: When cable I and at least two cables II are directly connected via a double-ended connector or crimp terminal, the connection between cable I and cable II shall be waterproofed and / or shielded.

7. The cable assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that: Both cable I and cable II are provided with cable protective sleeves to prevent the cable from contacting the outer shell. The cable protective sleeves pass through the outer shell and are matched and limited by the clamping hole structure on the outer shell. The clamping hole is also provided with a structure to enhance the clamping force.

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