Protective member for protecting a resilient arm of a contact assembly from stubbing

Abstract

A cable assembly (10, 110, 210) for terminating a cable. The cable assembly (10, 110, 210) includes a cable assembly mating end (30, 130, 230) and a cable assembly cable receiving end (31, 131, 231). A metal shell (32, 132, 232) is positioned adjacent to the cable assembly mating end (30, 130, 230) of the cable assembly (10, 110, 210). The metal shell (32, 132, 232) has a mating contact engaging portion (36, 136, 236). A housing (50, 150, 250) formed from a dielectric material is positioned in the metal shell (32, 132, 232). Resilient contact arms (86, 186, 286) are provided on the mating contact engagement portion (36, 136, 236) of the metal shell (32, 132, 232). The resilient contact arms (86, 186, 286) extend from immediately adjacent the cable assembly mating end (30, 130, 230). Front ends (94, 194, 294) of the resilient contact arms (86, 186, 286) are provided adjacent the cable assembly mating end (30, 130, 230) and cooperate with protective portions (88, 188, 288) of the cable assembly (10, 110, 210) to prevent stabbing of the front ends (94, 194, 294) of the resilient contact arms (86, 186, 286) when the cable assembly is mated to a mating assembly.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a contact sleeve or contact assembly having a resilient contact arm, and more particularly to a contact assembly having a protective member to prevent stubbing of the contact arm while providing an improved electrical path to ground. [Background technology]

[0002] Connectors, particularly coaxial connectors, serve to releasably connect coaxial cables. They have the advantages of coaxial cables, in particular less electromagnetic interference and better electrical shielding. They also have an impedance that corresponds to the impedance of the connected coaxial cable, in order to avoid reflection phenomena at the transition point between the coaxial connector and the coaxial cable.

[0003] Coaxial connectors are designed to provide a predetermined characteristic impedance to ensure reflection-free transmission of high frequency signals. When a coaxial connector is mated to a mating coaxial connector, impedance mismatch often occurs, resulting in degradation of the signal transmitted between the connectors. Additionally, with many known connectors, when a coaxial connector is mated to a mating coaxial connector, problems such as stubbing can occur that can cause damage to the connector or the mating connector. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The problem to be solved is to provide a coaxial connector that provides an improved electrical path for grounding with a mating connector. Another problem to be solved is to provide a coaxial connector that reduces the possibility of stabbing when mating the connector with a mating connector. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] These challenges are addressed by a cable assembly for terminating a cable. The cable assembly includes a cable assembly mating end and a cable assembly cable receiving end. A metal shell is positioned on the cable assembly proximate the cable assembly mating end. The metal shell has a mating contact engagement portion. A housing formed from a dielectric material is positioned on the metal shell. The housing has a housing mating end and an oppositely facing housing conductor receiving end. A terminal receiving opening extends from the housing mating end. The housing extends from proximate the cable assembly mating end toward the cable assembly cable receiving end. A resilient contact arm is provided on the mating contact engagement portion of the metal shell. The resilient contact arms extend from immediately adjacent the cable assembly mating end, and a front end of the resilient contact arms is disposed adjacent the cable assembly mating end and cooperates with a protective portion of the cable assembly that extends from the cable assembly mating end to prevent stabbing of the front end of the resilient contact arms when the cable assembly is mated to a mating assembly.

[0006] The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary electrical connector assembly having an exemplary metal shell in accordance with the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the electrical connector assembly of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the metal shell of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 1. [Diagram 5] 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary first alternative electrical connector assembly having an exemplary first alternative metal shell according to the present invention; FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the electrical connector assembly of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 5. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an exemplary second alternative electrical connector assembly having an exemplary second alternative metal shell according to the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an exploded view of the electrical connector assembly of FIG. 8. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 10-10 of FIG. 8. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] As shown in Figures 1 and 4, an electrical connector assembly 10 is electrically and mechanically connected to a cable 12. The cable 12 can transfer data between storage devices, switches, routers, printed circuit boards (PCBs), analog-to-digital converters, connectors, and other devices. In various embodiments, the cable 12 can support data rates of 100 Mbps or more. In some embodiments, the cable 12 can support data rates of about 4.25 Gbps to about 25 Gbps. The cable 12 may be used at data rates above or below these exemplary rates. As shown in Figure 4, the cable 12 has a cable jacket 14, a braided shield 16, a metallized foil 18, and two center conductors 20, 22. The end of the cable 12 has the cable jacket 14 removed. The dielectrics 24, 26 of the conductors 20, 22 are also removed, thereby exposing portions of the conductors 20, 22.

[0009] The electrical connector assembly 10 has a cable assembly mating end 30 and a cable assembly cable receiving end 31. The connector assembly 10 includes a first metal shell 32, a second metal shell 34, and a third metal shell 35. The first metal shell 32 has a mating connector receiving portion 36 and a second metal shell receiving portion 40. The second metal shell 34 has a first metal shell receiving portion 42 and a conductor transition portion 44.

[0010] A dielectric housing 50 is positioned in the electrical connector assembly 10. The housing 50 is formed from a dielectric material. As shown in FIG. 4, the housing 50 has a mating end 52 and an oppositely facing conductor receiving end 54. A terminal receiving opening 56 extends from the mating end 52 to the conductor receiving end 54. The terminal receiving opening 56 is sized to receive a terminal 60 (FIGS. 2 and 4) through the conductor receiving end 54. The terminal 60 is electrically connected to the exposed ends of the conductors 20, 22 of the cable 12. In the illustrated embodiment, two terminal receiving openings 56 are provided, although other numbers and configurations of terminal receiving openings may be used.

[0011] The dielectric housing 50 has mounting projections 70 extending from a side surface 72. The mounting projections each have a first shell engaging surface 74 and a second shell engaging surface 76.

[0012] 4 , the dielectric housing 50 is positioned within the mating connector receiving portion 36 and the second metal shell receiving portion 40 of the first metal shell 32. The first shell engagement surface 74 of the mounting projection 70 engages an inner transition wall 78 of the mating connector receiving portion 36 to properly position the housing 50 and prevent the housing 50 from moving further into the mating connector receiving portion 36.

[0013] An end 80 of the first metal shell receiving portion 42 of the second metal shell 34 is positioned within the second metal shell receiving portion 40 of the first metal shell 32. One or more latches 82 of the first metal shell 32 cooperate with one or more openings 84 of the second metal shell 34 to secure the second metal shell 34 to the first metal shell 32. Alternatively, the second metal shell 34 is secured to the first metal shell 32 by adhesive or other known attachment methods. In this position, the end 80 of the second metal shell 34 engages the second shell engaging surface 76 of the attachment projection 70 to properly position the housing 50 and prevent the housing 50 from moving into the second metal shell 34.

[0014] As shown in Figures 2 and 4, terminals 60 of electrical connector assembly 10 are terminated, such as by crimping, to the ends of conductors 20, 22 of cable 12. However, other methods of terminating terminals 60 to conductors 20, 22 may be used. In the exemplary embodiment shown, terminals 60 are female terminals having receptacle portions 62. However, other terminal configurations may be used, including, but not limited to, female socket terminals. Once terminals 60 are properly terminated to conductors 20, 22, terminals 60 are inserted through conductor transition portions 44 and into terminal-receiving openings 56.

[0015] 3, the mating connector receiving portion 36 of the first metal shell 32 has a resilient contact arm 86 that extends from the second metal shell receiving portion 40 to a conductive guard member or guard 88 of the mating connector receiving portion 36. The guard member 88 is positioned proximate to and extends from the cable assembly mating end 30. The guard member 88 surrounds the mating end 52 of the housing 50 but does not cover the terminal receiving openings 56. The guard member 88 has an outer surface 90 that tapers toward a longitudinal axis 92 of the cable assembly 10. The tapered shape of the outer surface 90 acts as a lead-in surface when mating a mating connector to the connector assembly 10.

[0016] The resilient contact arm 86 has a front end 94 that is proximate the cable assembly mating end 30 and cooperates with the protective member 88. As shown in FIG. 3, the front end 94 of the resilient contact arm 86 is integrally formed with and integrally attached to the protective member 88 of the mating connector receiving portion 36 of the first metal shell 32. A rear end 95 of the resilient contact arm 86 is positioned away from the cable assembly mating end 30 and is integrally formed with and integrally attached to the inner transition wall 78 of the mating connector receiving portion 36. The resilient contact arm 86 is arcuate such that a central portion 96 of the resilient contact arm 86 is further away from the longitudinal axis 92 of the cable assembly 10 than either the front end 94 of the resilient contact arm 86 or the protective member 88. In various embodiments, the central portion 96 has an enlarged contact portion that provides a larger surface area for engaging a mating connector when the mating connector is mated to the connector assembly 10 .

[0017] The use of the resilient contact arms 86 and arcuate center portion 96 strengthens the connection between a mating connector (not shown) and the connector assembly 10. Additionally, because the resilient contact arms 86 are supported at both ends, the resilient contact arms 86 increase the structural integrity of the mating connector receiving portion 36 of the first metal shell 32.

[0018] When the connector assembly 10 is mated with a mating connector, the arcuate central portion 96 of the resilient contact arms 86 engages a cavity (not shown) in the mating connector, and the arcuate central portion 96 resiliently deforms toward the longitudinal axis 92 of the cable assembly 10. Because the front and rear ends 94, 95 are fixed, the arcuate central portion 96 resists inward movement of the arcuate central portion 96, thereby exerting a force on the mating connector. The fixed front and rear ends 94, 95 also cause the center of the arcuate central portion 96 to deform more than the ends of the arcuate central portion 96, causing the arcuate central portion 96 to become flatter, thereby providing more connection points and connection surfaces for electrical connections or paths between the mating connector and the connector assembly 10. In addition, because the front ends 94 are connected to the conductive guard member 88, the entire length of the resilient contact arms 86 and the conductive guard member 88 provides an electrical path, thereby facilitating high speed transmission and good EMI performance. This is in contrast to conventional connectors, in which the contact arms are fixed or non-deformable and do not connect to conductive members at both ends, resulting in the contact arms being electrically isolated and therefore not improving EMI performance.

[0019] Because the front ends 94 of the resilient contact arms 86 are integrally attached to the protective member 88, the free edges of the front ends 94 are not free or exposed and therefore cannot engage with a mating connector when the mating connector is mated to the connector assembly 10. Additionally, compared to the prior art having contact arms 86 with free-floating end faces, the outer surface 90 of the integrally formed protective member 88 acts as a lead-in surface when the mating connector is initially mated to the connector assembly 10 and the mating connector moves over the outer surface 90 and the contact arms 86, thereby minimizing or preventing stabbing of the mating connector into the resilient contact arms 86.

[0020] 5-7 show an alternative embodiment of an electrical connector 110. The electrical connector assembly 110 is electrically and mechanically connected to the cable 12. The electrical connector assembly 110 has a cable assembly mating end 130 and a cable assembly cable receiving end 131. The connector assembly 110 includes a first metal shell 132, a second metal shell 134, and a third metal shell 135. As shown in FIG. 6, the first metal shell 132 has a mating connector receiving portion 136, which is also a housing retainer, and a second metal shell receiving portion 140. The second metal shell 134 has a first metal shell receiving portion 142, a conductor transition portion 144, and a third metal shell cooperating portion 146.

[0021] A dielectric housing 150 is positioned in the electrical connector assembly 110. The housing 150 is formed from a dielectric material. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the housing 150 has a mating end 152 and an opposing conductor receiving end 154. A terminal receiving opening 156 extends from the mating end 152 to the conductor receiving end 154. The terminal receiving opening 156 is sized to receive a terminal 160 (Figure 2) through the conductor receiving end 154. The terminal 160 is electrically connected to the exposed ends of the conductors 20, 22 of the cable 12. In the illustrated embodiment, two terminal receiving openings 156 are provided, although other numbers and configurations of terminal receiving openings may be used.

[0022] The dielectric housing 150 has a recess 166 extending from immediately adjacent the mating end 152 toward the conductor receiving end 154. A raised protrusion or area 167 (FIG. 7) is provided adjacent the recess 166. A protective member 188 is provided at the mating end 152 of the housing 150. The protective member 188 is formed from a dielectric material and is integrally molded with the housing 150. The protective member 188 surrounds the mating end 152 of the housing 150 but does not cover the terminal receiving openings 156. As shown in FIG. 7, the protective member 188 has an exterior surface 190 having a shoulder 191 that defines a resilient arm receiving cavity 193.

[0023] The mating connector receiving portion 136 of the first metal shell 132 has a resilient contact arm 186 extending from the second metal shell receiving portion 140. The resilient contact arm 186 has a front end 194 that is proximate the cable assembly mating end 130 and cooperates with the protective member 188. The front end 194 of the resilient contact arm 186 has a curved or arcuate contact portion 196 that is spaced further from the longitudinal axis 192 of the cable assembly 110 than the front end 194 of the resilient contact arm 186 or the protective member 188.

[0024] During assembly of the dielectric housing 150 to the first metal shell 132, the front ends 194 of the resilient contact arms 186 of the first metal shell 132 are resiliently deformed away from the longitudinal axis 192 by the raised areas 167 of the housing 150. Continued insertion allows the front ends 194 to clear the raised areas 167 and allows the resilient contact arms 186 to return to an unstressed position. In this position, the front ends 194 are positioned in the recesses 166, thereby holding the housing 150 to the first metal shell 132. In this position, the front ends 194 are also positioned in the resilient arm receiving cavities 193 of the protective member 188, with the shoulders 191 positioned over the front ends 194 of the resilient contact arms 186.

[0025] The use of the resilient contact arms 186 and curved contact portions 196 strengthen the connection between a mating connector (not shown) and the connector assembly 110. Additionally, because the free ends 194 of the resilient contact arms 186 are supported by the housing 150, the movement of the resilient contact arms 186 toward the longitudinal axis 192 of the cable assembly 110 is limited, thereby enhancing the structural integrity of the mating connector receiving portion 136 of the first metal shell 132.

[0026] When the connector assembly 110 is mated with a mating connector, the curved contact portions 196 of the resilient contact arms 186 engage cavities (not shown) in the mating connector, and the curved contact portions 196 deform toward the longitudinal axis 192 of the cable assembly 110. Because the front ends 194 are supported by the housing 150, the curved contact portions 196 are prevented from moving inward, which causes the curved contact portions 196 to apply a force to the mating connector. Because the front ends 194 are prevented from moving, the curved contact portions 196 deform when mating occurs. As the curved contact portions 196 deform, they become flatter. This provides more connection points and connection surfaces for electrical connections or paths between the mating connector and the connector assembly 110.

[0027] Because the front ends 194 of the resilient contact arms 186 are protected or covered by the protective member 188, the free edges of the front ends 194 are not free or exposed and therefore cannot engage with a mating connector when the mating connector is mated to the connector assembly 110, thereby minimizing or preventing stabbing of the resilient contact arms 186 when the connector assembly 110 is mated to a mating connector.

[0028] 8-10, a second alternative embodiment of an electrical connector 210 is shown. The electrical connector assembly 210 is electrically and mechanically connected to the cable 12. The electrical connector assembly 210 has a cable assembly mating end 230 and a cable assembly cable receiving end 231. The connector assembly 210 includes a first metal shell 232 and a second metal shell 234. As shown in FIG. 9, the first metal shell 232 has a mating connector receiving portion 236 and a second metal shell receiving portion 240. The second metal shell 234 has a first metal shell receiving portion 242.

[0029] A dielectric housing 250 is positioned in the electrical connector assembly 210. The housing 250 is formed from a dielectric material. As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the housing 250 has a mating end 252 and an opposing conductor receiving end 254. A terminal receiving opening 256 extends from the mating end 252 to the conductor receiving end 254. The terminal receiving opening 256 is sized to receive a terminal 260 (Figure 9) through the conductor receiving end 254. The terminal 260 is electrically connected to the exposed ends of the conductors 20, 22 of the cable 12. In the illustrated embodiment, two terminal receiving openings 256 are provided, although other numbers and configurations of terminal receiving openings may be used.

[0030] The dielectric housing 250 has a recess 266 extending from immediately adjacent the mating end 252 toward the conductor receiving end 254. A raised protrusion or area 267 is provided adjacent the recess 266, as shown in FIG. 10. A protective member 288 is provided at the mating end 252 of the housing 250. The protective member 288 is formed from a dielectric material and is integrally molded with the housing 250. The protective member 288 surrounds the mating end 252 of the housing 250 but does not cover the terminal receiving openings 256. The protective member 288 has an outer surface 290 that tapers toward a longitudinal axis 292 of the cable assembly 10. The tapered shape of the outer surface 290 acts as a lead-in surface when a mating connector is mated to the connector assembly 210.

[0031] The mating connector receiving portion 236 of the first metal shell 232 has a resilient contact arm 286 extending from the second metal shell receiving portion 240. The resilient contact arm 286 has a front end 294 that is proximate the cable assembly mating end 230 and cooperates with the protective member 288. In one embodiment, the front end 294 is received in a recess 266 of the protective member 288. The front end 294 of the resilient contact arm 286 has a curved or arcuate contact portion 296. The curved contact portion 296 of the resilient contact arm 286 is spaced further from the longitudinal axis 292 of the cable assembly 210 than the front end 294 of the resilient contact arm 286 or the protective member 288.

[0032] During assembly of the dielectric housing 250 to the first metal shell 232, the front ends 294 of the resilient contact arms 286 are resiliently deformed by the housing 250 away from the longitudinal axis 292 because the width of the housing 250 is greater than the opening between the front ends 294 of the resilient contact arms 286. Continued insertion allows the front ends 294 to enter the recesses 266 and allows the resilient contact arms 286 to return to an unstressed position. In this position, the front ends 294 are positioned in the recesses 266, thereby retaining the housing 250 to the first metal shell 232.

[0033] The use of the resilient contact arms 286 and the curved contact portions 296 strengthen the connection between a mating connector (not shown) and the connector assembly 210. Additionally, because the free ends 294 of the resilient contact arms 286 are supported by the housing 250, the movement of the resilient contact arms 286 toward the longitudinal axis 292 of the cable assembly 210 is limited, thereby enhancing the structural integrity of the mating connector receiving portion 236 of the first metal shell 232.

[0034] When the connector assembly 210 is mated with a mating connector, the curved contact portions 296 of the resilient contact arms 286 engage with cavities (not shown) in the mating connector, and the curved contact portions 296 deform toward the longitudinal axis 292 of the cable assembly 210. Because the front ends 294 are supported by the housing 250, the curved contact portions 296 are prevented from moving inward, which causes the curved contact portions 296 to apply a force to the mating connector. Because the front ends 294 are prevented from moving, the curved contact portions 296 deform when mating occurs. As the curved contact portions 296 deform, they become flatter. This provides more connection points and connection surfaces for electrical connections or paths between the mating connector and the connector assembly 210.

[0035] Because the front ends 294 of the resilient contact arms 286 are covered and protected by the protective member 288, the free edges of the front ends 294 are not free or exposed and therefore cannot engage with a mating connector when the mating connector is mated to the connector assembly 210. In addition, the outer surface 290 acts as a lead-in surface when the mating connector is mated to the connector assembly 210, thereby minimizing or preventing stabbing of the resilient contact arms 86.

Claims

1. A cable assembly (110) for terminating a cable, comprising: a cable assembly mating end (130) and a cable assembly cable receiving end (131); a metal shell (132) positioned adjacent the cable assembly mating end (130) of the cable assembly (110) and having a mating contact engagement portion (136); a housing (150) formed from a dielectric material and positioned on said metal shell (132), said housing having a housing mating end (152) and an opposing housing conductor receiving end (154), with terminal receiving openings (156) extending from said housing mating end (152), said housing (150) extending from immediately adjacent said cable assembly mating end (130) toward said cable assembly cable receiving end (131); a resilient contact arm (186) provided on the mating contact engagement portion (136) of the metal shell (132), the resilient contact arm (186) extending from immediately adjacent the cable assembly mating end (130), a front end (194) of the resilient contact arm (186) proximate the cable assembly mating end (130) and cooperating with a protective portion (188) of the cable assembly (110); Equipped with The protection portion (188) of the cable assembly (110) is provided in the housing (150), The protective portion (188) has a shoulder (191) defining a resilient arm receiving cavity (193) into which the front end (194) of the resilient contact arm (186) is received.

2. The cable assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing (150) has a resilient contact arm receiving recess (166) extending from the protective portion (188) toward the cable assembly cable receiving end (131).

3. The cable assembly of claim 2, wherein the front end (194) of the spring contact arm (186) is positioned in the spring contact arm receiving recess (166).

4. A cable assembly as described in claim 3, wherein the shoulder portion (191) extends over a portion of the resilient contact arm receiving recess (166) and the front end (194) of the resilient contact arm (86).

5. 4. The cable assembly of claim 3, wherein a mating assembly contact portion (196) is provided proximate to the front end (194) of the resilient contact arm (186), the mating assembly contact portion (196) being further away from the longitudinal axis (192) of the cable assembly (110) than the protective portion (188) of the housing (150).

6. 10. The cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the cable assembly is an impedance controlled cable assembly for terminating a cable having exposed conductors.

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