Cable connector

Details Cable connector Cable connector

1999-09-10

2001-01-16

Paumen, Gary F. (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

Including arc suppressing or extinguishing means

C439S616000, C439S095000, C439S358000, C439S939000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06174182

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a cable connector, and particularly to a cable connector that can promptly discharge static electricity accumulated on the cable connector and a mating connector when the cable connector engages with the mating connector.
As cable connectors become more dense and signal transmission speeds increase, shielding the connector from electronic magnetic interference and discharging static electricity become increasingly important to ensure proper signal transmission through the cable connector. Pertinent cable connectors are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 785,555; and Taiwan Patent Application Nos. 77204450, 77210069, 86102090, and 86102089.
Referring to
FIGS. 1 and 2
, a conventional cable connector
5
includes a grounding mechanism. The grounding mechanism comprises a pair of studs
51
fixed in a metallic shroud
7
, one or more grounding plate
52
positioned in a mating opening
50
of a dielectric housing
56
, and one or more grounding member
520
enclosing and abutting against a metallic braid
60
of a wire
6
. The grounding plate
52
is fixed between two adjacent terminals
53
and is appropriately separated by partitions (not labeled) of the housing
56
. Thus, the grounding plate
52
is sandwiched between the two wires
6
terminated to the adjacent terminals
53
, while the grounding member
520
around the wires
6
electrically contact the grounding plate
52
. Thus, when a mating connector (not shown) engages with the cable connector
5
, static electricity accumulated on the mating connector, the cable connector
5
and the cable
6
is discharged along a grounding path formed through a metallic shell of the mating connector, the studs
51
, the shroud
7
, the grounding plate
52
and the grounding member
520
. However, such a grounding mechanism is complex and the manufacturing process is time-consuming thereby increasing costs.
Another type of conventional cable connector comprises one or more shields terminating one or more grounding wires included in a cable with which the cable connector is connected. When a mating connector engages with the cable connector, a shell of the mating connector will electrically contact the shields of the cable connector. Thus, a grounding path is formed through the shell of the mating connector, the shield and the grounding wire of the cable for discharging static electricity accumulated on the cable connector, the cable and the mating connector. However, such a grounding path is usually quite simple thereby just performing a simple function which may not fulfil grounding requirements under high speed and high frequency conditions.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A main object of the present invention is to provide a cable connector which promptly discharges static electricity accumulated on the cable connector and a mating connector when the cable connector engages with the mating connector.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a cable connector which can be manufactured at a low cost.
A cable connector, for terminating a cable containing one or more grounding a wire therein, in accordance with the present invention comprises a jacket consisting of upper and lower jacket members enclosing the cable connector, a dielectric housing retaining a plurality of terminals in a mating portion for electrically connecting with a mating connector, upper and lower shells for enclosing the housing, and a pair of latching members mounted to opposite sides of the cable connector.
The latching members are fixed between the jacket and the housing for securely engaging with a shield of the mating connector or a metallic panel to which the mating connector is fixed. Each latching member comprises an engaging portion for engaging with the upper and lower jackets, an elongate resilient bar for engaging with the lower shell, and at latching portion for engaging with the shield of the mating connector and the metallic panel. The lower shell has a bottom wall and a peripheral wall extending from a periphery of the bottom wall thereby defining a receiving space for receiving the housing therein. A pair of touching tabs extends from opposite free ends of the peripheral wall for contacting the resilient bars of the corresponding latching members. The latching portions of the latching members outwardly extend beyond the mating portion of the housing for engaging with the mating connector.
Thus, the grounding wires of the cable, the touching tabs of the lower shell, the latching portions and the resilient bars of the latching members, and the shield of the mating connector or the metallic panel together form a grounding path therethrough. The grounding path can discharge static electricity accumulated on the cable connector, the mating connector, and the metallic panel when the latching members contact the shield of the mating connector.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5611708 (1997-03-01), Mizunuma et al.
patent: 5741150 (1998-04-01), Stinson et al.
patent: 5785555 (1998-07-01), O'Sullivan et al.
patent: 5788528 (1998-08-01), Orr, Jr. et al.
patent: 5941726 (1999-08-01), Koegel et al.

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