Cable connector assembly having improved grounding means

Details Cable connector assembly having improved grounding means Cable connector assembly having improved grounding means

2000-05-18

2001-10-23

Paumen, Gary (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

With vitreous-type envelope

Having bayonet-coupling contact

C439S358000, C439S939000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06305986

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector, and particularly to a cable connector assembly having a pair of grounding latches and a grounding bar for connecting to a grounding panel of a mating electronic apparatus to reduce EMI effects at the connection.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, cable connectors are used to connect an electronic apparatus, such as a personal computer to a peripheral device, such as a printer. The cable connectors are typically shielded by conductive shells to protect the electronic signals transmitted therein from external electromagnetic interference. The conductive shells must be grounded to a reference potential to discharge static charge thereon and to effect the EMI protection. The conductive shells of the conventional cable connectors do not have sufficient grounding contact points to reliably connect them to a reference grounding potential, and so the static charge can not be reliably dissipated and the EMI protection is not as effective as it should be. Furthermore, a conventional cable connector does not have a device which can function both as a grounding path and as a latch for securely connecting the cable connector and an electronic apparatus together. The present invention is a cable connector assembly which resolves the above mentioned problems of the prior art.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A first object of the present invention is to provide a cable connector assembly having a pair of grounding latches and a grounding bar for connecting to a grounding panel of a mating electronic apparatus to reduce the effects of EMI on the cable connector assembly;
A second object of the present invention is to provide a cable connector assembly having a pair of conductive latches for joining the cable connector to a mating electronic apparatus as well as for grounding the cable connector to a reference potential;
A third object of the present invention is to provide a cable connector assembly having a grounding bar for grounding the cable connector to a reference potential.
To fulfill the above objects, a cable connector assembly includes a pair of USB connectors, a cable end connecting to the pair of USB connectors, a pair of conductive latches positioned beside the USB connectors, a cover enclosing the USB connectors and a grounding bar positioned on an outer surface of the cover. Each latch is V-shaped and has a first arm electrically engaging with a conductive shell of the corresponding USB connector and a second arm extending out from the cover to electrically and mechanically engage with a grounding panel of an electronic apparatus with which the cable connector mates. The grounding bar has a base portion located on the cover and a pair of conductive tabs extending from the base portion into the cover and electrically engaging with the conductive shells of the pair of USB connectors. When the cable connector mates with the electronic apparatus, the pair of latches and the grounding bar electrically engage with the grounding panel of the electronic apparatus and connect the conductive shells of the USB connectors to a reference grounding potential.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5797771 (1998-08-01), Garside
patent: 5836774 (1998-11-01), Tan et al.
patent: 5941726 (1999-08-01), Koegel et al.
patent: 6056578 (2000-05-01), Lin
patent: 6083049 (2000-07-01), Kuo et al.

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