Micro coaxial cable connector assembly

[0001] The present invention related to an electrical connector, and more particularly, to an electrical connector having slideably mounted actuating device to securely and electrically interconnect a cable assembly thereon when the actuating device is located at a closed position.

[0002] U.S. Pat. No. 6,685,495 B1 discloses low profiled micro coaxial cable connector, this micro coaxial cable connector comprises an elongate insulative housing, a contact set received in the housing, and a plurality of the wires inserted into the contact set. The insulative housing comprises a base portion, a tongue portion extending from the base portion, and a plurality of passageways defined through the base portion and the tongue portion. The contact set is assembled to a rear end of the housing and comprises an insulative insert and a plurality of contacts, the insulative insert includes a plurality of channels, the contacts are received in the channels, and the contacts extend into the passageways of the housing. The wires are soldered to the contacts and received in the channels of the insulative insert; wherein each of the channels of insulative insert comprises a soldering portion, an obstructing portion in rear of the soldering portion, and a retention portion in rear of the obstructing portion. The obstructing portion is narrower than the soldering portion and the retention portion, and wherein each of the wires has a conductor and an insulation sheathing the conductor, a front exposed end of the conductor is received in corresponding obstructing and soldering portions and soldered to a portion of a corresponding contact in the corresponding soldering portion, and the insulation is received in a corresponding retention portion.

[0003] However, The wires must be securely soldered to a plurality of contacts of the cable connector to transmit signals in a reliable manner. To avoid this problem, in the prior art, the wires are one by one manually soldered to the contacts. Such a soldering process is laborious and expensive.

[0004] Under this circumstance, a micro coaxial cable connector assembly having a new structure is needed.

[0005] In order to achieve the object set forth, an electrical connector made in accordance with the present invention comprises an insulative housing having a rear portion, and a front portion. A receiving space is defined in a top surface adjacent to the front end along with a plurality of passageways defined in the housing, and which is in communication with the receiving space. A plurality of contact terminals is assembled to the passageways and each contact terminal includes a base positioned within the passageway, and a solder portion located in the rear portion of the housing, and a contact engaging portion extending into the receiving space. An actuating device is pivotally and slideably assembled to sidewalls of the housing and includes a planar portion with a pair of supporting arms extending therefrom. When the planar portion is located in a first position, the receiving space is opened for electrically receiving a cable assembly therein; and when the planar portion is rotated toward the housing, and located in the second position, the planar portion is slidably moving along the sidewall of the housing, and encloses the receiving space.

[0011] Referring to FIGS. 1, a low profile micro coaxial cable connector 100 of the present invention comprises an insulative housing 1, a plurality of contact terminals 2, an insulative film 6, and a FPC (FLEXIBLE PRINTED CIRCUITS BOARD) 3 received in the insulative housing 1. A shield 4 made of metal covered onto the insulative housing 1.

[0012] The insulative housing 1 comprises an elongate base portion 10, a tongue portion 12 extending forwardly from the base portion 10, an upper surface 16 at a top of the base portion 10, and a pair of buckling portion 17 formed on lateral ends of the base portion 10. A pair of slots 18 is defined in an upper surface of base portion 10. The base portion 10 and the tongue portion 12 together define a plurality of passageways 11 from the rear end of the base portion 10 to a front end of the tongue portion 12. A receiving space 151 is formed on lateral ends of the insulative housing 1. The bottom of the receiving space 151 defines a pair of recesses 141 at opposite lateral sides thereof. A plurality of gaps 142 is formed on a bottom face of the base portion 10.

[0013] A plurality of contact terminals 2 comprises a retention portion 22 and a connecting portion 21 extending from the retention portions 22. The contact terminals 2 inserted along a rear-to-front direction through corresponding passageways 11 of the insulative housing 1, and a connecting portion 21 exposed to the passageways 11 of tongue portion 12.

[0014] A FPC 3 comprises a plurality of soldering points 31 in a front end and a soldering portion 32 in a rear end thereof. Each a conductor 51 of a corresponding wire 5 is soldered with the FPC 3.

[0015] The conductive grounding shield 4 comprises a first upper grounding shield 41, a second upper grounding shield 42, and a lower grounding shield 43 connecting the second upper plate 42. The first upper grounding shield 41 assembled to the base portion 10 of the insulative housing 1 in the vertically direction and a lower grounding shield 43 assembled to the base portion 10 of the insulative housing 1 in the horizontal direction. The second upper grounding shield 42 defines a pair of sidewalls 421 and the end of the sidewall 421 defines a pair of projections 422 in an inner side thereof. A pair of receiving holes 432 is formed on lateral portions of the lower grounding shield 43, and each of the receiving holes 432 receiving a corresponding projection 422 of the second upper grounding shield 42. The first upper grounding shield 41 having a flat portion 410 located on the base portion 10 having a latch 411; wherein insulative housing 1 comprises a slot 18 and the latch 411 of the first upper grounding shield 41 assembled to the slot. The lower grounding shield 43 comprises a protrusion 433 and the insulative housing 1 has a buckling portion 17 assembled to the protrusion 433 so that the lower grounding shield 43 and the insulative housing 1 are securely assembled together.

[0016] Each of the wires 5 has a conductor 51 and an insulation sheathing 52 wrapped the surface of the conductor 51. The each wire further comprises a metal braiding 53 surrounding the insulation sheathing 52 and the jacket 54 surrounding the metal braiding 53; The conductor 51 of each wire 5 has a front end exposed to outside and the front exposed end of the conductor 51 being soldered on the soldering point 31 of the FPC 3, and the metal braiding 53 being soldered on the soldering portion 32 of the FPC 3;

[0017] The insulative film 6 adhibited under the conductive grounding shield in a corresponding the conductor 51 of the wire 5.

[0018] Referring to FIGS. 1-4, in assembly, the contact terminals 2 are first inserted into the passageways 11 of the insulative housing 1; the connecting portion 21 exposed to the passageways 11 of tongue portion 12. The conductor 51 of each wire 5 has a front end exposed to outside and the front exposed end of the conductor 51 being soldered on the soldering point 31 of the FPC 3, and the metal braiding 53 being soldered on the soldering portion 32 of the FPC 3.and then the FPC 3 received in the receiving space 151 of the insulative housing 1.

[0019] The FPC 3 together with the wires 5 is then assembled to the insulative housing 1. The first upper grounding shield 41 assembled to the base portion 10 of the insulative housing 1 in the vertically direction and a lower grounding shield 43 assembled to the base portion 10 of the insulative housing 1 in the horizontal direction. The projections 421 of the second upper grounding shield 42 is received into the receiving holes 432 of the lower grounding shield 43. The protrusions 433 of the lower grounding shield 43 have an interferential fit with the buckling portion 17 of the insulative housing 1.

[0020] Thus, the insulative housing 1, the contact terminals 2, the FPC 3, the insulative film 6, the wires 5, and a shield 4 are assembled together to form the micro coaxial cable connector assembly 100 in accordance with the present invention.

[0021] It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.