The subject matter herein relates generally to a cable connector assembly that includes a cable-mounted electrical connector and a backshell at least partially surrounding the connector.
Known backshells for cable-mounted electrical connectors are formed as at least two discrete shell members that are fastened together around the electrical connector. The shell members may be formed via die casting or computer-aided machining. The shell members may be fastened together using guide pins, screws, bolts, and/or the like.
The manufacturing and assembly process of known backshells have several disadvantages. For example, the shell members produced via the die casting process may have remnant portions that require post-processing to grind off the remnant portions prior to assembly. In addition, the assembly process may be relatively complex due to the multitude of guide pins and fasteners that may be utilized. The assembly process may also include the integration of gaskets at interfaces between the shell members and/or at the cable end of the backshell from which the cable protrudes. The gaskets are used for sealing openings and seams. If the backshell is not precisely assembled, one or more of the seals provided by the gaskets may fail, allowing electromagnetic interference (EMI) emissions to and from the electrical connector, which may interfere with the performance of the electrical connector and/or the performance of neighboring electrical connectors and other devices.
A need remains for a cable connector assembly with a backshell that provides efficient shielding for the electrical connector and an improved installation process than the backshells of known cable-mounted electrical connectors.
In one or more embodiments, a cable connector assembly is provided that includes an electrical connector and a backshell. The electrical connector has a mating end and a cable end. The electrical connector includes a housing at the mating end and electrical conductors held in the housing. The electrical conductors are terminated to a cable that extends from the cable end of the electrical connector. The backshell has an overmolded body and a latch assembly for removably coupling the cable connector assembly to one or more of a panel or a mating connector. The overmolded body is a unitary, one-piece body that surrounds the electrical connector around a full perimeter of the electrical connector. The latch assembly includes a latch frame and a latch member. The latch frame is embedded in the overmolded body. The latch member is held by the latch frame. The latch member includes a deflectable spring beam configured to engage the panel or the mating connector.
In one or more embodiments, a cable connector assembly is provided that includes an electrical connector and a backshell. The electrical connector has a mating end and a cable end. The electrical connector includes a housing at the mating end and electrical conductors held in the housing. The electrical conductors are terminated to a cable that extends from the cable end of the electrical connector. The backshell has an overmolded body and a latch assembly for removably coupling the cable connector assembly to one or more of a panel or a mating connector. The overmolded body surrounds the housing. The latch assembly includes a latch frame and a latch member. The latch frame is disposed along an outer surface of the housing and is at least partially covered by the overmolded body to secure the latch frame in place. The latch frame defines a track. The latch member includes a base and a deflectable spring beam extending from the base. The base is slidably received within the track of the latch frame. The spring beam is configured to engage the panel or the mating connector.
In one or more embodiments, a cable connector assembly is provided that includes an electrical connector, a cable, and a backshell. The electrical connector has a mating end and a cable end. The electrical connector includes a housing at the mating end and electrical conductors held in the housing. The cable is terminated to the electrical conductors of the electrical connector. The cable extends from the cable end of the electrical connector. The backshell has an overmolded body and a latch assembly for removably coupling the cable connector assembly to one or more of a panel or a mating connector. The overmolded body is a unitary, one-piece body that is seamless and surrounds the electrical connector around a full perimeter of the electrical connector. The overmolded body protrudes beyond the cable end of the electrical connector and surrounds a segment of the cable outside of the electrical connector around a full perimeter of the cable. The latch assembly is partially embedded in the overmolded body. The latch assembly includes a deflectable spring beam configured to engage the panel or the mating connector.
The electrical connector 102 has a mating end 108 and a cable end 110 (shown in
The illustrated electrical connector 102 is a header or plug connector that is configured to mate to a mating receptacle connector, but the electrical connector 102 in alternative embodiments may be a receptacle connector or a different type of electrical connector. The following description of the electrical connector 102 in
The housing 112 includes a mating shroud 116 that extends to the mating end 108 of the electrical connector 102. The mating shroud 116 includes four walls 118 that define a perimeter of a connection chamber 120. The mating shroud 116 receives the mating receptacle connector into the connection chamber 120 during a mating operation. The conductors 114 of the electrical connector 102 include signal contacts 122 and ground contacts 124. The signal and ground contacts 122, 124 extend into the connection chamber 120 and are arranged in a grid array. The signal and ground contacts 122, 124 are freestanding within the connection chamber 120. In the illustrated embodiment, the ground contacts 124 are C-shaped ground shields that surround a corresponding single signal contact 122 or pair of signal contacts 122 on three sides thereof. The ground contacts 124 may have other shapes in other embodiments. When the mating receptacle connector is loaded into the connection chamber 120, the signal contacts 122 and the ground contacts 124 may be received into corresponding contact cavities (not shown) along a mating face of the receptacle connector to engage mating contacts of the receptacle connector within the contact cavities.
The backshell 106 has an overmolded body 130 and at least one integrated latch assembly 132. The overmolded body 130 has a first end 134 and a second end 136. The overmolded body 130 surrounds the electrical connector 102 along at least a portion of the length of the connector 102 between the mating end 108 and the cable end 110 (
The latch assembly 132 is integrated into the overmolded body 130. For example, a portion of the latch assembly 132 may be covered by or embedded within the overmolded body 130. The backshell 106 includes two latch assemblies 132a, 132b in the illustrated embodiment, but may have only one latch assembly 132 or more than two latch assemblies 132 in other embodiments. The two latch assemblies 132a, 132b are located along opposite top and bottom sides 142, 144 of the cable connector assembly 100 in the illustrated embodiment, although only a portion of the latch assembly 132b is visible in
The latch assembly 132 is configured to removably couple the cable connector assembly 100 to a panel and/or a mating connector. For example, the cable connector assembly 100 may be configured to extend through an opening in a panel, and the latch assembly 132 may engage the wall around the opening to secure the cable connector assembly 100 to the panel. Alternatively, the latch assembly 132 may be used to releasably lock the electrical connector 102 to the mating connector, prohibiting unintentional disconnection. The latch assembly 132 includes a deflectable spring beam 138 with a catch surface 140 that mechanically engages the panel and/or the mating connector. In the illustrated embodiment, the latch assembly 132 is located along the first end 134 of the overmolded body 130, but the latch assembly 132 may be spaced apart from the first end 134 in an alternative embodiment.
The overmolded body 130 optionally includes one or more keying features 146 that protrude from one or more planar sides of the overmolded body 130. A single keying feature 146 is visible in
The spring beams 138 of the latch assemblies 132 engage the panel 204. For example, each spring beam 138 is cantilevered and extends from a fixed end 210 to a distal free end 212. The fixed end 210 is secured in place, and the distal free end 212 is movable. The catch surface 140 is located proximate to the distal free end 212. In the illustrated embodiment, the spring beams 138 extend through the opening 202. The fixed ends 210 are located beyond the second side 208, and the catch surfaces 140 are located beyond the first side 206. The catch surfaces 140 are configured to engage the first side 206 of the panel 204. The cable connector assembly 100 is retained within the opening 202 by sandwiching the panel 204 between the catch surfaces 140 of the spring beams 138 and hard stop surfaces that are configured to engage the second side 208. In the illustrated embodiment, the hard stop surfaces are represented by the first end 134 of the overmolded body 130 (
In the illustrated embodiment, the electrical connector 102 includes a plurality of cable modules 218 (e.g., cable module assemblies or “cablets”) that are individually loaded into the housing 112. Only one cable module 218 is visible in the cross-sectional view of
Although the electrical connector 102 in the illustrated embodiment includes multiple cable modules 218 stacked together, the electrical connector 102 in other embodiments may not have a stack of cable modules. For example, the housing 112 may be configured to hold the conductors 114 in place or the connector 102 may include a dielectric holder within the housing 112 that holds all of the conductors 114.
In the illustrated embodiment, the electrical connector 102 is an in-line connector as the mating end 108 is oriented substantially parallel to the cable end 110 and the conductors 114 extend generally linearly therebetween. In an alternative embodiment, the electrical connector 102 may have a different orientation. For example, the connector 102 may be a right angle connector in which the mating end 108 is oriented substantially perpendicularly to the cable end 110.
The sub-cables 224 of the cable 104 extend from the cable end 110 of the connector 102. The sub-cables 224 may be twin-axial cables, co-axial cables, or the like. The cable 104 may include a plurality of sub-cables 224 collectively surrounded by a cable jacket (not shown). The electrical connector 102 optionally includes conductive shields (not shown) mounted to sides of the dielectric bodies 222 between adjacent cable modules 218.
In an embodiment, the overmolded body 130 of the backshell 106 protrudes beyond the cable end 110 of the electrical connector 102 and surrounds a segment of the cable 104 outside of the connector 102.
With additional reference to
In one or more embodiments, the overmolded body 130 is overmolded on the electrical connector 102 and the cable 104. For example, the overmolded body 130 is formed in situ on the electrical connector 102 and the cable 104. The overmolded body 130 includes at least one dielectric polymeric material, such as a resin or epoxy, that is applied onto the electrical connector 102 and the cable 104 in a flowable, liquid state and allowed to set and solidify to form the overmolded body 130. In an embodiment, the electrical connector 102 is electrically terminated to the cable 104 prior to application of the flowable material of the overmolded body 130. Since the overmolded body 130 is formed in situ on the electrical connector 102, the overmolded body 130 may be seamless. In addition, an interior surface 230 of the overmolded body 130 may engage an outer surface 232 of the housing 112 around substantially the entire perimeter of the housing 112. The flowable polymeric material of the overmolded body 130 flows into voids and along protrusions of the electrical connector 102 along the perimeter of the housing 112 and the cable modules 218. The contour of the interior surface 230 of the overmolded body 130 therefore corresponds to the contour of the connector 102 along the perimeter thereof.
In an embodiment, the overmolded body 130 is electrically conductive and is used as a grounding structure. For example, the overmolded body 130 may provide a ground path from the electrical connector 102 and the cable 104 to the panel 204. In one embodiment, the overmolded body 130 is formed of an electrically-conductive polymer material. For example, the material may be an intrinsically conducting polymer (ICP) material, a dielectric material impregnated with metal particles, or the like. The electrically-conductive polymer material is moldable and has conductive properties without requiring a discrete metal layer. In another embodiment, the overmolded body 130 is electrically conductive by applying a metal plating layer onto a dielectric polymeric material of the overmolded body 130. For example, the dielectric material, such as a resin, epoxy, plastic, or the like, may be overmolded onto the electrical connector 102, and then the metal plating layer is applied onto the outer surface of the dielectric material. The metal plating layer may be or include nickel, copper, phosphorus, silver, or the like. In yet another embodiment, the electrical connector 102 may be shielded using a conductive tape or metal foil. For example, the conductive tape or metal foil may be wrapped around the connector 102 and the end of the cable 104 prior to molding the overmolded body 130, such that the tape or foil is under the body 130. Alternatively, the tape or metal foil may be integrated within a thickness of the overmolded body 130 or disposed along the exterior surface 406 (shown in
The latch frame 302 has an interior side 306 and an exterior side 308 that is opposite the interior side 306. The latch frame 302 is oriented relative to the cable connector assembly 100 such that the interior side 306 faces the housing 112 (
The latch frame 302 couples to the latch member 304 to hold the latch member 304 onto the cable connector assembly 100. For example, the latch frame 302 defines a track 316 that receives the latch member 304 therein. In the illustrated embodiment, the track 316 is defined along the interior side 306 of the latch frame 302, but the track 316 may be spaced apart from the interior side 306 in an alternative embodiment.
In an embodiment, the latch frame 302 includes first and second frame members 318, 320 and a bridge 322 that extends between and connects the frame members 318, 320. The latch frame 302 extends between a first end 324 and a second end 326. The bridge 322 is disposed at the second end 326. The track 316 is open along the first end 324 and is configured to receive the latch member 304 through the first end 324. The track 316 is closed along the second end 326 as the bridge 322 defines a back end of the track 316. The first and second frame members 318, 320 extend parallel to each other from the bridge 322 to the first end 324. The frame members 318, 320 are spaced apart from each other to define an open cavity 328.
In the illustrated embodiment, each of the first and second frame members 318, 320 includes a respective slot 330 that defines a portion of the track 316. The slots 330 extend from the first end 324 to the bridge 322. The bridge 322 optionally also includes a slot 332 (shown in
The latch member 304 includes a base 338 and the spring beam 138, which extends from the base 338. The fixed end 210 of the spring beam 138 is at the base 338. The spring beam 138 is suspended above a plane of the base 338 by a transition segment 336 of the spring beam 138 that extends along an S-shaped or Z-shaped curve from the fixed end 210. In an embodiment, the spring beam 138 is integrally connected to the base 338. For example, the latch member 304 may be stamped and formed out of a single sheet of metal with the spring beam 138 being bent out of the plane of the base 338 during the formation step. The spring beam 138 in the illustrated embodiment defines a mounting hole 356 therethrough. The mounting hole 356 is configured to receive a plunger bulb 358 of the release button 216 therein to mount the release button 216 to the spring beam 138.
The base 338 has first and second legs 340, 342. The spring beam 138 is disposed laterally between the legs 340, 342, although it is suspended vertically above the legs 340, 342. The base 338 has a lateral bar 344 from which both legs 340, 342 and the spring beam 138 extend. The base 338 of the latch member 304 is slidably received within the track 316 of the latch frame 302 and is secured within the track 316 to couple the latch member 304 to the latch frame 302. The first and second legs 340, 342 of the base 338 are each received in a corresponding one of the slots 330 of the first and second frame members 318, 320 through the first end 324 of the latch frame 302. For example, the first leg 340 is received within the slot 330 of the first frame member 318, and the second leg 342 is received within the slot 330 of the second frame member 320. The spring beam 138 aligns with the cavity 328 of the latch frame 302.
In an embodiment, the base 338 of the latch member 304 is secured within the track 316 of the latch frame 302 via the reception of deflectable bent tabs 346 of the legs 340, 342 into corresponding pockets 348 of the frame members 318, 320. The bent tabs 346 are located at distal ends 350 of the legs 340, 342 (e.g., opposite the lateral bar 344) in the illustrated embodiment. In an alternative embodiment, the bent tabs 346 may be spaced apart from the distal ends 350. The bent tabs 346 extend vertically out of the plane of the base 338 towards the suspended spring beam 138, and resemble the sloped tips of skis. The pockets 348 of the frame members 318, 320 are spaced apart from the first end 324 of the latch frame 302. Only the pocket 348 of the first frame member 318 is visible in
As the legs 340, 342 are slidably received within the corresponding slots 330, each of the bent tabs 346 initially abuts a ceiling 352 of the respective slot 330, which deflects the bent tab 346 downward (e.g., towards the electrical connector 102 shown in
The spring beam 138 includes a ramp surface 408 extending from the distal free end 212 to the catch surface 140. As shown in
The release button 216 is spaced apart from the catch surface 140 to define a space 410 between the front end 214 of the release button 216 and the catch surface 140 that accommodates the thickness of the panel 204 (shown in
While various spatial and directional terms, such as “top,” “bottom,” “upper,” “lower,” “vertical,” and the like may be used to describe embodiments of the present disclosure, it is understood that such terms are merely used with respect to the orientations shown in the drawings. The orientations may be inverted, rotated, or otherwise changed, such that the top side 142 becomes a bottom side if the cable connector assembly 100 is flipped 180 degrees, becomes a left side or a right side if the cable connector assembly 100 is pivoted 90 degrees, and the like.
It is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. For example, the above-described embodiments (and/or aspects thereof) may be used in combination with each other. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from its scope. Dimensions, types of materials, orientations of the various components, and the number and positions of the various components described herein are intended to define parameters of certain embodiments, and are by no means limiting and are merely example embodiments. Many other embodiments and modifications within the spirit and scope of the claims will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. In the appended claims, the terms “including” and “in which” are used as the plain-English equivalents of the respective terms “comprising” and “wherein.” Moreover, in the following claims, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third,” etc. are used merely as labels, and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects. Further, the limitations of the following claims are not written in means-plus-function format and are not intended to be interpreted based on 35 U.S.C. § 112(f), unless and until such claim limitations expressly use the phrase “means for” followed by a statement of function void of further structure.
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