BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a cable connector, and particularly to a cable connector with improved housing to provide a good waterproof performance.
Description of Related Arts
China Patent No. CN218242338U discloses a connector which includes an insulating housing having at least one terminal channel for inserting at least one core wire and at least one core wire which includes a cable and a terminal connected with the cable. The core wire is inserted into a corresponding terminal channel from an insertion end of the insulating housing until reaching a mating end of the insulating housing. A second locking device is then detachably inserted into the insulating housing along a direction perpendicular to a bottom surface of the insulating housing. However, the second locking device cannot meet waterproof requirements.
An improved cable connector is desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an cable connector with improved housing to provide a good waterproof performance.
To achieve the above-mentioned object, a cable connector comprises: a front housing comprising a plurality of forwardly protruding mating tubes each having a mating cavity and a plurality of rearwardly protruding fixing portions; a rear housing comprising a plurality of receiving cavities penetrating therethrough in a front and rear direction and a plurality of fixing grooves located next to the receiving cavities; and a plurality of cable assemblies, wherein the cable assemblies pass through the receiving cavities and are received in the mating cavities and the receiving cavities, the fixing portions are received in the fixing grooves, and each of the fixing portions has a rear hook which extends into the receiving cavity and clasps the cable assembly to prevent the front housing from being detached from the rear housing.
Other 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.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cable connector of an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the cable connector of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the front housing, the rear housing and the rubber ring of the cable connector of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is another perspective view of the cable connector of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the cable assembly, the rubber pad and the rear cover of the cable connector of FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is another perspective view of the cable connector of FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the cable connector taken along line A-A in FIG. 1;
FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the cable connector in a circle in FIG. 7;
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the cable connector removed the front housing of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the cable connector removed the rear cover and the cable of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe the preferred embodiment of the present invention in detail.
Referring to FIGS. 1-10, a cable connector 100 of the present invention is a type of car ethernet connector. The cable connector 100 comprises a front housing 1, a rear housing 2, and a plurality of cable assemblies 3. The front housing 1 comprises an upright base portion 10, a plurality of mating tubes 11 protruding forward from the upright base portion 10, and at least one fixing portion 12 protruding rearward from the upright base portion 10. An end of the fixing portion 12 has a rear hook 121. The rear housing 2 comprises a plurality of receiving cavities 21 opening therethrough in a front and rear direction and a plurality of fixing grooves 22 located next to the receiving cavities 21. The mating tube 11 has a mating cavity 111. The cable assembly 3 passes through the receiving cavity 21 and then is received in the mating cavity 111 and the receiving cavity 21. The fixing portion 12 is received in the fixing groove 22. The rear hook 121, as shown in FIG. 8, extends into the receiving cavity 21 and clasps the cable assembly 3 forwards to prevent the front housing 1 from being detached from the rear housing 2.
Referring to FIGS. 5-6, each of the cable assembly 3 comprises two terminals 31 arranged along a first direction and a shielding tube 32 surrounding the terminals 31. The shielding tube 32 has a rear surface 320, the rear hook 121 clasps on the rear surface 320. As shown in FIGS. 6-8, the shielding tube 32 includes an inner shell 322 and an outer shell 321 covering a front end of the inner shell 322. The outer shell 321 extends forward to form a mating portion 323 located in the mating cavity 111. The mating portion 323 has a plurality of elastic contact arms 324. The elastic contact arms 324 are arranged around the pair of terminals 31. Each elastic contact arm 324 has a contact portion 325 protruding outwardly.
Referring to FIG. 4, the fixing portion 12 comprises a flat plate portion 122 extending along the first direction and a latching arm 123 located in a middle of the flat plate portion 122 and extending rearward. The rear hook 121 is located at an end of the latching arm 123 and extends along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.
Referring to FIGS. 3-4, the front housing 1 and the rear housing 2 comprise at least two mating cavities 111 and receiving cavities 21. The two receiving cavities 21 are arranged along the second direction. The fixing portion 12 has two rear hooks 121 located at the end of the latching arm 123. The two rear hooks 121 protrude into corresponding receiving cavities 21 respectively and each clasp a corresponding cable assembly 3. As shown in FIG. 3, in this embodiment, the front housing 1 has eight mating cavities 111 in 2*2 array pattern, and the rear housing 2 has eight receiving cavities 21. The two rear hooks 121 on the same fixing portion 12 are respectively located above and below the end of the latching arm 123.
Referring to FIGS. 1-4, the front housing 1 is installed to the rear housing 2 from the front to the back firstly, the cable assemblies 3 are assembled on the rear housing 2 from the back to the front secondly. The cable assemblies 3 pass forwardly over the rear hooks 121, the rear hooks 121 abut forward against the cable assemblies 3. The rear housing 2 has an island portion 23 protruding forward and an outer annular wall 24 surrounding the island portion 23. A ring groove 25 is defined between the island portion 23 and the outer annular wall 24. The receiving cavities 21 are located in the island portion 23. The front housing 1 has a rear annular wall 13 extending backward to fit into the ring groove 25.
The cable connector 100 comprises a rubber ring 4. The rubber ring 4 is disposed in the ring groove 25. Specifically, the rubber ring 4 is set on the outer periphery of the island portion 23. As shown in FIG. 7, the rear annular wall 13 of the front housing 1 presses the rubber ring 4. The deformation caused by the rubber ring 4 being squeezed in the front and rear direction allows the rear hook 121 of the front housing 1 to elastically hold on the rear surface 320 of the outer shell 321. That is, the rebound force generated by the extrusion of the rubber ring 4 ensures that the front housing 1 can be stably held on the rear surface 320 in the front and rear direction.
Referring to FIGS. 7-8, the rear housing 2 comprises a cantilever 26. A free end of the cantilever 26 has a resisting portion 261 extending into the receiving cavity 21 along the second direction. The resisting portion 261 resists the rear surface 320 of the outer shell 321 forward. The rear hook 121 and the cantilever 26 in the same receiving cavity 21 are arranged opposite to each other in the second direction. The rear housing 2 comprises a mounting groove 27 penetrating rearward. A rubber pad 5 comprising a plurality of through holes 51 for passing through the cable assemblies 3 are received in the mounting groove 27. The cable connector 100 has a rear cover 6 fixed to a rear end of the rear housing 2 and covering the mounting groove 27.
The above-mentioned embodiments are only preferred embodiments of the present invention, and should not limit the scope of the present invention, any simple equivalent changes and modifications made according to the claims of the present invention and the contents of the description should still belong to the present invention.
Patent Application
20240313464
