US-12620749-B2 - Cable connector and metal housing thereof

US12620749B2US 12620749 B2US12620749 B2US 12620749B2US-12620749-B2

Abstract

A cable connector includes a metal housing, an insulator, and a cable. The metal housing includes a sleeve end, a main body, and a plug end integrally formed from rear to front. The plug end includes an end body having a plurality of holes formed therethrough, a ring portion extending forward from the end body, and a plurality of elastic elements extending backward from the ring portion. The cable is accommodated in the metal housing and fixed to the insulator. Therefore, by the metal housing integrally formed, the manufacturing steps and the assembly steps of the cable connector are simplified. Furthermore, by the design that each elastic element extends backward from the ring portion, the deformation of each elastic element due to the excessive stress during plugging is avoided.

Inventors

Rong-Hsun KUO
Chang-Ho TENG

Assignees

ACES ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20230620

Claims (19)

1 . A cable connector comprising: a metal housing comprising a sleeve end, a main body, and a plug end from rear to front and integrally formed, wherein the plug end includes: an end body having a ring portion extending forward from the end body and a plurality of holes formed through the end body; and a plurality of elastic elements respectively corresponding to the holes and integrally extending backward from the ring portion of the end body; an insulator matchingly accommodated in the main body and the end body of the plug end of the metal housing and having two inner conductor terminals disposed through the insulator from front to rear; and a cable comprising: an insulation jacket matchingly mounted in the sleeve end; and two inner conductors protruding from the insulation jacket and mounted in the insulator to be respectively connected to the two inner conductor terminals, wherein a maximum width of the main body of metal housing is greater than a maximum width of the sleeve end of the metal housing; and wherein a maximum width of the main body of the metal housing matches a maximum width of the plug end of the metal housing.
2 . The cable connector as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a first lateral distance is defined between the cable and the insulator; a part of the two inner conductors is not mounted in the insulator at the first lateral distance; the cable further comprises two dielectric layers disposed in the main body of the metal housing and respectively coating on the part of the two inner conductors, which is not mounted in the insulator; and a metal shielding element is matchingly accommodated in the main body of the metal housing, is located between the insulator and the cable, and comprises: a top plate located between an upper side of the two dielectric layers and a top wall of the main body; two side plates extending downward from two opposite sides of the top plate and respectively located between outer sides of the two dielectric layers and two opposite sidewalls of the main body; and a divider protruding downward from the top plate and located between the two dielectric layers to divide the two dielectric layers.
3 . The cable connector as claimed in claim 2 , wherein a second lateral distance is defined between the metal shielding element and the cable; the two dielectric layers are side by side at the second lateral distance; and the cable further comprises: a cable sleeve matchingly accommodated in the main body of the metal housing, located between the metal shielding element and the cable, and mounted around the two dielectric layers at the second lateral distance; a first outer conductor, wherein the first outer conductor is located between the two dielectric layers and the insulation jacket and between the two dielectric layers and the cable sleeve; a second outer conductor, wherein the second outer conductor is located between the cable sleeve and the main body and between the insulation jacket and the sleeve end of the metal housing, and the second outer conductor is integrally connected to the first outer conductor.
4 . The cable connector as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the ring portion of the plug end extends forward and inward from the end body.
5 . The cable connector as claimed in claim 4 , wherein each elastic element has a convex portion extending outward from the distal end of the corresponding elastic element and protruding out of the metal housing.
6 . The cable connector as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the convex portion of each elastic element is arc-shaped.
7 . The cable connector as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the metal shielding element is a zinc alloy die casting.
8 . The cable connector as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the sleeve end of the metal housing is cylindrical, and the maximum width of the sleeve end is defined by an outer diameter thereof; the main body of the metal housing is a long-oval cylinder; and the end body of the plug end of the metal housing is a long-oval cylinder which is the same as that of the main body.
9 . The cable connector as claimed in claim 8 , wherein an indentation ring portion is formed inward on the main body of the metal housing corresponding to the metal shielding element; and a top wall and two opposite sidewalls of the indentation ring portion are respectively abutted against the top plate and the side plates of the metal shielding element.
10 . The cable connector as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the main body of the metal housing comprises a first ring segment close to the plug end and a second ring segment close to the sleeve end, wherein the first ring segment is a long-oval cylinder, and a maximum width of the first ring segment matches a maximum width of the sleeve end; and a maximum width of the second ring segment is greater than a maximum width of the sleeve end and a maximum width of the first ring segment.
11 . The cable connector as claimed in claim 10 , wherein a length of the first ring segment is less than a length of the second ring segment; the sleeve end of the metal housing is cylindrical, and the maximum width of the sleeve end is defined by an outer diameter thereof; the second ring segment of the main body of the metal housing is cylindrical, and a maximum width of the main body is defined by an outer diameter of the second ring segment; and the end body of the sleeve end of the metal housing is a long-oval cylinder which is the same as that of the first segment of the main body.
12 . A metal housing of a cable connector comprising a sleeve end, a main body, and a plug end from rear to front and integrally formed, wherein the plug end includes: an end body having a ring portion extending forward from the end body and a plurality of holes formed through the end body; and a plurality of elastic elements respectively corresponding to the holes and integrally extending backward from the ring portion of the end body, wherein a maximum width of the main body of metal housing is greater than a maximum width of the sleeve end of the metal housing; and wherein a maximum width of the main body of the metal housing matches a maximum width of the plug end of the metal housing.
13 . The metal housing as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the ring portion of the plug end extends forward and inward from the end body.
14 . The metal housing as claimed in claim 13 , wherein each elastic element has a convex portion extending outward from the distal end of the corresponding elastic element and protruding out of the metal housing.
15 . The metal housing as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the convex portion of each elastic element is arc-shaped.
16 . The metal housing as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the sleeve end of the metal housing is cylindrical, and the maximum width of the sleeve end is defined by an outer diameter thereof; the main body of the metal housing is a long-oval cylinder; and the end body of the plug end of the metal housing is a long-oval cylinder which is the same as that of the main body.
17 . The metal housing as claimed in claim 16 , wherein an indentation ring portion is formed inward on the main body of the metal housing corresponding to the metal shielding element; and the indentation ring portion is close to the sleeve end and is away from the plug end.
18 . The metal housing as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the main body of the metal housing comprises a first ring segment close to the plug end and a second ring segment close to the sleeve end, wherein the first ring segment is a long-oval cylinder, and a maximum width of the first ring segment matches a maximum width of the sleeve end; and a maximum width of the second ring segment is greater than a maximum width of the sleeve end and a maximum width of the first ring segment.
19 . The metal housing as claimed in claim 18 , wherein a length of the first ring segment is less than a length of the second ring segment; the sleeve end of the metal housing is cylindrical, and the maximum width of the sleeve end is defined by an outer diameter thereof; the second ring segment of the main body of the metal housing is cylindrical, and a maximum width of the main body is defined by an outer diameter of the second ring segment; and the end body of the sleeve end of the metal housing is a long-oval cylinder which is the same as that of the first segment of the main body.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is based upon and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 from Taiwan Patent Application No. 111140737 filed on Oct. 26, 2022, which is hereby specifically incorporated herein by this reference thereto. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is related to an electrical connector, more particularly to a cable connector and metal housing thereof. 2. Description of the Prior Arts With reference to FIGS. 10A and 10B, a conventional cable connector includes an outer housing 5, an insulator 6, and a cable 7. The outer shell 5 includes a first housing 51 and a second housing 52 that are independent of each other. The first housing 51 includes a front portion 511 and a rear portion 512. The front portion 511 includes a ring portion 513 and a plurality of elastic elements 514. The ring portion 513 and the elastic elements 514 integrally extend forward from the front portion 511. A distal end of each elastic element 514 is close to the ring portion 513. The insulator 6 is accommodated in the first housing 51 and a part of the second housing 52. A front end of the insulator 6 is located at a back side of the ring portion 513 of the first housing 51. The cable 7 is disposed through a rear end of the second housing 52. The cable 7 has a core wire 70 disposed through and fixed to the insulator 6. The first housing 51 and the second housing 52 are combined to form the outer housing 5 of the conventional cable connector. Therefore, the two-piece first and second housings 51 and 52 need to be manufactured separately, assembled as the outer housing 5 by an additional step thereafter, and then made into the conventional cable connector. An assembling step of the conventional cable connector is complicated. Additionally, after the outer housing 5 has been plugged and unplugged many times, the first and second housings 51 and 52 may be separated from each other. Furthermore, an extending direction of each elastic element 514 is the same as a plugging direction of the conventional cable connector. Thus, during the plugging process, if the cable connector deviates from the correct plugging direction, the distal ends of the elastic elements 514 close to the ring portion 513 directly bear the stress of the deviated cable connector. The elastic elements 514 may be overstressed and be bent and deformed. To overcome the shortcomings of the conventional cable connector, the present invention provides a cable connector and a metal housing thereof to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An objective of the present invention is to provide a cable connector and metal housing thereof. To achieve the objection as mentioned above, the cable connector includes: a metal housing including a sleeve end, a main body, and a plug end from rear to front and integrally formed, wherein the plug end includes: an end body having a ring portion extending forward from the end body and a plurality of holes formed through the end body; anda plurality of elastic elements respectively corresponding to the holes and integrally extending backward from the ring portion of the end body; an insulator matchingly accommodated in the main body and the end body of the plug end of the metal housing and having two inner conductor terminals disposed through the insulator from front to rear; anda cable including: an insulation jacket matchingly mounted in the sleeve end; andtwo inner conductors protruding from the insulation jacket and mounted in the insulator to be respectively connected to the two inner conductor terminals. With the foregoing description, the cable connector applies the metal housing integrally formed, and the metal housing is designed for the insulator to be matchingly accommodated in the main body of the metal housing and the end body of the plug end. Furthermore, the cable is mounted in the metal housing, and the two inner conductors are respectively connected to the inner conductor terminals and are fixed to the insulator. Moreover, each elastic element of the plug end extends backward from the ring portion of the end body. Additionally, the extending direction of the elastic elements is opposite to the plugging direction of the cable connector, and the distal end of each elastic element is away from the ring portion. Therefore, an excessive stress generated while the plugging direction of the cable connector deviates does not act on the distal end of each elastic element. Accordingly, the manufacturing steps and the assembling steps of the integrally formed metal housing in accordance with the present invention are simplified. Furthermore, after the cable connector has been plugged and unplugged many times, the metal housing does not disintegrate. Moreover, by the design that each elastic element extends backward from the ring portion, the excessive stress that acts on the elastic elements during plug