Electrical connectors – With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in... – Retaining means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-04
2001-10-16
Bradley, Paula (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in...
Retaining means
C439S472000, C439S352000, C439S445000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06302721
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to providing secure mechanical connections between cable connectors and mating connectors on terminals, and, more particularly, to providing an adapter for an existing type of cable connector to provide a means to removably latch the cable connector in place on a mating connector.
2. Background Information
A number of standard types of cable connectors do not include provisions for latching or otherwise fastening the cable connectors in engagement with the mating terminal connectors into which they are engaged. When such provisions are absent, a cable connector can be inadvertently, and often easily, pulled away from the receptacle in which it is plugged, or the cable connector may be pulled outward far enough to break one or more electrical connections with this receptacle. When either of these events causes a disconnection between a terminal and a network or system, the operation of the terminal and an associated portion of the system to which it is connected is interrupted. Often this happens without the cable disconnection being noticed, so that it is difficult to determine why operations were interrupted.
Significant examples of applications in which inadvertent cable disconnection can occur arise in the retail point of sale environment, where a number of terminals are placed in check out lines, being connected to various signal cables having standard connectors, such as the USB Type B plug, which are not equipped with provisions for latching or otherwise fastening the cable connectors in place on the connectors into which they are plugged. In this environment, the consequences of an inadvertent cable disconnection can be especially serious, as interrupting the operation of a terminal causes delays in serving customers, and often results in an expensive service call.
Thus, what is needed is apparatus for latching or fastening conventional cable connectors to various types of terminals. Since various types of system connectors are in widespread use, including installation within existing cable networks, and since such system connectors are available from a number of manufacturers, such apparatus is preferably installed over or around existing connector connectors, without requiring further modification to the connectors or cables themselves.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
Many cable connectors include provisions for fastening or latching the connector in place on mating connector hardware. For example, most of the cable connectors used to connect peripheral terminals or communications lines to personal computers include a pair of screws or thumbscrews engaging threaded holes adjacent the connectors into which the cable connectors are installed, while the cable connectors attached to printers generally include notches into which spring clips adjacent the mating printer connectors are rotated to hold the cable connectors in place.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,431,244 describes an electrical connector assembly in which a latching lever is formed in the wall of the receptacle connector of the assembly. The lever has a latch engageable with a catch on the mating connector. The lever is pivotally mounted on the receptacle connector housing by integral live hinge pivots which extend laterally from the sides of the lever so that the lever is pivotable about an axis passing laterally through the receptacle housing, thereby providing a very low profile connector.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,507,664 describes an adapter for releasably holding a power supply cord connector in place on a panel mounted power connector. The base of the adapter is fastened over at least a part of the panel mounted connector, being attached on or below the mounting panel. The power supply cord connector is matingly coupled to the panel mounted connector in the adapter, and a fastening member, pivotally mounted on the base, is placed over the power supply cord connector to prevent separation of the connectors and to provide strain relief to the cable/connector joints of the power supply cord connector.
Other U.S. Patents describe methods to prevent the removal of a cable connector, which is otherwise attached to a terminal connector without releasing a lock with an encoded key. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,241 describes a cover which is locked in place over a cable connector engaging a terminal connector in a manner preventing access to screws holding the cable connector in place, while U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,332 describes methods for making a cable connector removable only following access within a cover of a system or terminal, with the cover being held in place by a keylock.
Still, what is needed is apparatus for latching or fastening conventional cable connectors to various types of terminals.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided apparatus for holding a cable in engagement with a port connector of a device. The cable includes a cord and a cable connector. The apparatus includes a latching member and an adapter. The latching member, which is in the device adjacent the port connector, has a first latching surface. The adapter, which extends along the cable connector, includes clamping surfaces holding the adapter in a fixed relationship with the cable connector, whether the cable connector is engaged with the port connector or disengaged therefrom. The adapter also includes a second latching surface held in engagement with the first latching surface, when the cable connector fully engages the port connector, and an externally accessible actuation surface movable to disengage the second latching surface from the first latching surface.
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Parnell Fred David
Turner Craig Walton
Bradley Paula
Davidge Ronald V.
International Business Machines - Corporation
Leon Edwin A.
Schelkopf J. Bruce
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