Latching connector assembly

Details Latching connector assembly Latching connector assembly

2000-12-14

2001-11-27

Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)

Electrical connectors

With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in...

Retaining means

Reexamination Certificate

active

06322387

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electrical connector assembly, and more specifically relates to an electrical connector assembly which consists of a first connector that has latching arms, and another board-mounted connector that is secured to the first connector by a latching mechanism.
BACKGROUND
Conventionally, board-mounted electrical connectors have been attached to the surfaces of printed circuit boards on which other electronic or electrical components are mounted. Accordingly, a reduction in size that allows the efficient mounting of numerous components has been required in such electrical connectors. Such component size reduction is also required for connectors that engage with these board-mounted connectors.
The board-mounted electrical connector disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Kokai No. H1-140780 is one such connector. This connector is designed so that the end portions of a pair of locking levers disposed on the outside of a shell engaging member are caused to open to the left and right by pressing the locking levers. Disengagement from the mating connector is accomplished by operation of the locking levers.
Similar electrical connectors are disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Kokai No. H10-154550 and Japanese Patent Application Kokai No. H11-162566. The connector disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Kokai No. H10-154550 is shown in FIG.
12
. In this plug
200
, a resilient locking member
204
which has a hook
214
used for engagement on its end, is disposed on the side surface of the housing main body
202
. A projection
208
is formed on a resilient arm
206
of this locking member
204
. A release button
210
having a release section
212
that has an inclined surface
209
for engaging the projection
208
protrudes toward the outside of the locking member. When the release button
210
is pressed, the release section
212
presses the projection
208
down, so that the hook
214
on the end of the locking member
204
is pressed down, thus causing the plug
200
to be released from it's mating connector.
In the conventional electrical connector disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Kokai No. H1-140780, locking levers and locking lever engaging members are disposed on the outside of both ends of the shell engaging member. Accordingly, it is difficult to reduce the width of the connector. Furthermore, in the case of Japanese Patent Application Kokai No. H10-154550 illustrated in
FIG. 12
, it is necessary to release the engagement by converting the operation of the release button
210
in the horizontal direction into movement of the hook
214
in the vertical direction. As a result, although the amount of movement of the locking member
204
in the left-right direction is small, the length of the inclined surface
209
is increased if an attempt it made to reduce the required operating force of the release button
210
. Consequently, the amount of movement of the release button
210
must be increased, and it may therefore be difficult to reduce the dimension of the connector in the direction of width. Furthermore, since the hook
214
of the locking member
204
moves upward and downward, there may be cases in which it is difficult to reduce the dimension of the connector in the vertical direction, depending on the amount of this movement. Moreover, the engaging member
216
of the plug
200
has a rectangular shape, so that there is a danger of backward attachment to the mating connector.
SUMMARY
The present invention was devised in light of the above-mentioned problems. An object of the present invention is to provide a compact electrical connector assembly which has a small size both in the width and height dimensions. Furthermore, another object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector assembly which prevents backward insertion of the connectors.
The invention therefore provides an electrical connector system having a plug and receptacle, each of the plug and receptacle have a shell disposed inside a housing. A latch arm is disposed substantially outside the plug shell. The latch arm has an engaging member extending through a first opening into the inside of the plug shell. A second opening is formed in the receptacle shell along a step. The second opening receives and latches with the engaging member when the plug and receptacle are mated.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5213533 (1993-05-01), Walden
patent: 5380223 (1995-01-01), Marsh et al.
patent: 5741150 (1998-04-01), Stinson et al.
patent: 5788528 (1998-08-01), Orr, Jr. et al.
patent: 6056578 (2000-05-01), Lin
patent: 6146205 (2000-11-01), Lai
patent: 6149451 (2000-11-01), Weber
patent: 6210202 (2001-04-01), Kuo
patent: 6217364 (2001-04-01), Miskin et al.
patent: 1-140780 (1989-06-01), None
patent: 10-154550 (1998-06-01), None
patent: 11-162566 (1999-06-01), None

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Latching connector assembly does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Latching connector assembly, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Latching connector assembly will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2599475