Electrical connector with latch mechanism

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] This invention generally relates to an electrical connector and, particularly, to an electrical connector having a latch mechanism for connecting and releasably locking the electrical connector to a mating connector.

[0003] 2. The Related Art

[0004] Referring to U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,629 issued on October 13 in 1992, a conventional electrical connector disclosed in the patent includes a cable coupled to a connector housing, which is enclosed by a molded outer housing. The outer housing has a pair of side cavities pivotally receiving a pair of latches. The latches have locking fingers for engaging a connecting element and are biased into a locking position by integral leaf springs or helical compression springs. The pivotal coupling of the latches is accomplished by protrusions on the latches retained by recesses in the housing, a pin assembly, or an integrally molded hinge.

[0005] However, the latches of the conventional connector mentioned above are arranged on two opposite sides of the connector, which occupies additional space, thereby increasing the width of the connector.

[0006] This invention is directed to solving the above problems and provides an electrical connector, which includes a dielectric body, a plurality of contacts and a latch mechanism. The dielectric body has at least two rows of contact receiving holes extending therethrough and a passageway defined between the two rows of contact receiving holes. The plurality of contacts is held in the respective contact receiving holes. The latch mechanism is mounted in the passageway, including two latch arms and a spring disposed between the two latch arms. The two latch arms are pivotally coupled, and each latch arm has a hook at a front end thereof and a force receiving portion. When the force receiving portions are exerted by a force, the two latch arms are pivoted to deflect the hooks from their original positions to mate with a mating connector. Thereafter, when the force is removed from the force receiving portions, the hooks urged by the spring tend to recover to their original positions to thereby fasten the mating connector.

[0007] In the electrical connector mentioned above, the latch mechanism is assembled in inner space of the dielectric body. Consequently, the electrical connector of the present invention can make the most of its inner space to achieve a compact width.

[0016] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, an electrical connector 100 in accordance with the present invention comprises a dielectric body 10, a plurality of contacts 20 held in the dielectric body 10, a primary metal shield 41 and a secondary metal shield 42 encircling the dielectric body 10, and an upper dielectric cover 43 and a lower dielectric cover 44 clasping the dielectric body 10.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, the dielectric body 10 defines a plurality of contact receiving holes 12 and a passageway 11 therein, which all extend through the dielectric body 10 front to rear. The contact receiving holes 12 are arranged in three (upper, middle and lower) rows for correspondingly holding three (upper, middle and lower) rows of contacts 20 therein. The passageway 11 is located between the middle row and the lower row of the contact receiving holes 12 for receiving the latch mechanism 50 therein. The dielectric body 10 forms three protrusions 15 in the passageway 11 for positioning the latch mechanism 50 (shown in FIG. 3). The dielectric body 10 further includes two recesses 16 which are respectively defined in two opposite side walls of the dielectric body 10. Each of recesses 16 laterally communicates the passageway 11 with outside, and each of the recesses 16 has a rear opening.

[0018] FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 show a first embodiment of the latch mechanism 50 according to present invention. The latch mechanism 50 includes two latch arms 51. The middle portion of each latch arm 51 protrudes inwardly to form a coupling portion 54, and the front end of each latch arm 51 protrudes inwardly to form a hook 53. In this embodiment, the coupling portion 54 of one latch arm 51 integrally forms a pivot 84; correspondingly, the coupling portion 54 of the other latch arm 51 defines an aperture 86 for pivotally engaging with the pivot 84. With overlapping the two coupling portions 54 together and mounting the pivot 84 in the aperture 86, the two latch arms 51 are pivotally coupled together. A portion behind the coupling portion 54 of each arm 51 acts as a force receiving portion designated 55. The latch mechanism 50 further includes a helical spring 82 disposed between the rear ends of the two latch arms 51.

[0019] Please refer to FIGS. 6 and 7, a second embodiment of the latch mechanism 50 is provided according to present invention. In this embodiment, a pivot 184 is formed as a separate piece, which can replace the pivot 84 in the first embodiment and perform similar function as the pivot 84 acting in the first embodiment.

[0020] The latch mechanism 50, either mentioned in the first embodiment or the second embodiment, is used for releasably locking with a mating connector. When the force receiving portions 55 are exerted by an external force to relatively move inwardly, the two latch arms 51 are pivoted to deflect the hooks 53 from the original position to an open position so as to mate with a mating connector. Simultaneously, the spring 82 is gradually compressed and generating an elastic force to resist the relative movement of the two latch arms 51. Thereafter, when the external force is removed from the force receiving portions 55, the two latch arms 51 are pivoted by the elastic force of the spring 82, and the hooks 53 urged by the elastic force tend to recover to the original position to thereby fasten the mating connector.

[0021] Referring to FIG. 1, the electrical connector 100 further includes a pair of buttons 60. Each of the buttons has a pressing head 63, a pushing foot 65, and a propping neck 66 connecting the pressing head 63 and the pushing foot 65 together.

[0022] Referring to FIG. 1 again, the electrical connector 100 further includes a stopper 70. The stopper 70 shaped as a strip is used for sealing the end of the passageway 11 and the rear opening of the recesses 16.

[0023] Please refer to FIGS. 2 and 3, in assembling of the electrical connector 100, firstly the contacts 20 are inserted into the dielectric body 10 and held in the contact receiving holes 12. Then the mechanism 50 is mounted in the passageway 11 of the dielectric body 10 and positioned by the protrusions 15 so as to keep the latch mechanism 50 as an integrated element from onward, rightward and leftward movement relative to dielectric body 10. Thereafter, the propping neck 66 of each button 60 is retained in the corresponding recess 16 with the pressing head 63 exposed to outside of the dielectric body 10 and the pushing foot extending into in the passageway 11 for touching with the force receiving portions 55 of the latch mechanism 50. The stopper 70 is infixed into the end of the passageway 11 and seals the rear opening of each recess 16 so as to keep the latch arms 51 of the latch mechanism 50 and the buttons 60 from rearward movement. Finally, the dielectric body 10 is covered by the primary metal shield 41 and the secondary metal shield 42 and clasped by the upper dielectric cover 43 and the lower dielectric cover 44.

[0024] In the electrical connector 100 according to the present invention, the buttons 60 are used to cooperate with the latch mechanism 50 for transmitting an external force acted on the pressing heads 63 to the force receiving portions 55 of the latch mechanism 50 by the pushing feet 65 touching with the force receiving portions 55. As using, when the pressing heads 63 are pressed, the pressing force is transmitted to the force receiving portions 55, thereby the two latch arms 51 are pivoted to deflect the hooks 63 from their original positions to mate with a mating connector. When the external force is removed from the pressing heads 63 of the buttons 60, the hooks 53 urged by the spring 82 tend to recover to the original positions to thereby fasten the mating connector.

[0025] It can be seen from the mentioned above that, the latch mechanism 50 is assembled in inner space of the electrical connector 100 to make the most of the inner space of the electrical connector 100, thereby the electrical connector 100 achieves a compact width.

[0026] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail hereinabove, it should be clearly understand that many variations and/or modifications of the basic inventive concepts herein taught which may appear to those skilled in the present art will fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention, as defined in the appended claims.