Connector with bi-directional latch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10193280-B2
Application number	US-201715823177-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2017
Priority date	Jan 16, 2013
Publication date	Jan 29, 2019
Grant date	Jan 29, 2019

Abstract

A connector can include a housing and a conductive shield and a pair of latching members. The latching members have free ends with engagement teeth formed on them which are separated by an intervening notch. The sidewalls of this notch can be flat and can define a hard stop surface for engagement with an opposing board connector. The free ends further include ramped surfaces leading to the engagement notch to form cam surfaces that depress the latching members when the cable connector is mated to a board connector. The latching members may include locating tabs that are captured in vertical movement by the housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A connector with a bi-directional latching mechanism, comprising:
a housing;
a plurality of terminals supported by the housing, the terminals including tail portions and contact portions for contacting opposing terminals of an opposing, mating connector, the terminal contact portions being disposed proximate to a mating end of the housing;
a shroud formed of a conductive material supported by the housing, the shroud enclosing the terminal contact portions and providing a conductive surface for mating with a shield of the opposing, mating connector; and
two latching members supported by the connector housing, each of the latching members including a base that is fixed in place with respect to the housing and a free end extending lengthwise from the base in a cantilevered fashion, the base and the free end being interconnected by an intervening body portion, wherein the latching members each include an actuating tab that extends vertically into contact with an actuation member of the housing such that translation of the actuation member causes the free ends to deflect vertically.

2. The connector of claim 1 , wherein each of the free ends including a pair of latching teeth which extend vertically with respect to the latching member body portion, the pairs of latching teeth being separated by a gap, the gap including a leading edge and a trailing edge which extend vertically with respect to the body portion, the trailing edge of the gap defining a stop surface that limits the extent to which the connector can be inserted into mating engagement with the opposing, mating connector, and the leading edge of the gap defining a stop surface that prevents unintended removal of the connector from mating engagement with the opposing, mating connector.

3. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the connector shroud includes pairs of openings through which the latching teeth extend.

4. The connector of claim 3 , wherein the latching teeth have a height sufficient to project through the connector shroud openings and into engagement with the opposing, mating connector.

5. A connector with a bi-directional latching mechanism, comprising:
a housing;
a plurality of terminals supported by the housing, the terminals including tail portions and contact portions for contacting opposing terminals of an opposing, mating connector, the terminal contact portions being disposed proximate to a mating end of the housing;
a shroud formed of a conductive material supported by the housing, the shroud enclosing the terminal contact portions and providing a conductive surface for mating with a shield of the opposing, mating connector; and
two latching members supported by the connector housing, each of the latching members including a base that is fixed in place with respect to the housing and a free end extending lengthwise from the base in a cantilevered fashion, the base and the free end being interconnected by an intervening body portion, the free end including a pair of latching teeth which extend vertically with respect to the latching member body portion, the pairs of latching teeth being separated by a gap, the gap including a leading edge and a trailing edge which extend vertically with respect to the body portion wherein the latching members each include a pair of cam surfaces associated with the latching teeth.

6. The connector of claim 5 , wherein the pair of latching teeth included on each of the free ends are separated by a gap, the trailing edge of the gap defining a stop surface that limits the extent to which the connector can be inserted into mating engagement with the opposing, mating connector, and the leading edge of the gap defining a stop surface that prevents unintended removal of the connector from mating engagement with the opposing, mating connector, and wherein the cam surfaces extend from the gap in two directions.

7. The connector of claim 6 , wherein the cam surfaces are arcuate.

8. The connector of claim 5 , wherein the connector shroud includes pairs of openings through which the latching teeth extend.

9. The connector of claim 8 , wherein the latching teeth have a height sufficient to project through the connector shroud openings and into engagement with the opposing, mating connector.

10. A connector, comprising:
a connector housing supporting a plurality of conductive terminals extending lengthwise within the connector housing, each of the terminals including termination portions and contact portions at opposite ends, the terminal contact portions being disposed proximate a mating end of the connector;
at least one latching member for latching the connector to an opposing, mating connector, the one latching member including a base end fixed to the connector housing and a free end proximate the connector mating end, and a body portion interconnecting the one latching member base and free ends such that the one latching member has a cantilevered structure, the one latching member including at least one engagement member proximate to the one latching member free end for engaging a portion of the opposing, mating connector, and
wherein the at least one latching member includes an actuating tab that extends at an angle to the latching member body, the actuating tab configured to contact an actuator member associated with the connector housing such that pressure upon the connector housing actuator member causes the at least one latching member free end to move vertically.

11. The connector of claim 10 , wherein the at least one latching member includes a locating member extending at an angle from the one latching member body portion, the connector housing including a channel formed therein which receives the one latching member locating member, whereby the connector housing channel is configured to guide the one latching member locating member in vertical movement.

12. The connector of claim 11 , wherein the connector housing channel is configured to fix a horizontal location of the one latching member engagement member by constraining horizontal movement thereof.

13. The connector of claim 11 , further including a second latching member, the one and second latching members being disposed along opposite sides of the connector.

14. The connector of claim 13 , wherein the second latching member includes a base end fixed to the connector housing and a free end proximate the connector mating end, and a body portion interconnecting the latching member base and free ends such that the second latching member also has a cantilevered structure, and the second latching member including an engagement member proximate to the second latching member free end for engaging a portion of an opposing, mating connector.

15. The connector of claim 14 , wherein the one and second latching member engagement members include pairs of latching teeth, the latching teeth of each of the pairs being separated by intervening notches, the notches being at least partially defined by a pair of planar, spaced-apart sidewalls.

16. The connector of claim 15 , wherein the one and second latching members include ramped surfaces extending lengthwise thereon and extending toward the notches.

17. The connector of claim 16 , wherein the ramped surfaces communicate with the notches.

18. The connector of claim 17 , wherein the ramped surfaces end at the sidewalls of the notches.

19. The connector of claim 15 , wherein the notch sidewalls define pairs of stop surfaces for engaging the opposing mating connector during insertion and removal of the connector therewith.

Assignees

• Molex Llc

Inventors

• Sutter Steven George
• Schulz Darian
• Regnier Kent E

Classifications

• H01R24/60

  Contacts spaced along planar side wall transverse to longitudinal axis of engagement · CPC title

• H01R13/6473 Primary

  Impedance matching · CPC title

• H01R2107/00

  Four or more poles · CPC title

• H01R12/7076

  for connection between PCB and component, e.g. display · CPC title

• H01R13/6272

  comprising a single latching arm · CPC title