Latching and ejecting electrical connector assembly
First Claim
1. An electrical connector assembly for electrically connecting terminals of a first connector to terminals of a second connector, the first connector including a first mating face for mating with a mating face of said second connector that is generally parallel to said first mating face, a pair of opposed ends, a pair of opposed sides generally perpendicular to said ends and one pivotally mounted lever means adjacent each end, each lever means being movable between a mating position at which the connectors are mated together and an eject position at which the connectors are mated together and an eject position for selectively ejecting the second connector from the first connector, the lever means being molded and generally L-shaped, with one leg of said L-shape including an eject portion adjacent and engageable with said mating face of the second connector, said mating face of the second connector overlying said eject portion when said first and second connectors are mated together and said lever means is in said mating position, the other leg of said L-shape including a manually manipulatable arm that is generally planar and oriented perpendicular to said first mating face and parallel to said ends of said first connector when said lever means is in said mating position, the improvement comprising:
- said eject portion comprising a pair of generally elongated arms oriented generally perpendicular to said manually manipulatable arm and spaced transversely from each other relative to the first connector and which generally taper away from said mating surface of the second connector in a direction radially away from the pivot point of the lever means whereby a greater moment arm is provided upon initial engagement of the eject portion with said first surface of the second connector, the moment arm decreasing as the lever means pivots toward its eject position; and
said lever means further comprising stiffening means for providing additional rigidity to said elongated arms to reduce bending of said arms.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electrical connector assembly is provided for electrically connecting first and second connectors. The first connector includes at least one pivotally mounted lever movable between a mating position for the connectors and an eject position for selectively ejecting the second connector from the first connector. The lever includes an eject portion underlying and engageable with the underside of the second connector. The eject portion is elongated and tapered away from the underside of the second connector in a direction away from the pivot point of the lever whereby a greater moment arm is provided upon initial engagement of the eject portion with the underside of the second connector, and the moment arm decreases as the lever pivots toward its eject position.
52 Citations
18 Claims
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1. An electrical connector assembly for electrically connecting terminals of a first connector to terminals of a second connector, the first connector including a first mating face for mating with a mating face of said second connector that is generally parallel to said first mating face, a pair of opposed ends, a pair of opposed sides generally perpendicular to said ends and one pivotally mounted lever means adjacent each end, each lever means being movable between a mating position at which the connectors are mated together and an eject position at which the connectors are mated together and an eject position for selectively ejecting the second connector from the first connector, the lever means being molded and generally L-shaped, with one leg of said L-shape including an eject portion adjacent and engageable with said mating face of the second connector, said mating face of the second connector overlying said eject portion when said first and second connectors are mated together and said lever means is in said mating position, the other leg of said L-shape including a manually manipulatable arm that is generally planar and oriented perpendicular to said first mating face and parallel to said ends of said first connector when said lever means is in said mating position, the improvement comprising:
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said eject portion comprising a pair of generally elongated arms oriented generally perpendicular to said manually manipulatable arm and spaced transversely from each other relative to the first connector and which generally taper away from said mating surface of the second connector in a direction radially away from the pivot point of the lever means whereby a greater moment arm is provided upon initial engagement of the eject portion with said first surface of the second connector, the moment arm decreasing as the lever means pivots toward its eject position; and said lever means further comprising stiffening means for providing additional rigidity to said elongated arms to reduce bending of said arms. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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- 9. An electrical connector assembly for electrically connecting first and second elongated connectors, the first connector including a pair of unitary lever means located at opposite ends thereof for engaging opposite ends of the second connector, each lever means being pivotable about a pivot point between a mating position at which the first and second connectors are mated together and an eject position for selectively ejecting the second connector from the first connector, each lever means being generally L-shaped with one leg of the L-shape forming a manually manipulatable arm and the other leg of the L-shape forming an eject portion underlying and engageable with the underside of the second connector, and said unitary lever means further including on opposite sides thereof a stiffening member fixed to and extending between said eject portion and said manually manipulatable arm, the manually manipulatable arm having a member projecting over said second connector when said first and second connectors are mated together and said lever means is at said mating position to prevent removal of said second connector without moving said lever means away from said mating position, the eject portion being generally elongated and generally tapered away from the underside of the second connector in a direction away from the pivot point of the lever means whereby a greater moment arm is provided upon initial engagement of the eject portion with the underside of the second connector, the moment arm decreasing as the lever means pivots toward its eject position, the distance from said pivot point to the end of said eject portion being greater than the distance from said pivot point to said projecting member.
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12. A latching and ejecting pin header, comprising:
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an elongated housing having first and second ends and a pair of generally parallel housing sidewalls defining an elongated cavity adapted to receive a mating connector therein, said housing sidewalls bounding a middle portion of said cavity between said ends; a plurality of terminal pins mounted in said cavity; a latching and ejecting lever means pivotally mounted on the housing adjacent each end thereof for movement between a locking position and an eject position, the lever means including a latch arm portion and an eject portion selectively extendable into the cavity for engagement with the underside of the mating connector, the eject portion including a pair of generally elongated members spaced transversely from each other relative to the header that have a thickness that decreases in a direction radially away from the pivot point of the lever means whereby a greater moment arm is provided upon initial engagement of the eject portion with the underside of the mating connector, the moment arm decreasing as the lever means pivots toward its eject position, said lever means including lever sidewalls unitarily formed with said eject portion, said lever sidewalls forming a continuation of the housing sidewalls and bounding portions of said cavity adjacent said first and second ends, one of said housing sidewalls and one lever sidewall of each lever means forming a generally planar sidewall protecting a portion of the terminal pins. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification