Latching system for an electrical connector

• US 5,997,334 A
• Filed: 07/01/1998
• Issued: 12/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tyco Electronics Services GmbH (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Original Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation (Meggitt PLC)
• Inventors: Goto, Kazuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, HIEN D
• Application Number:
  US09/108,493
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: 439/350-355, 439/357, 439/358
• US Class Current: 439/352
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6271 Latching means integral with the housing H01R13/6276, H01R13/6277, H01R13/6278 take precedence

Abstract

The invention is directed to an electrical connector, comprising a main body having a latching arm extending therealong. The latching arm has a latching projection to engage a latching protrusion on a mating connector. A lifting arm extends from the main body and is directed towards the latching arm. The lifting arm is movable towards and away from the latching arm. The lifting arm has a ramped surface. Whereby, when the lifting arm is moved towards the latching arm, the ramped surface engages a bottom surface of the latching arm thereby deflecting the latching upwardly and away from the main body to disengage engagement between the latching arm and the latching projection.

Claims

1. An electrical connector, comprising:

a main body having at least one latching arm extending therealong, said at least one latching arm having a latching surface to engage a latching projection on a mating connector; and

at least one lifting arm extending from at least one wing and directed towards said at least one latching arm, said at least one wing being attached to the main body, said at least one lifting arm being movable towards and away from said at least one latching arm, whereby when said at least one lifting arm is moved toward said at least one latching arm, said at least one lifting arm engages a bottom surface of said at least one latching arm thereby deflecting said at least one latching arm upwardly and away from the main body to disengage engagement between said at least one latching arm and the latching projection.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein said at least one lifting arm has ramped surfaces to engage said at least one latching arm.

3. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein said at least one latching arm comprises two individual arms with a space therebetween, each of the individual arms having a latching projection.

4. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein said at least one wing forms a portion of a shroud around the main body.

5. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein said at least one wing extends from a rear of the connector, said at least one wing extending along the sides of the main body and said at least one lifting arm extending from said at least one wing.

6. An electrical connector comprising:

a dielectric housing having contacts therein;

a latching arm for providing latching engagement with a latching protrusion on a mating connector;

lifting arms extending from said housing and being directed towards the latching arm, the lifting arms being connected to the electrical connector by wings attached to said housing, the lifting arms being movable toward and away from the latching arm, when the lifting arm is moved toward the latching arm, the lifting arm engages a bottom surface of the latching arm thereby deflecting the latching arm upwardly and removing any engagement between the latching arm and the latching protrusion on the mating connector.

7. The electrical connector of claim 6, wherein the lifting arms have ramped surfaces to engage the latching arm.

8. The electrical connector of claim 6, wherein the latching arm comprises two individual arms with a space therebetween, each of the individual arms having a latching projection.

9. The electrical connector of claim 6, wherein the wings form a portion of a shroud around the main body.

10. The electrical connector of claim 6, wherein the wings extend from a rear of the electrical connector, the wings extending along the sides of the electrical connector and the lifting arms extend from the wings.

11. An electrical connector comprising a housing having electrical contacts therein, the housing having a latching arm to engage a mating connector, the latching arm having a first position and a second deflected position, the housing having lifting arms which extend directed toward said latching arm and are movable toward and away from the latching arm, when the lifting arms are moved toward the latching arm, a surface of the lifting arms engage the latching arm and lifts the latching arm from the first position to the second deflected position to unlatch said mating connector.

12. The electrical connector of claim 11, wherein the lifting arms have ramped surfaces to engage the latching arm.

13. The electrical connector of claim 11, wherein the latching arm comprises two individual arms with a space therebetween, each of the individual arms having a latching projection.

14. The electrical connector of claim 11, wherein the lifting arm extends from wings, the wings being attached to the housing.

15. The electrical connector of claim 14, wherein the wings form a portion of a shroud around the housing.

16. The electrical connector of claim 14, wherein the wings extend from a rear of the housing, the wings extending along the sides of the housing and the lifting arms extending from the wings.