Board-to-board connector assembly

• US 8,647,141 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2012
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced-Connectek Incorporated (ACON Holding, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Advanced-Connectek Incorporated (ACON Holding, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lee, Kuo-Ching, Guan, Jian-Li, Meng, Ta-Teh, Choy, Conrad Yee Yang, Liang, Ya-Ping
• Primary Examiner(s): PAUMEN, GARY F
• Application Number:
  US13/533,665
• Publication Number:
  US 20130260594A1
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 439/372
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/73 connecting to other rigid printed circuits or like structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/88 acting manually by rotating or pivoting connector housing parts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/20 Pins, blades, or sockets shaped, or provided with separate member, to retain co-operating parts together
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/639 Additional means for holding or locking coupling parts together, after engagement, e.g. separate keylock, retainer strap

Abstract

A board-to-board connector assembly has a female connector and a male connector. The female connector has a first insulative housing, multiple first terminals and a latching bar. The first insulative housing has a locking recess and a releasing recess. The latching bar is mounted pivotally on the first insulative housing and selectively engages the locking recess or releasing recess. The male connector has a second insulative housing, multiple second terminals and two latched elements. The latched elements are mounted in the second insulative housing and each latched element has a latched hole selectively engaging with the latching bar to prevent the male connector from falling out of the female connector.

Claims

1. A board-to-board connector assembly comprising:

a female connector having;

a first insulative housing having;

two opposite first edges;

two opposite second edges;

a top; and

a socket hole defined in the top of the first insulative housing;

multiple first terminals mounted in the socket hole;

a shell mounted on the first insulative housing and having;

two opposite first sides;

two opposite second sides;

two sets of at least one locking recess defined respectively in the first sides; and

two sets of at least one releasing recess defined respectively in the first sides and located respectively adjacent to and corresponding to the sets of the at least one locking recess; and

a latching bar mounted pivotally on the second sides of the shell and the second edges of the first insulative housing and having;

a handling segment having two ends;

two positioning segments formed on and protruding respectively from the ends of the handling segments and each positioning segment selectively engaging the at least one locking recess of one set or the at least one releasing recess of one set; and

two latching pins formed on and protruding respectively from the positioning segments and rotatably and slidably extending respectively through the first sides of the shell and respectively in the first edges of the first insulative housing; and

a male connector detachably engaging the female connector and having;

a second insulative housing detachably engaging the socket hole of the first insulative housing and having;

a bottom; and

two opposite first outer walls; and

multiple second terminals mounted in the second insulative housing and selectively and respectively contacting the first terminals; and

two latched elements mounted respectively on the first outer walls of the second insulative housing and each latched element having a latched hole defined through the latched element and aligned with one of the latching pins, wherein when each positioning segment of the latching bar engages the at least one releasing recess on one of the first sides of the shell, the latching pins disengage respectively from the latched holes of the latched elements, and when each positioning segment of the latching bar engages the at least one locking recess on one of the first sides of the shell, the latching pins extend respectively in the latched holes of the latched elements.

2. The board-to-board connector assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one releasing recess of each set is stacked vertically with the at least one locking recess of a corresponding set.

3. The board-to-board connector assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein a depth of each locking recess is deeper than a depth of each releasing recess and the latching bar is resilient so that a distance between the latching pins when each positioning segment engages one locking recess is shorter than a distance between the latching pins when each positioning segment engages one releasing recess.

4. The board-to-board connector assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the latching bar further has two stoppers formed on and protruding transversely and respectively from the latching pins and respectively abutting the first sides of the shell.

5. The board-to-board connector assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein each positioning segment of the latching bar is V-shaped and has a positioning peak selectively engaging one lock recess or one releasing recess.

6. The board-to-board connector assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein

the second insulative housing further has two mounting boards formed on and downwardly protruding respectively from the first outer walls;

and

each latched element is U-shaped and has an inside tab;

an outside tab formed on and extending from the inside tab; and

a notch defined between the inside tab and the outside tab and engaging one of the mounting boards; and

the latched holes are defined respectively through the outside tabs.

7. The board-to-board connector assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein

the first insulative housing further has two assembling slots defined respectively in the first edges and in which the latching pins extend respectively;

and

the shell further has two pivot holes defined respectively through the first sides and through which the latching pins extend respectively.

8. The board-to-board connector assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein the latched elements serve as grounding terminals.

9. The board-to-board connector assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein the outside tab of each latched element has a soldering tab formed on and protruding from the outside tab.

10. The board-to-board connector assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the shell further has an opening defined through the shell and corresponding to the socket hole of the first insulative housing.

11. The board-to-board connector assembly as claimed in claim 10, wherein the shell is made of metal, and the latched elements are made of metal.

12. The board-to-board connector assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein the latching bar is made of metal.