Quick lock connector assembly

• US 9,190,776 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2014
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced-Connectek Incorporated (ACON Holding, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Advanced-Connectek Incorporated (ACON Holding, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lee, Kuo-Ching, Choy, Conrad Yee Yang, Liang, Ya-Ping, Meng, Ta-Teh, Guan, Jian-Li
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thanh Tam
• Application Number:
  US14/256,238
• Publication Number:
  US 20140322941A1
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• Field of Search: 439/74, 439/372, 439/376, 439/497, 439/607.35, 439/607.4, 439/607.41, 439/607.49, 439/660
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/88 acting manually by rotating or pivoting connector housing parts
• 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 quick lock connector assembly has a female connector and a male connector. The female connector has a first insulative housing, multiple first terminals, an outer casing and a locking lever. The locking lever is mounted pivotally on the outer casing and has two locking pins. The male connector is engaged detachably with the female connector and has a second insulative housing and multiple second terminals. The second insulative housing has two locking recesses selectively engaged respectively with the locking pins. The locking lever is able to quickly lock the male connector on the female connector.

Claims

1. A quick lock connector assembly comprising:

a female connector having

a first insulative housing having two opposite first edges, two opposite second edges, and a socket hole defined in a top of the first insulative housing;

multiple first terminals mounted in the socket hole;

an outer casing mounted on the first insulative housing and having two opposite first sides and two opposite second sides; and

a locking lever mounted pivotally through the first sides of the outer casing and through the first edges of the first insulative housing and having two locking pins;

a male connector engaged detachably with the female connector and having

a second insulative housing mounted detachably in the socket hole of the first insulative housing and having two opposite first sidewalls, two opposite second sidewalls, and two locking recesses defined respectively in the first sidewalls and selectively engaged respectively with the locking pins of the locking lever; and

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

wherein when the male connector is engaged with the female connector with the second insulative housing mounted in the socket hole of the first insulative housing, disengaging the locking pins respectively from the locking recesses makes the second insulative housing freely separable from the first insulative housing, and engaging the locking pins respectively with the locking recesses locks and prevents the second insulative housing from separating from the first insulative housing.

2. The quick lock connector assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the locking lever further has

an operating section;

two positioning sections formed on and protruding respectively from two ends of the operating section and selectively pressing respectively against the first sides of the outer casing; and

two pivot sections formed on and protruding respectively from the positioning sections and rotatably extending respectively through the first sides of the outer casing and respectively through the first edges of the first insulative housing;

the locking pins are formed on and protrude respectively from the pivot sections; and

when the male connector is engaged with the female connector with the second insulative housing mounted in the socket hole of the first insulative housing, separating the positioning sections of the locking lever respectively from the first sides of the outer casing disengages the locking pins respectively from the locking recesses and makes the second insulative housing freely separable from the first insulative housing, and pressing the positioning sections respectively against the first sides of the outer casing engages the locking pins respectively with the locking recesses and makes the second insulative housing inseparable from the first insulative housing.

3. The quick lock connector assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the locking pins of the locking lever are located in the socket hole of the first insulative housing.

4. The quick lock connector assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein

the second insulative housing further has two through slots vertically defined through the second insulative housing and respectively in the first sidewalls, and each through slot has two opposite inner walls;

the locking recesses correspond to the through slots and each locking recess is defined in one of the inner walls of a corresponding through slot;

the locking pins are substantially perpendicular to the pivot sections;

when the locking pins pivot to be substantially parallel with the through slots, moving the second insulative housing vertically is capable of disengaging the locking pins respectively from the through slots; and

when the second insulative housing is mounted in the socket hole of the first insulative housing, pivoting the locking pins to be substantially perpendicular to the through slots and engaged respectively with the locking recesses locks and prevents the second insulative housing from separating from the first insulative housing.

5. The quick lock connector assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein each positioning section has a V-shaped and peak-like positioning element formed on the pivot section and selectively pressing against one of the first sides of the outer casing.

6. The quick lock connector assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein

the first insulative housing further has two assembling holes defined respectively in the first edges;

the outer casing further has two pivot holes defined respectively through the first sides of the outer casing; and

the pivot sections of the locking lever rotatably extend respectively through the pivot holes of the outer casing and respectively through the assembling holes of the first insulative housing.

7. The quick lock connector assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein the outer casing further has an opening defined through the outer casing and corresponding to the socket hole.

8. The quick lock connector assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein the locking lever is made of metal.

9. The quick lock connector assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein the outer casing is made of metal.