Abstract:
A small, low-profile plug connector for use with electronic devices provides a latching member with a pair of hooks that engage mating holes in a guide frame, and which can be easily disengaged from the guide frame or opposing connector or housing. The connector includes an elongated actuator interposed between the connector housing and latching member and the actuator terminates in a cylindrical cam member that is captured in a recess on the connector housing such that rearward movement of the actuator imparts a raising action to the latching member.

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The Present Application claims priority to prior-filed U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/843,568, entitled “Improved Low Profile Latching Connector” and filed with the United States Patent And Trademark Office on 08 Jul. 2013. The content of the aforementioned Application is fully incorporated herein in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE 
       [0002]    The Present Disclosure is generally directed to small and low-profile connectors, and more particularly, to pluggabie-style connectors received within a housing, or guide frame, and which have an improved actuating mechanism for actuating an exterior latch to engage or disengage the connector in mated engagement with the housing or guide frame. 
         [0003]    Small and low-profile connectors, such as those used in SFP (Small Form Factor Pluggable) applications, are desired in electronic devices in which space is a premium. Such connectors are widely used to make connections with routers and servers, and are small in size. One problem with electronic connectors of this type, however, is the tendency for them to separate or be disconnected from the component to which they are connected. Connectors, and particularly plug connectors, rely upon latching mechanisms to make their connection more reliable and separation less likely. As connectors become smaller and as the density of receptacle connectors in electronic devices increases, the simple act of disengaging a plug connector latch mechanism becomes increasingly more difficult. 
         [0004]    U.S. Pat. No. 7,354,292, which issued 08 Apr. 2008 to the assignee of the Present Disclosure and the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety herein, describes a plug connector in which the latching mechanism includes a cantilevered latching member actuated by way of a pull tab having an integrated roll pin. The pull tab is formed of nylon and prevented from over-pulling by way of a slot-tab arrangement. A lug on the connector housing is received within a slot of the pull tab and is intended to limit the movement, and prevent over-movement of the pull tab. However, the nylon material from which the pull tab is made is subject to deformation and repeated usage of the pull tab may result in an elongation of its slot, which can eliminate the ability of the pull tab to return the latching mechanism to its initial location. Exertion of excessive force on the pull tabs of these known connectors has resulted in damage to the actuator and has required replacement of the actuator. 
         [0005]    The Present Disclosure is directed to a small size, and low profile pluggable connector that overcomes the aforementioned shortcomings. 
       SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE 
       [0006]    Accordingly, there is provided a low profile connector with a latching mechanism that secures it to an opposing receptacle. In this regard, a low profile plug connector usable in high-density electronic devices is provided wherein the latching mechanism is simple to assemble and operate, using a minimum number of components and a structure that prevents elongation of the pull tab to the extent and possible deleterious operation of the latching mechanism. 
         [0007]    In accordance with the Present Disclosure, a connector for mating with a guide frame or other housing that houses a receptacle connector is provided with a connector housing that houses a circuit card which supports a plurality of conductive contacts thereon. The contacts are terminated to conductors in a cable, and the connector housing includes a forward mating end received within a portion of the guide frame. The connector housing further includes a rear body portion that remains exterior of the guide frame and the connector housing forward mating end and rear body portion are aligned together along a longitudinal axis of the connector housing. A latching mechanism is disposed on the connector housing, primarily on the body portion thereof, and has a cantilevered structure responsive to a pulling action on an actuator that disengages a latching arm of the latching mechanism from engagement with the opposing guide frame. 
         [0008]    The connector housing body portion has a slot that receives a substantial portion of the latching mechanism, and the latching mechanism has an elongated latching arm that extends lengthwise of the connector housing. Two wing portions of the latching mechanism are fixed to the connector housing so that the latching mechanism acts as a cantilevered member. The free end of the latching arm may include one or more hooks that engage openings in the opposing guide frame, or housing, that encloses the opposing receptacle connector. The latching member includes a cam surface that extends rearwardly and a sliding actuator is provided to operate the latching mechanism upwardly so that a user may lift the latching member with a simple pull action. The actuator is interposed between the latching arm and an exterior surface of the connector housing. The actuator takes the form of a pull tab wrapped around a roll pin which defines a cam member of the actuator. The roll pin is captured in a recess disposed on the connector housing and this recess limits the movement of the roll pin lengthwise with respect to the connector housing. The latching member cam surface is angled in a manner so that the cantilevered arm of the latching member exerts a force on the actuator cam member when it is pulled and this force tends to return the actuator cam member to its original position where the latching member is in its downward position. Maintaining the cam surface in the connector housing contributes to the reduction in the height of the connector. 
         [0009]    These and other objects, features and advantages of the Present Disclosure will be clearly understood through a consideration of the following detailed description. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         [0010]    The organization and manner of the structure and operation of the Present Disclosure, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following Detailed Description, taken in connection with the accompanying Figures, wherein like reference numerals identify like elements, and in which: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a low profile plug connector constructed in accordance with the Present Disclosure; 
           [0012]      FIG. 1A  is a top plan view of a portion of the connector of  FIG. 1 , with the actuator and cam member in place upon the connector housing rear portion; 
           [0013]      FIG. 1B  is the same view as  FIG. 1A , but with the actuator and cam member removed to illustrate the connector housing rear portion recess and actuator channel; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2A  is a perspective view of the actuator utilized in the connector of  FIG. 1  prior to assembly onto a roll pin; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2B  is the same view as  FIG. 2A , but illustrates the two halves of the pull tab portion of the actuator in contact with each other so as to grip the roll pin at one end thereof; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3A  is a perspective view of the latching member utilized in the plug connector of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3B  is a side elevational view of the latching member of  FIG. 3A ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 4A  is a perspective view of the plug connector of  FIG. 1 , but with the actuator in place on the connector housing; 
           [0019]      FIG. 4B  is the same view as  FIG. 4A , but with the latching member assembled to the connector housing and the actuator roll pin in its forward position; 
           [0020]      FIG. 4C  is an enlarged portion of a top plan view of the connector of  FIG. 4B ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 4D  is a sectional view taken along Line A-A of  FIG. 4C , illustrating the forward position of the actuator roll pin in the connector housing recess; 
           [0022]      FIG. 5A  is a perspective view similar to  FIG. 4B , but with the actuator roll pin moved to its rearmost position within the connector housing recess; 
           [0023]      FIG. 5B  is an enlarged top plan view of the latching member of  FIG. 5A  with the associated actuator in its rear most position within the connector housing; 
           [0024]      FIG. 5C  is a sectional view taken along Line A-A of  FIG. 5B , illustrating the roll pin in its rearmost position within the connector housing recess so that the free end of the latching arm is lifted up; 
           [0025]      FIG. 6A  is a perspective view of the connector of  FIG. 1  engaged with an opposing connector assembly mounted to a circuit board; 
           [0026]      FIG. 6B  is a top plan view of the mated connector assembly of  FIG. 6A ; and 
           [0027]      FIG. 6C  is an enlarged cross-sectional detail view of the mated connector assembly of  FIG. 6B , taken along Line A-A thereof. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0028]    While the Present Disclosure may be susceptible to embodiment in different forms, there is shown in the Figures, and will be described herein in detail, specific embodiments, with the understanding that the Present Disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the Present Disclosure, and is not intended to limit the Present Disclosure to that as illustrated. 
         [0029]    As such, references to a feature or aspect are intended to describe a feature or aspect of an example of the Present Disclosure, not to imply that every embodiment thereof must have the described feature or aspect. Furthermore, it should be noted that the description illustrates a number of features. While certain features have been combined together to illustrate potential system designs, those features may also be used in other combinations not expressly disclosed. Thus, the depicted combinations are not intended to be limiting, unless otherwise noted. 
         [0030]    In the embodiments illustrated in the Figures, representations of directions such as up, down, left, right, front and rear, used for explaining the structure and movement of the various elements of the Present Disclosure, are not absolute, but relative. These representations are appropriate when the elements are in the position shown in the Figures. If the description of the position of the elements changes, however, these representations are to be changed accordingly. 
         [0031]      FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a low profile connector  10  constructed in accordance with the Present Disclosure. The connector  10  has a connector housing  12  formed from two parts  14 ,  16  and defines a hollow interior that receives one end of a multi-wire cable  18  and receives a portion of a circuit card  20  that defines a mating blade of the connector  10 . The connector housing  12  includes opposing first and second (front and rear) ends  22 ,  24  and the front end  22  thereof is configured to mate with the receptacle or guide frame  70  of an opposing receptacle connector  71  ( FIG. 6C ), while the rear end  24  is configured to receive the cable  18 . 
         [0032]    The connector housing  12  can be seen to have two different portions. The first, or front, portion,  30  engages an opposing connector assembly as noted above, but also provides a protective housing for the circuit card  20  and may further include a polarizing slot  32  to effect proper mating with the apposing connector. The second, or rear, portion,  34  is larger than the first portion both in overall size and in height, which gives the connectors of the 
         [0033]    Present Disclosure a somewhat stepped appearance when viewed from the side. A flexible EMI gasket  36  may be provided that encircles the first portion  30  and which sits at the junction of the connector housing first and second portions  30 ,  34  so that it may be compressed when the connector  10  is mated with the guide frame  70  of the opposing connector assembly ( FIGS. 6A-B ). 
         [0034]    A latching member  40  is provided and it can be seen in  FIGS. 3A-B  to have a generally T-shaped configuration, with an elongated base portion  41  and two wing portions  42  that extend at an angle from the base portion  41 . The wing portions  42  are perforated with openings  43  that accommodate rivets, or other suitable fasteners  44 . As the wing portions  42  are only fixed to the connector housing  12  by their respective fasteners  44 , a singular latching arm  45  is defined and extends lengthwise of the latching member  40 . The latching arm  45  terminates in a free end  46  that is free to move up or down in response to movement of the actuator  50 . The free end  46  of the latching member  40  has one or more engagement members in the form of hooks  47  configured to engage corresponding opposing openings  72  formed in the opposing connector assembly. As noted above, the latching member  40  is secured at its rear wing portions  42  and so presents a cantilevered latching arm  45  that can be selectively urged upwardly and downwardly in order to disengage and engage the latching hooks  47  from the opposing connector assembly. 
         [0035]    The fasteners  44  maintain the latching member and its associated latching arm in a closed, or engagement, position where the latching arm engagement hooks will engage the openings  72  of an opposing guide frame  70 . The latching member  40  and its latching arm  45  will deflect upwardly upon pulling of an actuator  50  and the cantilevered attachment of the latching member  40  urges it downwardly against the pull of the actuator  50  as explained in greater. detail below. 
         [0036]    As noted above, the actuator  50  is provided to lift the latching member free end  46  by way of a simple pulling action.  FIGS. 2A-B  depict the actuator  50  and it can be seen that the actuator has an elongated body portion  51  with opposing front and rear ends  52 ,  53 . The actuator  50  is formed from a strip of durable material, such as PET or the like, and is folded upon itself, preferably at a midpoint to provide a double thickness strip for the actuator  50 . The two sides of the actuator strip may be united by way of plastic or ultrasonic welding, adhesives, or the like. The actuator  50  is also folded upon itself so that it can encircle and grasp a cylindrical cam member  54  shown as a roll pin  55 , at the actuator front end  52 . The is roll pin is preferably formed from a metal as to prevent wear problems from occurring during repeated installation and removal of the connector  10 . A window  56  is provided in the middle of the actuator  50 , that when the body portion  51  is folded over the roll pin  55 , defines a slot  58  positioned generally in the center part of the actuator  50  between the two opposing ends of the roll pin  55 . The rear end  53  of the actuator  50  may be wider than the front end  52  so that the grasping of it by a user is facilitated. The actuator  50  has a length longer than the connector housing second portion  34  so that it can project rearwardly for access in a wiring closet or the like. 
         [0037]      FIGS. 3A-B  illustrate the latching member  40 , In order to provide a means for urging the latching member  40  up or down in response to movement of the actuator  50 , the latching member  40  is provided with a cam surface  48  disposed generally centrally in the latching arm  45  and proximate to the latching arm free end  46 . This cam surface  48  may be easily stamped from the body of the latching arm.  45  and is partly defined by a surrounding U-shaped window  48   a.  The window  48   a  is preferably oriented so that the opening of the “U” faces the latching arm free end  46 . In this regard, a tab  49  is defined by the cam surface  48  and in the embodiment illustrated, the tab  49  is bent downwardly at an angle and rearwardly toward the wing portions  42  of the latching member  40 . The angle of this cam surface  48  serves to exert a return force on the actuator cam member  54  as the rear end of the latching member  40  is fixed to the connector housing  12  by way of the fasteners  44  at the wing portions  43  thereof. The latching arm  45  is therefore free to deflect upwardly and downwardly. 
         [0038]    The upward deflection of the latching arm  45  occurs when the actuator  50  is pulled in a first direction, rearwardly, and the actuator cam member  54  moves from its first operative position shown in  FIG. 4D  at the front end of the connector housing recess  60  to its second operative position shown in  FIG. 5C . When this occurs, the latching arm engagement hooks  47  are lifted out of the opposing guide frame openings  72  and the connector  10  may be removed from the guide frame  70 . The latching member cam surface extends down at an angle in a second direction angularly offset from the pulling (first) direction. As the latching arm free end tends to return to its downward, or engaged position, the downwardly angled cam surface exerts a return force, shown by the arrow RF in  FIGS. 5C and 6C  onto the roll pin  55 . This causes the roll pin  55  to move forwardly in the connector housing recess  60  when the pulling on the actuator is relaxed. By this structure, the cam surface of the latching member  40  is maintained in the connector housing recess  60 , reducing the overall height of the connector assembly. 
         [0039]    The tab  49  and its angled, or ramped, cam surface  48  has a width that permits it to extend through the slot  58  defined at the front end  52  of the actuator  50 . The use of the actuator window  56  results in the actuator exerting a pulling force on the roll pin  55  on opposite sides of the latching member cam surface  48 , and it also extends the roll pin  55  into direct contact with the latching member cam surface  48  so that this contact is purely metal-to-metal contact. Hence, there is no worry about degradation of one of the cam member/cam surface members due to dissimilar materials as which may occur with conventional plastic-metal interfaces. 
         [0040]    As illustrated best in  FIGS. 1 and 4A , the connector housing second portion includes a recess  60  formed proximate to the front portion thereof. This recess  60  is rectangular in configuration and extends widthwise of the connector housing  12 . The recess  60  has a selected length that corresponds to a desired movement length, or stroke “S,” of the actuator  50  in which the roll pin  55  moves into contact with the latching member cam surface  48  and vice-versa. The recess  60  has a pair of opposing slots  61 ,  62  that respectively open to the front and rear ends of the connector housing second portion. The front slot  61  accommodates the latching arm free end, while the recess rear slot  62  accommodates part of the body of the latching arm. The recess front slot  61  communicates with the exterior of the connector  10 , while the recess rear slot  62  communicates with the connector housing rear portion channel  64 . The recess rear slot  62  communicates with a lengthwise channel  64  formed in the top surface of the connector housing second portion  34  and this channel  64  accommodates a portion of the actuator. 
         [0041]    The recess  60  serves to capture the roll pin  55  and restrain its movement to the desired stroke S. The length of the stroke is preferably such that it maintains the actuator cam member  54  in contact with the latching member cam surface  48  and also provides a stop for rearward movement of the roll pin  55  so that the actuator  50  cannot be pulled beyond the stroke. It also accommodates the actuator front end  52  and its associated slot  58 , as well as the latching member cam surface  48 , the tab  49  of which extends through the actuator slot  58  toward the bottom of the recess  60 . Both the latching member cam surface tab  49  and the actuator slot  58  have widths that are preferably less than the width of the recess  60  and the width of the connector housing rear portion channel  64 . Similarly, it is preferable that the lengths of the actuator slot  58  and the latching member cam surface tab  49  are less than or approximately equal to the length of the connector housing rear portion recess  60  in order to is confine, or capture, the camming movement within the recess  60 . By capturing the movement of the roll pin  55  in the recess  60 , the roll pin  55  is maintained in contact with the latching member cam surface  48  to ensure an application of the return force to move the roll pin  55  back to its first operative position when the pulling force on the actuator  50  is released. 
         [0042]    While a preferred embodiment of the Present Disclosure is shown and described, it is envisioned that those skilled in the art may devise various modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the foregoing Description and the appended Claims.