Electrical connector

An electrical connector for connection to a complementary electrical connector is disclosed. The electrical connector includes a housing having a concavity and a latch rotatably carried by the housing. The latch includes a rotary section having a first curved edge, a second curved edge, and a tab received that is received by the concavity. The latch further includes a lock extending from the rotary section for connection with the complementary electrical connector.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION DATA

This application claims the benefit of the earlier filed Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-332533 having a filing date of Dec. 8, 2006.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an electrical connector.

BACKGROUND

Electrical connectors having lock mechanisms for keeping the electrical connectors connected to their counterpart connectors are known.

For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2003-297482 discloses a connector in which a lock lever is supported by its rotation-center shaft rotatable relative to the connector main body. When this connector is mated to connect with its counterpart connector, the lock lever rotates about their rotation-center shafts and the connector engages with its counterpart connector. This prevents the connector main body from being disconnected from its counterpart connector unintentionally. Nevertheless, the connector as recited in this patent document has drawbacks as follows. First, the connector main body has a structure in which its lock lever is supported by its rotation-center shaft consisting of a pin. This increases the number of parts. Second, manufacturing this connector requires a larger number of steps associated with installing the lock levers in the connector main body.

By contrast, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-272793 discloses a card connector including a card discharging mechanism with a structure in which an arm bar for pushing a card out of the card connector is rotatably supported, without using a pin, to its lift blade that is a part of the main body.

In the case of assembling the card connector as recited in the latter patent document, the arm bar is fixed, like a rivet, to its lift blade made of a metallic plate as follows. Specifically, a cylindrical rotary shaft is formed in the lift blade by burring, and then the front end of the rotary shaft is expanded in the radial directions with the rotary shaft passing through an opening formed in the arm bar. This requires specialized steps for performing the burring process and expanding the front end of the shaft, as well as requiring facilities for the processes.

SUMMARY

The present invention, in one embodiment, relates to an electrical connector for connection to a complementary electrical connector. The electrical connector includes a housing having a concavity and a latch rotatably carried by the housing. The latch includes a rotary section having a first curved edge, a second curved edge, and a tab received that is received by the concavity. The latch further includes a lock extending from the rotary section for connection with the complementary electrical connector.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT(S)

Descriptions will be provided below for an embodiment of an electrical connector according to the present invention with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1A-1Can electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. The electrical connector1is used in conjunction with a complementary electrical connector2(seeFIGS. 2A-2C), which will be described later. The electrical connector1electrically connects electric wires to a board. The electrical connector1is mated with the complementary electrical connector2(seeFIGS. 2A-2C) as its counterpart connector, with its front shown inFIG. 1Cbeing faced toward the complementary electrical connector2. The electrical connector1comprises: multiple first contacts11and multiple second contacts12that carry an electrical connection between the electrical connector1and the complementary electrical connector2; an insulating housing13that holds first and second contacts11and12; and latches14that are engaged with the complementary electrical connector2. The electrical connector1is actually used with a shield16, a metallic shielding cover (seeFIG. 3), attached to the outer periphery of a main body131of the housing13.FIGS. 1A-1Cshows the electrical connector1with the shield16being removed from the body131for increased viewing clarity.

The housing13includes the main body131and a plate-shaped mating plate132protruding out in a mating direction D from an abutment surface13ain the body131, which abuts the complementary electrical connector2. The mating plate132extends in the same width direction W as the housing13extends. In addition, a pair of guides133protrude out, in the same direction as the mating plate132, from the two respective ends of the abutment surface13awith the mating plate132being therebetween in the width direction W. The housing13is made of an insulating resin material. The body131, the mating plate132and the guides133are formed integrally into the housing13.

The first and second contacts11and12are arranged in rows in the same width direction W as the mating plate132extends, on the two surfaces of the mating plate132. The first and second contacts11and12are alternately arranged in a staggering manner on the two surfaces of the mating plate132. The first and second contacts11and12extend from the mating plate132to the body131, and are arranged in a single row in the body131. Multiple electric wires that are not illustrated, are connected to the first and second contacts11and12on the body131, by soldering or the like.

The latches14are attached to the two sides of the housing13in the width direction W. In addition, column-shaped supporting openings13bare formed in the housing13. The latches14are rotatably supported by the housing13and rotate about the insides of the supporting openings13b, respectively. Each of the latches14includes a lock141which is locked into the complementary electrical connector2. In response to a rotation of the latch14, the lock141juts out from its guide133, or retracts into the guide133. Furthermore, each of the latches14includes a spring142. A biasing force is applied by this spring142in the same direction as the lock141juts out from the guide133.

Descriptions will be subsequently provided for the complementary electrical connector2, the counterpart connector to the electrical connector1.

The complementary electrical connector2shown inFIGS. 2A-2Cincludes first and second complementary contacts21and22, and an insulating complementary housing23which holds these first and second complementary contacts21and22. The complementary housing23is provided with an elongated mating groove231which is open to a complementary abutment surface23ato abut the electrical connector1. The first and second complementary contacts21and22are arranged side by side, in the same direction as the mating groove231extends, i.e., in the width direction W, on first and second complementary sidewalls231aand231bon the two sides of the mating groove231. The first and second complementary contacts21and22are alternately arranged in a staggering manner on the first and second mating groove sidewalls231aand231bof the mating groove231. The first and second complementary contacts21and22are arranged in a row. In addition, the first and second complementary contacts21and contacts22are arranged to jut from a surface on the opposite side of the complementary abutment surface23aof the complementary housing23, and their jutting parts are folded. The first and second complementary contacts21and22are connected to a board (not illustrated) by soldering or the like. In addition, a pair of guide openings233are provided respectively to the two sides of the complementary housing23with the mating groove231being therebetween in the width direction W. Each of the guide openings233is continuously provided with a locking opening233b(seeFIG. 8A). The lock141(seeFIGS. 1A-1C) in the electrical connector1is locked into the locking opening233b. Holding protrusions232, which hold the electrical connector1from both sides, are provided to protrude from the complementary abutment surface23aof the complementary housing23in the same mating direction D as the holding protrusions232are mated into the electrical connector1.

FIG. 3is a diagram illustrating how the electrical connector1shown inFIGS. 1A-1Cis connected to the complementary electrical connector2shown inFIG. 2A-2C.FIG. 3shows the electrical connector1with the shield16being attached thereto. In addition,FIG. 3shows how the mating plate132of the electrical connector1looks when seen through.

The electrical connector1and the complementary electrical connector2are connected to each other with their fronts facing each other so that the abutment surface13aof the electrical connector1abuts on the complementary abutment surface23aof the complementary electrical connector2. In that position, the mating plate132of the electrical connector1is fitted into the mating groove231(seeFIGS. 2A-2C) of the complementary electrical connector2. Thereby, the first and second contacts11and12contact the first and second complementary contacts21and22(seeFIG. 2A-2C), respectively. Furthermore, the guides133of the electrical connector1are fitted into the guide openings233of the complementary electrical connector2.

As shown inFIG. 4, each of the holding protrusions232of the complementary electrical connector2is provided in a way that the holding protrusion232has a space whose height is almost equal to the height of the electrical connector1with the shield16being attached thereto. For this reason, while the electrical connector1and the complementary electrical connector2are mated with each other, the body131of the housing13in the electrical connector1is held between the two holding protrusion232in the complementary electrical connector2. This restrains the electrical connector1from moving in a direction in which the mating plate132hollows or is partially removed from the mating groove231of the complementary electrical connector2, even if an external force is applied to the electrical connector1while the electrical connector1is mated with the complementary electrical connector2. This accordingly prevents the mating plate132from being damaged.

As shown inFIGS. 5A-5B, the latch member14is a member formed by punching a corresponding piece out of a metallic plate and folding the punched-out piece. The latch member14includes: a plate-shaped rotary section143; the hook-shaped lock141provided continuously from the rotary section143; and the spring142continuously provided from the rotary section141, in an integrated manner. First and second curved edges143aand143bare formed in the periphery of the rotary section143. The lock141extends from between the first and second curved edges143aand143b. The rotary section143is provided with a tab144. The tab144has a shape obtained by shearing a part of the rotary section143substantially into a U shape, and by folding up the sheared part. As shown inFIG. 5Bin detail, the tab144is shaped like a hook in a manner that: a portion the tab144connected to the rotary section143is folded up at an almost right angle to the rotary section143; and its middle portion is additionally bent so that its front end portion is almost in parallel with the rotary section143. This tab144is formed by shearing its corresponding part from the rotary section143substantially in the form of a U shape, and bending the sheared part.

The present invention provides a cost-saving electrical connector1in which a latch14is easily installed. Specifically, the rotary functionality of the latch14can be provided without using a pin or the like and at a low cost. Furthermore, the latch14can be attached to the housing13by simply inserting the latch14into the housing13by facing forward a side of the latch14in which side its tab144is connected to the rotary section143. This makes it easy to attach the latch14to the housing13without using a specialized processing facility.

Descriptions will be subsequently provided for a part of the housing13to which the latch14is attached.FIG. 6Ais a magnified view of the guide133and its periphery in the housing13. A latch housing135that houses the latch14is provided inside of the housing13.

FIG. 7is a cross-sectional view of the housing13shown inFIG. 6at a location of the latch housing135.

Referring now toFIGS. 6-7, the latch housing135is formed to extend into the body131in the mating direction D and to continuously reach the inside of the guide133. The column-shaped supporting openings13bare formed in the housing13. The supporting openings13bpenetrate to the latch housing135from the outside of the housing13. An abutment section136consisting of first and second walls136aand136bprovided in a periphery of the supporting opening13bin the latch housing135. The first and second walls136aand136bhave shapes which respectively agree with arcs of concentric circles about a point in the supporting opening13b. Furthermore, as shown inFIG. 6, a guide groove137continuous from the latch housing135is formed in the housing13as well.

When the latch14is attached to the housing13in a step of assembling the electrical connector1, as shown inFIG. 6, the second curved edge143bof the latch14is brought into contact with the guide groove137, and the latch14is pushed and inserted into the latch housing135with the lock141facing the housing13. The height of the latch housing135is less than the thickness of the latch14inclusive of the tab144. However, the tab144is pushed into the latch housing135because the latch14and the housing13are elastically deformed. Once the tab144reaches a location of the supporting opening13b, the tab144is received by the supporting opening13b, and thus the latch14is attached to the housing13.

As shown inFIG. 8B, once the tab144is received by the supporting opening13b, the tab144operates as a rotary shaft about which the latch14rotates. A front end144aof the U-shaped tab144abuts on the inner wall of the column-shaped supporting opening13bat an almost right angle. In this position, as shown inFIG. 8A, the first and second curved edges143aand143bof the latch14respectively abut on the first and second walls136aand136bof the abutment section136. This prevents the tab144from being detached from the supporting opening13b, and accordingly prevents the latch14from shifting toward the guide133, while the latch14is being attached to the housing13.

While the latch14is attached to the housing13, the front end144aof the tab144, and the first and second curved edges143aand143bare arranged to be distributed in almost equal intervals in a circumferential direction of concentric circles about a point in the supporting opening13b. Furthermore, a portion of the supporting opening13bwhich abuts the tab144, the first and second walls136aand136bcorresponding to the first and second curved edges143aand143bare arranged to be distributed in almost equal intervals in a circumferential direction of concentric circles about the point in the supporting opening13b.

In the case where the electrical connector1is connected to the complementary electrical connector2, as shown inFIG. 8A, the guide133of the electrical connector1is inserted into the guide opening233of the complementary electrical connector2. At that time, the lock141is pressed by the sidewall of the guide opening233, and the latch14rotates about the point in the supporting opening13bin a direction in which causes the lock141to be housed in the guide133. As a result, the latch14is in a posture indicated by the alternate long and short dash line ofFIG. 8A. Once the guide133is fully inserted into the guide opening233, the latch14rotates in a direction in which the lock141juts out from the guide133due to a biasing force of the spring142. As a result, the latch14returns to a posture indicated by the continuous line inFIG. 8A.

The latch14is securely supported by the abutments at the three locations distributed in the almost equal intervals in the circumference about the rotational center in the supporting opening13b, that is to say, the abutment between the tab144and the inner surface of the supporting opening13b, the abutment between the first curved edge143aof the latch14and the first wall136a, and the abutment between the second curved edge143bof the latch14and the second wall136b.

Furthermore, the inner wall of the supporting opening13b, the first and second walls136aand136bhave shapes which are complementary with three arcs of concentric circles about the rotational center in the supporting opening13b. The latch14rotates smoothly while sliding the tab144and the two first and second curved edges143aand143bon the inner surface of the supporting opening13b, the first wall136aand the second wall136b.

This engagement of the lock141and the locking opening233bwith each other securely keeps the electrical connector1mated with the complementary electrical connector2securely.

It should be noted that, although the embodiment has been described citing the electrical connector1as an example, the present invention is not limited to this example. The present invention is applicable to any other type of electrical connector, such as the complementary electrical connector.

In addition, although the embodiment has been described citing the column-shaped supporting opening13bas an example of a member which receives the tab144, the present invention is not limited to this example. Any other member serves the purpose of receiving the tab144, as long as the member is a circular concave section. For example, a spherical concave or the like may be provided to the latch housing135, and be used as the member which receives the tab144.

Moreover, although the embodiment has been described using the example in which the abutment section136abutting on the first and second curved edges143aand143bis constituted of the first and second walls136aand136b, the present invention is not limited to this example. The number of wall sections abutting on each of the arc-shaped edges may be one, or three or more.