Unitary spring latch for an electrical connector assembly

An electrical connector assembly having unitary spring latches for latching the assembly to a mating connector and for assisting in the separation of the assembly from the connector. The mating connector is associated with a latch post having an enlarged head at its forward end. The spring latch includes an engagement end adapted for engagement with the latch post behind the enlarged head and an actuating end at the opposite end of the spring latch across an integral pivot adapted for operator manipulation to release the engagement end from engagement with the latch post. The spring latch further includes integral biasing means for biasing the actuating end in a direction to effect engagement of the engagement end with the latch post and a spring arm which bears against the forward end of the latch post to provide a yieldable biasing force to the latch post in a direction to oppose mating of the assembly with the connector and to aid in separation of the assembly from the connector.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to an electrical connector assembly and, more 
particularly, to an improved unitary spring latch for latching the 
assembly to a mating connector and for assisting in the unlatching 
therefrom. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
An electrical connector assembly manufactured by Cory Components, Inc., 
includes a latch assembly for a connector which engages with a latch post 
of a mating connector. In addition, the latch assembly includes means for 
aiding in the ejection of the latch post from the connector when 
disengagement is desired. However, this latching assembly comprises four 
pieces, i.e., a spring arm, a latching claw, a pivot pin and a coil 
ejector spring. It would be desirable to provide a unitary spring latch 
providing all of the above functions. 
U.S. Pat. No. 5,383,794 discloses an electrical connector assembly having 
an actuator mechanism for a pair of unitary spring latch arms. The pair of 
latch arms flank a connector and together therewith are contained within a 
holder, with actuating ends of the latch arms extending laterally outward 
from the holder. The actuator mechanism surrounds the holder and is 
slidable therealong. The latch arms are adapted to engage with, and to 
pivot and disengage from, latch posts of a mating electrical connector. 
Sliding the actuator mechanism along the holder away from the mating 
connector engages the actuating ends of the latch arms to pivot the latch 
arms to disengage from the mating connector latch posts and separates the 
two connectors. It would be desirable to provide a connector assembly 
having unitary spring latch arms which does not require such an actuator 
mechanism, but at the same time provides an aid to separating the mating 
connectors. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The foregoing and additional objects are attained in accordance with the 
principles of this invention by providing an electrical connector assembly 
adapted for mating connection with a mating connector having a latch post 
extending along the direction of relative linear movement between the 
connector assembly and the mating connector during mating/unmating, the 
latch post having an enlarged head at its forward end. The inventive 
assembly comprises a primary connector supporting a plurality of 
electrical terminals exposed along the mating face of the primary 
connector and a two-part housing with an interior cavity adapted to 
encircle and contain the primary connector such that the mating face is 
accessible from outside the housing along the forward end of the housing. 
The housing further has its cavity open to the housing forward end for 
receiving the latch posts therein, preferably to each side of the primary 
connector. A unitary spring latch is supported within the housing along 
each side of the primary connector for pivotal movement about a pivot axis 
orthogonal to the direction of relative linear movement. Each spring latch 
includes an engagement end extending into a latch post receiving cavity 
and adapted for engagement with a respective latch post behind its 
enlarged head, and an actuating end across the pivot axis from the 
engagement end and extending outwardly from the housing. The actuating end 
of each spring latch is adapted for inward pivoting movement to release 
the engagement end from engagement with its latch post. Each spring latch 
further includes biasing means for yieldably biasing the actuating end 
outwardly from the housing, and a spring arm extending into the latch post 
receiving cavity and adapted to bear against the forward end of the latch 
post. The spring arm provides a yieldable biasing force to the latch post 
in a direction outwardly from the latch post receiving cavity, to aid 
ejection of the latch post from the latch post receiving cavity.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates an electrical connector 
assembly designated generally by the reference numeral 10 and 
incorporating the unitary spring latch constructed according to this 
invention. The assembly 10 is adapted for mating connection with a mating 
connector 12 which has a pair of latch posts 14, 16 which extend along the 
direction of relative linear movement between the assembly 10 and the 
connector 12 during mating/unmating. Each of the latch posts 14, 16 has a 
respective enlarged head 18, 20 at its forward end, The enlarged heads 18, 
20 taper outwardly from their forward ends and then step inwardly so that 
behind each of the enlarged heads 18, 20 there is a reduced width shaft 
portion 22, 24. 
The connector assembly 10 includes a primary connector 26 of conventional 
design which supports a plurality of electrical terminals 28 exposed along 
a forward side of the connector 26. The terminals 28 are connected to 
individual wires within the cable 30 which extends rearwardly from the 
connector assembly 10. The connector assembly 10 further includes a 
two-part housing 32, illustratively but not necessarily of hermaphroditic 
construction, which has an interior cavity adapted to encircle and contain 
the connector 26 and allow the connector mating face at the forward end of 
the connector 26 to be accessible from outside the housing 32 along the 
forward end thereof. As shown, the connector 26 extends outwardly from the 
housing 32, it being understood that the connector 26 could also be 
completely contained within the housing 32 so long as the terminals 28 
remain accessible. The housing 32 further has an interior cavity open to 
the forward end and exposing the connector mating face. The cavity 
receives the latch posts 18, 20 therein to each side of the connector 26. 
This cavity may be the same as the cavity containing the connector 26, as 
illustrated. 
According to the present invention, a unitary spring latch, designated 
generally by the reference numeral 40 and shown in FIG. 2, is provided. 
The spring latch 40 is stamped and formed from a metal blank to be of 
unitary construction. A circular pivot 42 is formed by oppositely curved 
strips being bent outwardly from the plane of thickness of the metal 
blank. The side edges of the strips are defined by adjacent, spaced apart, 
longitudinal slits 44 extending lengthwise through the blank. The 
actuating end 46 of the latch 40 is formed into a loop, by bending the 
blank on itself. The actuating end 46 projects from the pivot 42 in a 
rearward direction and extends outwardly from an opening 34 in the housing 
32. 
Biasing means including a first spring arm 48 extends from the actuating 
end 46, at an angle to the metal blank, and is cut out from the metal 
blank by slits 50 in the blank defining three of the four sides of the 
spring arm 48. The engagement end 52 of the latch 40 extends away from the 
pivot 42 in the opposite direction from the actuating end 46, and is bent 
at its forward end oppositely to the direction formed by the loop of the 
actuating end 46. The far end of the engagement end 52 is formed with a 
pair of spaced fingers 54, shown as being separated by a semicircular cut 
out 56. The spacing between the fingers 54 is greater than the width of 
the reduced width shaft portions 22, 24 of the latch posts 14, 16 and less 
than the width of the rearward end of the enlarged heads 18, 20. 
Preferably, the diameter of the cut out 56 is slightly greater than the 
diameter of the reduced width shaft portions 22, 24. 
The latch 40 further includes a second spring arm 58 extending forwardly 
from the pivot 42 and formed by slits 60 cut into the metal blank and 
defining three of the four sides of the spring arm 58. The spring arm 58 
extends from the metal blank diagonally toward the same side as the bent 
forward end of the engagement end 52. At its forward end 62, the spring 
arm 58 is bent at a substantially right angle. This right angle bend is 
substantially directly above the cut out 56. 
As shown in FIG. 3, the housing 32 has an interior cavity 70 for holding 
the connector 26. Separate cavities 72 on opposite sides of the housing 32 
allow a pair of identical spring latches 40 to be dropped therein, with 
their orientations being the mirror images of each other. Thus, the spring 
latch 40 is dropped into the cavity 72 with its actuating end 46 extending 
outwardly through the opening 34 and its engagement end 52 extending 
toward the connector 26. The spring arm 48 extends toward the inner wall 
74 of the cavity 72 and is effective to yieldably bias the actuating end 
46 outwardly of the housing 32 through the opening 34. At the same time, 
the engagement end 52 is biased inwardly of the housing 32. 
When the connector 26 is to be mated with the connector 12, the two 
connectors are brought together. At that time, the latch posts 14, 16 
enter the open forward end of the housing 32. The taper of the enlarged 
heads 18, 20 causes the engagement ends 52 of the spring latches 40 to 
deflect outwardly out of the path of the latch posts 14, 16. When an 
enlarged head passes an engagement end, the engagement end snaps behind 
the enlarged head with the finger 54 flanking the reduced width shaft 
portion and the cut out 56 bearing against the reduced width shaft 
portion. This provides a positive lock to prevent inadvertent separation 
of the connectors 12, 26. The forward end 62 of the spring arm 58 is 
spaced from the fingers 54 a distance which is slightly less than the 
front to rear dimension of the enlarged head 18 so that the forward end of 
the latch post 14 deflects the spring arm 58 rearwardly from its neutral 
position. Thus, the enlarged head 18 is firmly seated between the fingers 
54 of the engagement end 52 and the forward end 62 of the spring arm 58. 
Thus, the spring arm 58 provides a yieldable biasing force to the latch 
post 14 in a direction outwardly from the cavity of the housing 32. 
As shown in FIG. 4, when it is desired to separate the connectors 12, 26, 
the operator presses the actuating end 46 of each of the spring latches 40 
inwardly against the biasing force of the spring arm 48. This causes the 
engagement end 52 to pivot outwardly and release the respective latch post 
14, 16. At the same time, the spring arm 58 provides an outwardly directed 
force to the forward end of the latch post 14, 16 to aid in separating the 
connectors 12, 26. 
Accordingly, there has been disclosed an improved unitary spring latch for 
latching an electrical connector assembly to a mating connector and for 
assisting in the unlatching therefrom. While a preferred embodiment of the 
present invention has been disclosed herein, it is understood that various 
modifications and adaptations to the disclosed embodiment will be apparent 
to one of ordinary skill in the art and it is intended that this invention 
be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.