Abstract:
A connector assembly of a first connector and a second connector. The connector assembly includes at least one latch biased to a locking position to lock the assembly in cooperation with a complementary locking section. The connector assembly includes a release member movable in a direction towards a top face of one of the connectors from a rest position to a release position. The release member pushes the latch away from the locking position when the release member is moved to the release position

Description:
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a connector assembly of two or more complementary connectors comprising a latch and a release member. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0002]    Such connector assemblies are for instance used to connect optical cables to a transceiver. Optical cables can be connected to printed circuit boards or similar substrates using transceivers and cable assemblies which can be plugged into a complementary opening in the transceiver. The transceiver is typically received by a socket assembly mounted on the substrate. The cable assembly should be accurately positioned within the transceiver in order to assure that the terminal end of each fiber faces an associated light receiving lens in the transceiver with a gap of a predetermined distance between the two. The optical signals pass the transceiver and are converted to electronic signals. The transceivers can for example be provided with a heat sink to dissipate heat generated during use. 
         [0003]    Although unintentional decoupling of the cable assembly should be avoided, the cable assemblies must provide the possibility of removal. To this end, the cable assemblies are generally provided with a lock and a release member to unlock the lock, typically by manual actuation. Accessibility of such an actuator for unlocking requires sufficient space around the cable assembly. This requirement reduces the possible density of the transceivers on a board. 
         [0004]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a lockable and releasable connector allowing a high density of transceiver positions on a substrate. It is a further object of the invention to provide a connector allowing increased heat dissipation from an associated transceiver. 
       SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0005]    A connector assembly is disclosed comprising a first connector and a second connector, the connector assembly comprising at least one latch biased to a locking position to lock the assembly in cooperation with a complementary locking section. The connector assembly comprises a release member movable in a direction towards a top face of one of the connectors from a rest position to a release position. When the release member is moved to the release position the release member pushes the latch away from the locking position. In this respect, the top face of the connector is the surface that does not face other connector assemblies when the assemblies are arranged in a row. Hence, actuation of the release member does not require additional finger space and it is not required anymore to grip around the plugged connector to apply a pinching or squeezing action for releasing the connector. Neighboring connector assemblies on the same substrate can be put closer together and a higher connector density can be achieved. 
         [0006]    In a specific embodiment the release member can comprise a contact face engaging the latch, the contact face being shaped to gradually push the latch in a direction under an angle with the direction of movement of the contact face. The moving direction of the contact face of the release member and the moving direction of the latch can for example be substantially orthogonal. Unlocking the latch moves the release member in a different direction than the latch. For instance, a vertical movement of the contact face of the release member causes a lateral unlocking movement of the latch, both movements being under right angles with a mating direction, which is the direction of movement of the first connector relative to the second connector during assembling. 
         [0007]    In a specific embodiment the second connector comprises a receiving opening for receiving a pluggable end of the first connector. The release member can comprise an actuating portion extending adjacent the receiving opening. Such an actuating portion can for instance extend over the top face of the first connector. The actuating portion can be pivotably coupled to an adjacent front edge of a top face of the second connector. Pivoting the actuating portion towards the top face of the first connector moves the contact face of the release member to the release position. Such an actuating portion is easily accessible for a user. By pushing down the actuating portion, the release member pivots and unlocks the latches. 
         [0008]    In a more specific embodiment, the release member may comprise a lever extending from the pivoting axis into the receiving opening and resiliently abutting an inner surface of the second connector. This way, the lever biases the release member to a locking position, reducing the risk of unintentional unlocking. Such a lever can for instance be a C-shaped element with two ends connected to the actuating portion and a middle portion upwardly offset from the two connected ends in a resilient manner. The middle portion can for instance hook behind a projection of the abutting inner surface of the second connector to prevent disassembly without actuating the release member. 
         [0009]    The release member can be designed in such a way that the second connector comprises an uninterrupted top face, which can be fully used for heat dissipation. To maximize heat dissipation, the top face can be covered, e.g., fully covered by a heat sink. 
         [0010]    Accessibility of the receiving opening is further improved if the side of the second connector with the receiving opening slopes backwardly. 
         [0011]    In a specific embodiment, the cable connector can comprise at least one spring forcing the first and board connector apart against the action of the one or more latches. The springs push the two connectors apart as soon as the release member pushes the latches aside. This facilitates easier disassembling further reducing the need for grip space to pull the released connector. 
         [0012]    The first connector can for example be a cable connector, e.g., comprising a cable holder with a terminal end held in a ferrule, a casing holding the cable holder slideable in a mating direction, the casing carrying a latch at either lateral side of the ferrule, the casing having an inner surface around a passage for the cable holder, wherein compression springs are symmetrically arranged between said inner surface and an opposite face of the ferrule. 
         [0013]    The contact face can for instance be a bulging face acting against a counter surface at a lateral side of the respective latch. Optionally, the contact surface of the latch is positioned at a lateral surface in an interruption of the latch. The contact surface can for example be a side face of a locking cam of the latch. 
         [0014]    The first connector can for example be a cable connector, such as an optical cable connector. The second connector can for example be a board connector, such as a transceiver, on a substrate, such as a circuit board, wherein the release member is movable in a direction towards the substrate from its rest position to its release position. 
         [0015]    Alternatively, the connector assembly can for instance be an electrical connector assembly with a header connector, such as an electrical cable connector, and a receptacle cable connector or on-board connector. 
         [0016]    The invention also relates to an optical cable connector and to a transceiver for use in the disclosed connector assembly. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0017]    An exemplary embodiment of the connector will be further explained under reference to the accompanying drawing. 
           [0018]      FIG. 1 : shows a connector assembly with an optical cable and a transceiver in perspective view; 
           [0019]      FIG. 2 : shows the assembly of  FIG. 1  in a disconnected state; 
           [0020]      FIG. 3 : shows the transceiver of  FIG. 1  with a heat sink; 
           [0021]      FIG. 4 : shows the assembly of  FIG. 1  without the housing of the transceiver; 
           [0022]      FIG. 5 : shows the assembly of  FIG. 1  in exploded view without the housing of the transceiver; 
           [0023]      FIG. 6 : shows the cable holder of the cable connector of  FIG. 1  in cross section; 
           [0024]      FIG. 7 : shows in cross section part of the inner surface of the transceiver; 
           [0025]      FIG. 8 : shows in perspective view the latches of the assembly of  FIG. 1  engaging complementary locking sections; 
           [0026]      FIG. 9 : shows a front view of the cable connector of the assembly of  FIG. 1  after connection with the board connector; 
           [0027]      FIG. 10 : shows the connector of  FIG. 8  during assembly. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       [0028]      FIG. 1  shows an assembly  1  of an optical cable connector  2  and a transceiver  3  receiving a pluggable end of the cable connector  2 . The transceiver  3  is a board connector positioned on a printed circuit board or a similar substrate  4 . The optical cable connector  2  holds the terminal end of an optical cable  5  in a cable holder  6  shown in more detail in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0029]    One end of the cable holder  6  is held in a ferrule  7  where terminal ends  60  of optical fibers running through the cable  5  are accurately arranged according to a desired pattern ( FIG. 9 ). A casing  8  holds the cable holder  6  in a sliding manner. The casing  8  comprises a cable holder passage  9 . In the assembled state as shown in  FIG. 1  the cable holder  6  projects from the cable holder passage  9 . In the disassembled state (see  FIG. 2 ) the end of the cable holder  6  is retracted within the cable passage  9 . 
         [0030]    The casing  8  carries a latch  10 ,  11  at both lateral sides of the ferrule  7  in a symmetrical lay-out. In an alternative embodiment, the casing  8  may comprise an asymmetrical lay-out or at least have one or more asymmetrically arranged features in such a way that the cable connector  2  can be connected to the cable connector  2  in only one single orientation in order to prevent misalignment of the contacts of the two connectors  2 ,  3 . 
         [0031]    The casing  8  has an inner surface around the cable holder passage  9 . Two symmetrically arranged compression springs  13 ,  14  (see  FIG. 6 ) are held between the inner surface of the casing  8  and the facing end of the ferrule  7 . The compression springs  13 ,  14  force the ferrule  7  and the inner surface of the casing  8  apart, moving the cable holder  6  to the retracted position when the connector assembly  1  is in a disassembled state (see  FIG. 2 ). 
         [0032]    The transceiver  3  comprises a thermoconductive shielding or housing  19  with a backwardly inclined front face  15  with a receiving opening  16 . The housing  19  comprises a flat and uninterrupted top face  17  sloping upwardly in the direction of the receiving opening  16 . The top face  17  can be covered with a heat sink  18 , as for example is shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0033]      FIGS. 4 and 5  show the interior of the transceiver  3 . The transceiver  3  houses an optic coupling device  20  with an optic prism  21  between two supports  22 ,  23  fixed to the substrate  24 . The prism  21  comprises a triangular cross section with a front surface  26  facing the cable connector  2  in the assembled condition of the connector assembly and a horizontal lower surface operatively connected to transducer elements  28  below the prism  21 , which convert optical signals to electronic signals. The front surface  26  is parallel to the opposite surface of the ferrule  7  and is provided with lenses (not shown), each lens facing an associated terminal end of an optical fiber of the cable  5 . 
         [0034]    The transceiver  3  further comprises a release member  30  with an actuating portion  31  extending over a top face  29  of the cable connector  2  and two downwardly projecting legs  32  at either side of the actuating portion  31 . The actuating portion  31  and the legs  32  frame the upper and side edges of the receiving opening  16  of the transceiver  3 . The distance between the legs  32  is sufficient to receive the cable connector  2 . The actuating portion  31  comprises two hooks  34 ,  35  coupled to the upper edge  36  of the receiving opening  16 . The hooks  34 ,  35  allow pivoting of the release member  30  about a pivoting axis T (see  FIG. 1 ). This way, the release member  30  can be pivoted in the direction of the top face  29  of the connector  2 . When the release member  30  is pivoted down the release member  30  is in the release position, as will be explained herinafter. 
         [0035]    The pivoting movement is limited by a lever  37  extending from the pivoting axis T into the receiving opening  16  and resiliently abutting an inner surface  38  of the transceiver  3  (see  FIG. 7 ). The lever  37  is a C-shaped element with two ends  39 ,  40  connected to the actuating portion  31 , and a middle portion  41  upwardly offset from the two connected ends  39 ,  40  in a resilient manner. The middle portion  41  of the C-shaped lever  37  hooks behind a projection  42  of the abutting inner surface  38  of the transceiver  3  (see  FIG. 7 ). When the actuating portion  31  is pushed down by a user, the lever  37  pivots upwardly and pushes against the inner surface  38  of the transceiver. The lever  37  generates a resilient counter force, biasing the release member  30  to the rest position. 
         [0036]    The latches  10 ,  11  of the cable connector  2  comprise a backbone  45  and a locking cam  46  pointing away from the ferrule  7 . In the assembled condition the locking cam  46  partly hooks behind a ridge  44  bordering a recess  47  in the housing  19  of the transceiver  3  (see  FIG. 8 ). In its middle part the cam  46  of the latch  10 ,  11  is interrupted by a recess  49  ( FIGS. 5 and 9 ). 
         [0037]    Both legs  32  of the release member  30  comprise an arm  50  extending in a direction parallel to the lever  37 . In the assembled condition the outer end  51  of the arm  50  is positioned in the interrupting recess  49  of the locking cam  46  (see  FIG. 9 ). The arm  50  is stamped to form an inwardly bulging contact face  54 . The bulging contact face  54  abuts a side face  55  of the locking cam  46  in the interrupting recess  49 . 
         [0038]    Pushing the actuating portion  31  will pivot the release member  30  against the spring action of the lever  37 . The pivoting movement will move the arms  50  upwards (arrow A in  FIG. 4 ) and will push the bulging contact face  54  against the side face  55  of the locking cam  46 . The arms  50  are supported by the inner wall of the housing  19  to prevent that the latches push the arms  50  aside (see  FIG. 9 ). 
         [0039]    Due to the shape of the contact face  54  the upward movement of the arm  50  will bent the latch in a lateral direction (arrow B in  FIG. 4 ). This way, the direction of movement of the contact face  54  is substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of the respective latch  10 ,  11 . As shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , the ridge  44  stops at a sufficient distance from the recess  49  in the locking cam  46  in order not to hinder upward movement of the contact face  54  of the arm  50  of the release member  30 . 
         [0040]    When the cam  46  of the latch  10 ,  11  is bent away from the cooperating recess  47 , the latch is unlocked. The compression springs  13 ,  14  are now allowed to relax and push the casing  8  away from the ferrule  7  over a distance limited by stops  56  on the ferrule  7  slideable via respective slots  57  of the casing  8  (see  FIG. 5 ). The user can then release the actuating portion  31 . The lever  37  will push the release member back to its original position. Since the casing  8  is already pushed backwardly by the compression springs, the latches  10 ,  11  remain unhooked and the cable connector  2  can be taken away. 
         [0041]    For accurate alignment of the fiber ends  60  of the cable connector  2  relative to lenses of the front face  26  of the optical coupling device  20 , the coupling device is provided with alignment pins  61  cooperating with matching alignment channels  62 . 
         [0042]    The side faces  55  of the interruption  49  of the latch cams  46  and the contact faces  54  at the outer ends of the arms  50  of the release member  30 , can be shaped and dimensioned to form a guide for accurately pre-aligning the cable connector  2  before the alignment pins  61  enter the respective alignment channels  62 .