Abstract:
An electrical connector ( 100 ) includes an insulative housing ( 1 ) having a pair of opposite traversal ends and a plurality of slots, a number of contacts ( 21 ) received in the slots of the insulative housing ( 1 ), at least a latch ( 4 ) having a main body, a hook extending forward therefrom and a resilient tab extending rearward therefrom pivotally assembled to the end of the housing ( 1 ). The latch ( 4 ) is partially located inside of the traversal end of the insulative housing ( 1 ).

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application relates to application Ser. No. 10/895,877, filed on Jul. 20, 2004 and entitled “MICRO COAXIAL CABLE CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY AND METHOD OF ASSEMBLING THE SAME” and invented by the same inventor as this patent application and assigned to the same assignee with this application. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates generally to an electrical connector, and more particularly to a high speed connector.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0005]     U.S. Pat. No. 6,648,668 discloses a micro coaxial connector, which comprises an insulative housing having a pair of retention portions, a pair of latch devices having a pair of receiving cavities and spring tabs, a contact set and a shield. When each latch device assembles to the insulative housing, the receiving cavity receives the retention portion of the housing and the spring tab is exposed to outside. The exposed spring tab may be damaged so as to make the latch unuseful. Additionally, the prior art connector does not have a header in the insulative housing, therefore, mating the micro coaxial connector with a complementary connector by pushing the insulative housing may not be easy.  
         [0006]     Hence, a micro coaxial connector is needed to overcome the problems encountered in the related art.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     It is an object of the present invention to provide a micro coaxial cable connector having a unique insulative housing, which protects the latches from being damaged and can be pushed easily when mate the connector with a complementary connector.  
         [0008]     In order to achieve the object set forth, An electrical connector comprising an insulative housing, which has a pair of opposite traversal ends and a plurality of slots, a plurality of contacts received in the slots of the insulative housing, at least a latch having a main body, a hook extending forward therefrom and a resilient tab extending rearward therefrom pivotally assembled to the traversal end of the housing. The latch is partially located inside of the traversal end of the insulative housing.  
         [0009]     Additional novel features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent by reference to the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]      FIG. 1  is an exploded, perspective view of an electrical connector in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is a view similar to  FIG. 1 , but taken from a different aspect;  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is a view similar to  FIG. 1 , but taken from another different aspect;  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is a partially assembled view of the electrical connector of  FIG. 3 ;  
         [0014]      FIG. 5  is a partially assembled view of  FIG. 4 ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 6  is a partially assembled view of the electrical connector of FIG.  1 ;  
         [0016]      FIG. 7  is an assembled view of the electrical connector of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0017]      FIG. 8  is an assembled view of the electrical connector of  FIG. 2 ; and  
         [0018]      FIG. 9  is an assembled view of the electrical connector of  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0019]     Reference will now be made in detail to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0020]     Referring to FIGS.  1  to  3 , a connector assembly  100  according to the present invention comprises a micro coaxial cable connector and a plurality of cables  5  coupling to the micro coaxial cable connector. The micro coaxial cable connector comprises an insulative housing  1 , a contact set  2 , a shell  3  and a pair of latches  4 .  
         [0021]     The insulative housing  1  comprises a base portion  11 , a mating portion  12  extending forwardly from the base portion  11 , a pair of retention portions  13  formed on opposite transverse ends of the base portion  11  and a pair of stretch portions  14  extending rearward from the respective retention portion  13 . The base portion  11  has a top wall  111  and a bottom wall  112  and defines a plurality of passageways  110  therethrough. A pair of protruding pieces  113  are formed on the top wall  111  of the base portion  11 . The mating portion  12  defines a plurality of slots  120  and each slot  120  communicates with a corresponding passageway  110  and has a close end  121  therefront. The retention portion  13  comprises a body portion  131 , a guiding plate  132  extending forwardly from the body portion  131  and having an upright tip  133  positioned perpendicularly at front end thereof for facilitating a mating of a complementary connector (not shown). A pair of retention posts  130  are formed on upper and lower surfaces of each retention portion  13  for facilitating mounting of the latches  4 . Each stretch portion  14  having an upper wall  141  and a lower wall  142  defines a recess area  140  recessed inwardly from an outer side thereof and a receiving channel  143  recessed outwardly from an inner side thereof. The recess area  140  is used to receive a resilient tab  43  of the latch  4  (shown in  FIG. 6 ) so as to prevent the latch  4  from being damaged effectively. The recess area  140  is shaped like the letter “J” and located in the front of the stretch portion  14 . A rectangular header  144  is formed in the rear of the stretch portion  14  for mating the connector with a complementary connector by being pushed facilely. A protrusion  145  is located on the upper wall  141  for engaging with the shield  3 . There are provided three pairs of cuts  146 ,  147 ,  148  at the insulative housing  1  for engagement with the shell  3 .  
         [0022]     The contact set  2  comprises a plurality of contacts  21  and an insulative insert  22 . The contacts  21  have the same structure and each comprises a mating area  211 , a mounting area  212  and a connecting area  213  coupling the mating area  211  to the mounting area  212 . The mating area  211  has a fastening tip  210  downwardly curved from a front end thereof for securely fastening with the insulative housing  1 . The mounting area  212  connects to the cable  5 . The insulative insert  22  comprises a plurality of receiving grooves  220  for receiving mounting areas  212  and engaging with connecting area  213  of the contacts  21  and openings  221  for allowing the cable  5  to extend into the grooves  220  (showing in  FIG. 4 ). There are positioned a pair of laddered portions  222 , which will guild the insulative insert  22  into the insulative housing  1  perfectly, at lateral edges of the insulative insert  22 . When the insulative insert  22  enters into the insulative housing  1 , the laddered portions  222  will be inserted into the receiving channel  143 .  
         [0023]     The shell  3  comprises a top plate  31  and a bottom plate  32 . The top plate  31  has a first base plate  311  and a pair of lower flanges  312  positioned at opposite lateral edges of the base plate  311  and a pair of enlarged first holding bars  313  extending rearward and laterally from the base plate  311 . Each holding bar  313  has opposite end edges  3131 ,  3132  and first and second engaging portions  314 ,  315  extending inwardly thereof for engagement with the insulative housing  1  (as shown in  FIG. 9 ). In order to adapt to the insulative housing  1 , the height of the first engaging portion  314  is much higher than that of the second engaging portion  315 . Two pairs of notches  310  are spaced arranged in the top plate  31 . The bottom plate  32  has a second base plate  321  and a pair of enlarged second holding bars  322  extending rearward and laterally from the base plate  311 . An engaged tab  323  extends from a rear end of each holding bar  322  and two pairs of meshed tabs  324 ,  325  extends perpendicularly from each lateral edges of the base plate  321 . A plurality of spring tabs  320  are formed at middle region of the second base plate  321 .  
         [0024]     Each latch  4  comprises a main body  41  defined as U shape by a top portion  411 , a bottom portion  413  and a side portion  412 , a hook  42  extending downwardly and forwardly from a top portion  411  and a resilient tab  43  extending forwardly from a rear edge of the side portion  412  and in a direction away from an inner surface of the side portion  412 . The top portion  411 , bottom portion  412  and side portion  413  together define a receiving space  410 . A pair of retaining holes  415  are defined through the top portion  411  to bottom portion  412  of the body portion  41 .  
         [0025]     Referring to  FIG. 4 , in assembly, the contacts  21  and the cables  5  are respectively inserted into the receiving grooves  220  and the openings  221  of the insulative insert  22 . Referring to  FIG. 5 , the contact set  2  is assembled to the insulative housing  1  with the laddered portions  222  of the insulative insert  22  sliding along the receiving channels  143  and then received in the receiving channels  143  and the mating areas  211  of the contacts  21  extending into the passageways  110  and slots  120 , respectively. Each fastening tip  210  ( FIG. 1 ) of each contact  21  is partially emplaced in the close end  121  ( FIG. 1 ). Referring to FIGS.  6  to  9 , each latch  4  is assembled to the insulative housing  1  with the main body  41  thereof enclosing corresponding retention portion  13  of the housing  1 , the hook  42  abuts against an upper surface of the guiding plate  132  and the resilient tab  43  received in the recess area  140  of the stretch portion  14 . Each retention post  130  is fitted into the respective retaining hole  415  of the latch  4  in a pivotal way. The shield  3  is assembled to the insulative housing  1  with the top plate  31  and the bottom plate  32  placed on the top wall  111  and the bottom wall  112  of the base portion  11 , respectively. The two pairs of notches  310  of the top plate  31  mate with the corresponding protruding pieces  113  of the base portion  11  and the protrusions  145  of the stretch portion  14 , respectively so as to fix the top plate  31  to the insulative housing  1  securely. Each lower flange  312  of the top plate  31  extends downwardly into the recess area  140  along a side direction of the upper wall  141  of the stretch portion  14 . The first engaging portion  314  of the top plate  31  extends along the outer sidewall of the header  144  and grasp the header  144  as well as the second engaging portion  315  of the top plate  31  projects inwardly into the receiving channel  143  and grasp the header  144  so that the top plate  31  of the shell  3  is installed at the insulative housing  1  reliably. The engaged tab  323  and meshed tabs  324 ,  325  of the bottom plate  32  are inserted into the respective cut  146 ,  147 ,  148 , therefore, the bottom plate  32  of the shell  3  is fixed to the insulative housing  1  securely. The spring tabs  320  of the bottom plate  32  press against the insulative insert  22  for fastness. The first and second holding bars  313 ,  322  of the shell  3  cooperate to partially enclose each header  144 .  
         [0026]     When the micro coaxial cable connector assembly  100  engages with the complementary connector, push the header  144  of the cable connector toward the complementary connector so that the hook  42  are extended into the complementary connector to latch therewith, whereby the connector and the complementary connector are securely connected together. To separate the connector from the complementary connector, rear ends of the latch devices  4  are pushed towards each other to cause the hook  42  to be pivoted away from each other, whereby the latch of the connector with the complementary connector is released and the connector can be pulled to separate from the complementary connector.  
         [0027]     While the foregoing description includes details which will enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, it should be recognized that the description is illustrative in nature and that many modifications and variations thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of these teachings. It is accordingly intended that the invention herein be defined solely by the claims appended hereto and that the claims be interpreted as broadly as permitted by the prior art.