Abstract:
An electrical connector ( 1 ) includes a base ( 10 ) and a cover ( 20 ) assembled together. The base has a mating frame ( 13 ) formed on a front portion thereof. A connector subassembly ( 60 ) assembled into the mating frame. A pair of metal springs ( 90 ) mounted on the base. A pair of latches is mounted to opposite sides of the base and is deflectable in lateral direction. A pull tab ( 80 ) is assembled to the base and has a pair of latch releasing portions ( 83 ). The pull tab is movable in front-to-back direction which is perpendicular to the lateral direction. When the pull tab is pulled backwardly, the latch releasing portions push the latches to laterally deflect and the metal springs are elastically deformed. When the pull tab is released, the metal springs exerts a spring force on the pull tab to cause the pull tab and the latches return back to original positions.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present invention is a continuation-in-part (C-I-P) application of the patent application Ser. No. 10/210,129 entitled “ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR HAVING A LATCH MECHANISM”, filed on Jul. 31, 2002, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The disclosure of the &#39;129 patent application is incorporated herein by reference. Other two related applications of which one was filed Aug. 12, 2002, both have the same title, the same applicant, and the same assignee as the invention, being the references herewith, too. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and particularly to an electrical connector having a pull tab and a pair of latches for engaging and releasing a mated complementary connector. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,939, issued to Yukihiro Maitani et al on Oct. 15, 1996, discloses a conventional electrical connector having a pair of latch springs  22  and  22 A respectively attached on opposite sides of a housing  21  of the connector. An operating member  23  has a pair of latch releasing cams  23 - 4  located below angled portions  22 - 4  of the latch springs  22 ,  22 A. When an operator pulls a pull tab  23 - 8  of the operating member  23  backwardly, the latch releasing cams  23 - 4  exert outward forces on the angled portions  22 - 4  and U-shaped claws  22 - 1  slip out to release a mated complementary connector. Because the operating member  23  and the latch springs  22 ,  22 A are positioned outside of the housing  21 , they are very easy to be damaged when a force is exerted thereon. When two or more such connectors are arranged side by side, a relatively large space is needed between every two connectors and this adversely affects the compact design of an electronic system including such connectors. Furthermore, when the pulling force acting on the operating member  23  is released, the latch springs  22 ,  22 A exert a force to push the operating member  23  to its original position. However, the force is too small to exactly pull the operating member  23  to the original position. To overcome the above mentioned disadvantages, an electrical connector is needed that a pull tab of the connector can automatically return to its original position. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an objective of the present invention to provide an electrical connector having a pull tab engaging with a pair of latches for latching and releasing a mated complementary connector; the pull tab and the latches can automatically resume to their original positions after they are motivated to release released the complementary connector from the electrical connector in accordance with the present invention. 
     In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an electrical connector in accordance with the present invention comprises a base and a cover assembled together. The base has a mating frame formed on a front portion thereof. A connector subassembly is assembled to the base and has a portion extending into the mating frame. A pair of metal springs is mounted on the base. A pair of latches is mounted to opposite sides of the base and is deflectable in lateral direction. A pull tab is assembled to the base and has a pair of latch releasing portions. The pull tab is movable in front-to-back direction which is perpendicular to the lateral direction. When the pull tab is pulled backwardly, the latch releasing portions push the latches to laterally deflect and the metal springs are elastically deformed. When the pull tab is released, the metal springs exerts a spring force on the pull tab to cause the pull tab and the latches to return back to original position. 
    
    
     Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an electrical connector in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a base shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a cover shown in FIG. 1 from a bottom aspect; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a pull tab, a pair of latches, and a pair of metal springs shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a connector subassembly of the electrical connector shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 6 is an assembled view of the electrical connector shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 with the cover and the connector subassembly being removed; 
     FIG. 8 is a top view of FIG. 7, with the latches in a close position; and 
     FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8, showing the latches in an open position. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIG. 1, an electrical connector  1  in accordance with the present invention comprises a base  10 , a cover  20  for being assembled to the base  10 , a pair of screws  30  for securing the cover  20  on the base  10 , a connector subassembly  60 , a pair of metal latches  70 , a pull tab  80 , and a pair of metal springs  90 . 
     The base  10  and the cover  20  are formed by die casting metallic material, for example, aluminum alloy. Referring to FIG. 2, the base  10  comprises a base plate  11  and a pair of sidewalls  12  upwardly extending from opposite lateral sides of the base plate  11 . Each sidewall  12  defines an elongated channel  121  from a rear portion  14  toward a front portion  15  of the base  10  and through a top engaging face  16  thereof. Each sidewall  12  is divided into an outer wall  122  and an inner wall  123  by the channel  121 . The inner walls  123  each have a higher shoulder portion  124  adjacent to the front portion  15 . The shoulder portions  124  each define a vertical gap  126  in a middle portion thereof. A pair of cylindrical posts  127  extends vertically from the base plate  11  into the gaps  126 . Each inner wall  123  defines a cutout  128  adjacent to the rear portion  14 . A pair of retaining blocks  129  is formed between the cutouts  128  and the rear portion  14 . Each retaining block  129  defines a retaining slit  1291 . The outer walls  122  each define a cutout  1221  adjacent to the front portion  15 . The base plate  11  defines a pair of grooves  111  each being located between the shoulder portion  124  of a corresponding inner wall  123  and a corresponding cutout  1221 . A mating frame  13  is formed at the front portion  15  of the base  10 . The mating frame  13  defines an opening  133  through the front portion  15 . A pair of engaging ears  131  is formed on opposite sides of a top of the mating frame  13  and extends laterally. A pair of engaging spaces  132  is defined by the front portion beside opposite lateral sides of the mating frame  13 , respectively, and between the engaging ears  131  and the base plate  11 . The base  10  has a first substantially semicircular opening  17  at the rear portion  14 . A pair of posts  18  protrudes upwardly from the engaging face  16 , located respectively beside opposite lateral sides of the first opening  17 . Each post  18  defines a screw hole  181  therein and has four ribs  182  on a circumferential periphery thereof. 
     Referring to FIG. 3, the cover  20  comprises a cover plate  21  and a pair of sidewalls  22  downwardly extending from opposite lateral sides of the cover plate  21 . Each sidewall  22  defines an elongated channel  221  corresponding to one of the channels  121  of the base  10 . Each sidewall  22  is divided into an outer wall  222  and an inner wall  223  by a corresponding channel  221 . The inner walls  223  each defines a cutout  228  adjacent to the rear portion  24 , corresponding to one of cutouts  128  of the base  10 . A pair of grooves  212 , corresponding to the grooves  111  in the base  10 , is defined in the cover plate  21  in inner sides of a pair of cutouts  2221  which is corresponding to the cutouts  1221  of the base  10 . A pair of projections  23  extends forwardly from opposite sides of a front end of the cover plate  21 . A semicircular second opening  27  is defined in the rear portion  24  of the cover plate  21  corresponding to the first opening  17  of the base  10 . A pair of holes  28  is defined in the rear portion  14 , locating at opposite sides of the second opening  27 . Each hole  28  has a diameter generally equal to an outer diameter of each of the posts  18 . 
     Referring to FIG. 4, the metal latches  70  are formed by stamping a metal sheet. Each latch  70  comprises a body portion  71 , an L-shaped claw portion  72  formed at a front end of the body portion  71 , and a pair of sloping legs  73  extending inwardly from a rear end of the body portion  71 . The two sloping legs  73  are spaced by a cutout  75  and each has a coiled portion  74  at a free end thereof. 
     The pull tab  80  comprises an operation portion  81 , a pair of arms  82  extending forwardly from opposite sides of the operation portion  81 , and a pair of latch releasing portion  83  formed at front ends of the arms  82 , respectively. Each latch releasing portion  83  has upper and lower ends  832 ,  833  and a protrusion  831  protruding outwardly from an outside face thereof. The protrusion  831  is located between the upper and lower ends  832 ,  833 . A pair of latch pushing blocks  84  is formed at rear sides of the latch releasing portions  83 . Each latch pushing block  84  and latch releasing portion  83  have a space therebetween. Each arm  82  has a stopper  85  projecting from inner side thereof toward each other. 
     Each metal spring  90  comprises a retaining portion  91  and a spring portion  92  extending forwardly and laterally from the retaining portion  91 . 
     Referring to FIG. 5, the connector subassembly  60  comprises an insulating housing  61 , a tongue portion  62  extending forwardly from the housing  61 , a printed circuit board (PCB)  63  assembled to the housing  61  at a rear side thereof. A plurality of contacts  64  is received in the tongue portion  62  and extends through the housing  61  to electrically connect the PCB  63 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 6-9, in assembly, the connector subassembly  60  is assembled to the base  10  with the tongue portion  62  received in the opening  133 . The PCB  63  is received in the base  10  between the two sidewalls  12 . The metal springs  90  are assembled to the base  10  with the retaining portions  91  received the slits  1291  of the retaining blocks  129 . The spring portions  92  extend obliquely into the cutouts  128 . The two latches  70  are respectively assembled to the pull tab  80  by extending the protrusions  831  into the cutouts  75  from inner faces of the latches  70 , whereby the latch releasing portions  83  engage with the inner faces of the latches  70 , respectively. The latch releasing portions  83  are positioned at inner faces of the body portions  71  and the protrusions  831  are fitted into front portions of the cutouts  75 . The two sloping legs  73  extend from outsides to inner sides of the latch releasing portions  83  and through the space between the latch releasing portion  83  and the latch pushing block  84 . The coiled portions  74  locate at inner sides of the latch releasing portions  83 . Then, the latches  70  together with the pull tab  80  are assembled to the base  10 . The arms  82  are placed into the channels  121  with the operation portion  81  locating outside of the rear portion  14  of the base  10 . The stoppers  85  are positioned into the cutouts  128 . Tip ends of the spring portions  92  abut against rear sides of the stoppers  85 . The lower ends  833  of the latch releasing portions  83  are received in the grooves  111 . The coiled portions  74  ferrule the posts  127  therein. The L-shaped claw portions  72  extend into the engaging spaces  132 . The cover  20  is assembled to the base  10  by placing the projections  23  beneath the pair of engaging ears  131 . Then a rear portion of the cover  20  is rotated downwardly about the pair of engaging ears  131  until a bottom face of the cover  20  intimately abuts the top engaging face  16  of the base  10 . Upper portions of the arms  82  are received in the channels  221 , the upper ends  832  of the latch releasing portions  83  are received into the grooves  212  of the cover  20 , and upper portions of the stoppers  85 , the retaining blocks  129  and the metal springs  90  are received into the cutouts  228 . The posts  18  are received into the holes  28  with the four ribs  182  engaging with inner surfaces of the holes  28 . The first and second openings  17  and  27  together form a cable receiving opening for extension of a cable (not shown) therethrough. Finally, the screws  30  are screwed into the screw holes  181  to securely fasten the cover  20  and the base  10  together, whereby the electrical connector  1  in accordance with the present invention is obtained. 
     An operation of the electrical connector  1  in introduced below. 
     When a complementary connector (not shown) is mated with the electrical connector  1  of the present invention, the L-shaped claw portions  72  clamp corresponding engaging portions of the complementary connector. The electrical connector  1  is unmated with the complementary connector by the following operation. An operator grips the operation portion  81  of the pull tab  80  and pull it rearwards, whereby the pull tab  80  moves rearwards. The upper and lower ends  832 ,  833  slide rearwards in the grooves  111 ,  212  and the protrusions  831  slide rearwards in the cutouts  75 . In the same time, the spring portions  92  of the metal springs  90  are elastically deformed rearwards by the stoppers  85 . When the latch releasing portions  83  come into contact with the sloping legs  73 , they exert an outward force on inner faces of the sloping legs  73 . Thus, the latches  70  rotate in respect to the posts  127  and the L-shaped claw portions  72  are driven to move out of the engaging portions of the complementary connector. Accordingly, the latches  70  no longer latch with the complementary connector, and the electrical connector  1  in accordance with the present invention can be readily separated from the complementary connector. 
     When the pulling force acting on the pull tab  80  is released, a spring force generated by the deformed spring portions  92  of the metal springs  90  act on the stoppers  85  to cause the stoppers  85  and accordingly the pull tab  80  to move forwardly. The latch pushing portions  84  push sloping legs  73  to cause the latches  70  to rotate in respect to the posts  127  in a reverse direction. Thus, the latches  70  and the pull tab  80  revert to the original positions as shown in FIG.  9 . 
     It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.