Abstract:
An electrical connector assembly ( 100 ), comprising: an insulative housing ( 1 ) having at least one receiving space formed therein; a latch ( 3 ) formed on a top surface of the insulative housing, the latch defining a front end connected to the top surface and a rear end cantilevered from the front end; and two PCB modules ( 2 ) received into each receiving space ( 11 ), one of the two PCB modules defining a holding portion ( 231 ) holding the rear end of the latch.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to connectors suitable for transmitting data, more specifically to input/output (I/O) connectors with high-density configuration and high data transmitting rate. 
     DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART 
     Mini SAS connectors are widely used in the server. And, a physical channel rate of the Mini SAS connector is reach to 3 Gbps. However, the above said data transmitting rate will not meet more and more higher data transmitting rate requirements of the server. And, nowadays, the physical channel rate of the Mini SAS connector is reach to 6 Gbps or more faster. 
     Additionally, the electrical connector will has a developing trend to form multi-ports on a front end thereof to meet the above said requirements. As a result, a width of the electrical connector becomes larger. Thus, a latch formed on the electrical connector will be difficult to operate to achieve an engagement and disengagement between the electrical connector and the complementary connector. 
     As discussed above, an improved electrical connector overcoming the shortages of existing technology is needed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector assembly with an easily operating latching mechanism and high data transmitting rate. 
     In order to achieve the above-mentioned objects, an electrical connector assembly, comprises an insulative housing having at least one receiving space formed therein; a latch formed on a top surface of the insulative housing, the latch defining a front end connected to the top surface and a rear end cantilevered from the front end; and two PCB modules received into each receiving space, one of the two PCB modules defining a holding portion holding the rear end of the latch. 
     Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an electrical connector assembly in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is similar to  FIG. 1 , but viewed from another aspect; 
         FIG. 3  is similar to  FIG. 2 , but viewed from another aspect; 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded, perspective view of the electrical connector assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded, perspective view of the electrical connector assembly of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded, perspective view of the electrical connector assembly of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a partially assembled view of the electrical connector assembly of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a cross section view of the electrical connector assembly of  FIG. 1  taken along line  8 - 8 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a cross section view of the electrical connector assembly of  FIG. 1  taken along line  9 - 9 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe the present invention in detail. 
       FIGS. 1 to 3  illustrate perspective views of an electrical connector assembly  100  made in accordance with the present invention. Referring to  FIGS. 4 to 7 , the electrical connector assembly  100  comprises a box-shape insulative housing  1 , four PCB modules  2  disposed in the insulative housing  1 , a resilient latch  3  formed on a top surface  11  of the insulative housing  1 . The electrical connector assembly  100  further comprises two retainers  4  assembled to the insulative housing  1  and interfered with the four PCB modules  2  to make the insulative housing  1  and the four PCB modules  2  positioned together. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 6  and in conjunction with  FIG. 8 , the insulative housing  1  defines a top surface  11  and a bottom surface  12  opposite with each other, a front surface  13  and a rear surface  14  opposite with each other. The insulative housing  1  defines two receiving spaces  15  arranged along a transversal direction and spaced apart with other. Each receiving space  15  extends from the front surface  13  to the rear surface  14  along a longitudinal direction. The insulative housing  1  defines two partitions  151  respectively formed in the two receiving spaces  15 . Thus, each receiving space  15  is divided into a front receiving room  152  and a rear receiving room  153  by the partition  151 . And each front receiving room  152  can also be defined as a mating port of the electrical connector assembly  100 . A pair of ribs  156  are respectively formed on two inner side surfaces of each rear receiving room  153  to separate two PCB modules  2 . Each partition  15  defines two slots  154  throughout the partition  15  along a front to rear direction. Two slots  154  are arranged along a vertical direction and paralleled with each other. The front receiving room  152  communicates with the rear receiving room  153  by two slots  154 . In addition, the insulative housing  1  defines two recesses  121  formed on a bottom surface thereof and arranged along a transversal direction. Each recess  121  is in alignment with a partition  151  along a vertical direction. The partition  15  defines a pair of vertical receiving holes  155  arranged along a transversal direction and extending downwardly and communicated with the recess  121 . Each receiving hole  152  is crossed with two paralleled slots  154 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 to 7 , each PCB module  2  comprises a printed circuit board  21 , a plurality of cables  22  electrically connected with the printed circuit board  21  and an insulator  23  integrative formed around a front end of the cables  22 , a rear end of the printed circuit board  21  and a connection between the printed circuit board  21  and the insulator  23 . The printed circuit board  21  defines a mating section  210 , a connecting section  211  disposed in back of the mating section  210  and a soldering section (not shown) disposed in back of the connecting section  211  and electrically connected with the cables  22 . The mating section  210  defines a plurality of conductive pads  212  formed on two opposite upper and lower surfaces thereof and arranged along a transversal direction. The connecting section  211  defines two positioning holes  213  spaced apart with each other and arranged along a transversal direction. When the PCB modules  2  are assembled to the insulative housing  1 , the mating section  210  of the printed circuit board  21  of each PCB module  2  is passed through the slot  154  and received into front receiving room  152  of the housing  1 . And, the insulator  23  is received into the rear receiving room  153  of the housing  1 . It should be noted that two PCB modules  2  of four PCB modules  2  have a different structure with another two PCB modules  2  of four PCB modules  2 . Two PCB modules  2  of four PCB modules  2  have two holding portions  23  respectively formed on the two insulators  23  of the two PCB modules  2 . Each holding portion  231  is formed on a rear end of a top surface of the insulator  23 . Each holding portion  231  extends upwardly and forwardly from the top surface of the insulator  23 . The holding portion  231  defines a vertical section and a horizontal section extending forwardly from a top end of the vertical section. However, another two PCB modules  2  of four PCB modules  2  do not have two above said holding portions  231  formed on the two insulators  23 . So, the PCB module  2  with holding portion  231  is defined as a first PCB module  2 . The PCB module  2  without holding portion  231  is defines as a second PCB module  2 . In another embodiment, the two printed circuit boards  21  can be formed together by one insulator. Thus, one PCB module is formed by two printed circuit boards  21  and one insulator integrative formed around two rear ends of the two printed circuit boards  21 . Thus, one PCB module can be received into a receiving space  15 . And the holding portion is also formed on the insulator of the PCB module. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 7  and in conjunction with  FIG. 8 , the latch  3  has two front ends connected to a front edge of the top surface  11  of the insulative housing  1  and a body portion extending upwardly and rearwardly from the front ends of the latch  3  and located above the top surface  11  of the insulative housing  1 . And the two front ends of the latch  3  are unitary formed on the top surface  11  of the insulative housing  1 . The latch  3  has a rear end cantilevered from the two front ends of the latch  3 . The latch  3  defines a latching portion  31  formed at a front section thereof, a rear portion  32  and a pressing portion  33  disposed between the latching portion  31  and the rear portion  32 . The latching portion  31  comprises a pair of arms  311  connected to the top surface  11  of the insulative housing  1 . Each arm  311  defines a wedge-shaped projection  312  formed on a top surface thereof for latching with a complementary connector. The pressing portion  33  is flat and has a plurality of ribs formed on a top surface thereof for easily operating. The rear portion  32  extends downwardly and rearwardly from a rear edge of the pressing portion  33  and defines two cutouts  321  spaced apart with each other. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 to 7  and in conjunction with  FIG. 9 , each retainer  4  is made of insulative material and has a base portion  41  and a pair of positioning posts  42  extending from a top surface of the base portion  41  for a distance. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 9 , the assembling process of the electrical connector assembly  100  made in according to the present invention starts from assembling two second PCB modules  2  respectively into a lower side of each receiving space  15 . The mating section  210  of each second PCB module  2  is passed through the partition  151  and received into the front receiving room  152  through the slot  154 . Two positioning holes  213  of the second PCB modules  2  are in alignment with the receiving holes  155  of the insulative housing  1  along an up-to-down direction. 
     After the two second PCB modules  2  are respectively received into the two receiving spaces  15  of the insulative housing  1 , then assembling the two first PCB modules  2  to the insulative housing  1 . Each first PCB module  2  is received into an upper side of the receiving space  15  and disposed upon the second PCB module  2 . The mating section  210  of each first PCB module  2  is also passed through the partition  151  and received into the front receiving room  152  through the slot  154 . Two positioning holes  213  of the first PCB modules  2  are also in alignment with the receiving holes  155  of the insulative housing  1  along an up-to-down direction. It should be noted that a rear end of the rear portion  32  of the latch  3  is disposed below the two holding portions  23  of the two first PCB modules  2  and limited to raise up by the two holding portions  23  of the two first PCB modules  2 . Thus, the latch  3  will not be resumed to an original state before the two first PCB modules  2  assembled to the insulative housing  1 . When the two first PCB modules  2  are all received into the insulative housing  1 , a receiving slot  5  is formed between the holding portion  2311  and the top surface  11  of the insulative housing  1 . The rear end of the rear portion  32  of the latch  3  is also seemed to be received into the receiving slot  5 . After the two first PCB modules  2  are respectively received into the corresponding receiving space  15 . Two mating sections  210  of the two stacked PCB modules  2  are both disposed in the front receiving room  152  of each receiving space  15 . And, two insulators  23  of the two stacked PCB modules  2  are both received into the rear receiving room  153  of each receiving space  15 . The cables  22  of each PCB module  2  extend rearwardly and out of the insulative housing  1 . 
     At last, assembling the two retainers  4  to the bottom surface  12  of insulative housing  1 . The pair of positioning posts  42  of each retainer  4  are received into the receiving holes  155  of the partition  15  and passed through the two positioning holes  213  of the printed circuit board  21 . Thus, each retainer  4  is interfered with two PCB modules  2  to make the two PCB modules  2  positioned to the insulative housing  2 . The base portion  41  of the retainer  4  is received into the recess  121 . 
     After the above assembling steps, the entire process of assembling of the electrical connector assembly  100  is finished. Obviously, the resilient latch  3  formed on the insulative housing  1  is simple and easy to operate to achieve an engagement and disengagement between the electrical connector assembly  100  and the complementary connector (not shown). When the pressing portion  33  is deserved by a downward force, a downward movement of the latch  3  will be achieved. The latching portion  31  of the latch  3  will also move downwardly. Thus, the electrically connector assembly  100  can be mated with a complementary connector (not shown). When the downward force is released, the electrically connector assembly  100  will latch to the complementary connector (not shown). 
     It will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or central characteristics thereof. The present examples and embodiments, therefore, are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein.