Abstract:
A plug connector comprises: a housing and a releasing mechanism mounted on the housing and comprising a pulling portion and a latching member, the latching member defining a latching portion for latching a complementary connector, the pulling portion having a groove and the latching member having an ear portion engaged with the groove, the ear portion being able to rise out of the groove in response to a rearward movement of the pulling portion to move the latching portion from a latched position to a released position.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a plug connector, and more particularly to a plug connector having a releasing mechanism. 
     Description of Prior Art 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,281,937 issued on Oct. 16, 2007 discloses a plug connector defining a body portion having a ramp surface, and a latching member mounted on the body portion. The latching member includes an actuator and a latching arm. The latching arm comprises an inclined segment extending obliquely and having an engagement hook for latching to a complementary connector. A front end of the actuator has a lobe. The actuator is located between the body portion and the latching arm when the latching member is mounted on the body portion. The lobe of the actuator is located between the ramp surface of the body portion and the inclined segment of the latching arm. When the actuator is pulled rearwardly, the lobe is slid upwardly along the ramp surface, and the engagement hook is risen and arrived at a released position from a latched position. The lobe, the ramp surface, the inclined segment, and the engagement hook are required to cooperate with one another for properly releasing the locking status of the plug connector. 
     An improved releasing mechanism is desired. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a plug connector with simple latching member that can be operated steadily. 
     In order to achieve the above-mentioned objects, a plug connector comprises: a housing and a releasing mechanism mounted on the housing and comprising a pulling portion and a latching member, the latching member defining a latching portion for latching a complementary connector, the pulling portion having a groove and the latching member having an ear portion engaged with the groove, the ear portion being able to rise out of the groove in response to a rearward movement of the pulling portion to move the latching portion from a latched position to a released position. 
     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 a plug connector in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a partly assembled, perspective view of the plug connector shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a view similar to  FIG. 1 , but from another aspect; 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded, perspective view of the plug connector shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the plug connector assembly in a latched position, taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the plug connector assembly in an released position, taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe the present invention in detail. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 5 , a plug connector  100  mating to a complementary connector (not shown) in accordance with the present invention comprises a housing  1 , a releasing mechanism  20  mounted on the housing  1 , a circuit board  5  received in the housing  1  and a cable  6  connected to the circuit board  5 . As needed, one or a pair of the circuit board(s)  5  is/are disposed in the housing  1 . The number of the cable  6  corresponds to the circuit board&#39;s  5 . The releasing mechanism  20  comprises a pulling portion operated by a user and a latching member  4  for latching the complementary connector. In this embodiment, the pulling portion comprises an actuator  2  and a pulling tape  3  engaged with the actuator  2 . In other embodiments, the actuator  2  and the pulling tape  3  can be an integrated structure. 
     The housing  1  is formed by two semi-housings  11  fastening each other along a left-to-right direction of the plug connector  100 , and two semi-housings  11  are fixed through at least two screws  7 . Each semi-housing  11  defines a pair of snapping portions  111  extending outwardly from an outer surface thereof, respectively. The housing  1  has a receiving cavity  12 , a supporting portion  13  located on the rear thereof, and an inserting portion  17  lower than supporting portion  13  and located on the front thereof, and a ramp  16  extending inclining and located between the inserting portion  17  and the supporting portion  13 . A pair of ribs  131  are located on two lateral sides of the supporting portion  13 , respectively. A channel  14  is located between the ribs  131 . A protruding portion  15  is defined in the channel  14 . In this embodiment, two semi-housings  11  are fastened along a left-to-right direction of the plug connector  100 . In other embodiments, the housing  1  can be an integrated structure or be fastened each other by two other structural semi-housings  11  along other directions. 
     The actuator  2  comprises a main body  21  extending horizontally, a connecting slot  23  located on the rear of the main body  21 . The main body  21  defines a sliding slot  211 , in which the protruding portion  15  of the housing  1  is slid. The protruding portion  15  can not offset along the left-to-right direction of the plug connector  100  when the protruding portion  15  is sliding in the sliding slot  211  along a front-to-rear direction of the plug connector  100 . Simultaneously, the protruding portion  15  blocks off the actuator  2  to make the actuator  2  not get away rearwardly from the housing  1 . An elastic portion  212  is arched from the front end to the rear end thereof, and located in the sliding slot  211 . The elastic portion  212  can provide the protruding portion  15  of the housing  1  with resilience. The main body  21  defines a pair of grooves  22  located at two lateral sides of the front end thereof, respectively. In this embodiment, the groove  22  is a slot shape. In other embodiments, the groove  22  can be a hollow region. Only the front end of the groove  22  has a step sharp with effect to rise the latching member  4 , the feature can meet the needs of the present invention. 
     The latching member  4  comprises a flat covering portion  41 , an extending portion  43  extending forwardly from the covering portion  41  and a pair of retaining portion  44  extending downwardly from two lateral sides of the covering portion  41 . A pair of ear portions  42  are located respectively at two lateral sides of the extending portion  43  and extending downwardly from the extending portion  43 . A lower surface of the ear portion  42  has semi-circular arc or other shapes which is conveniently to slide. A pair of latching portions  431  are located on the front end of the extending portion  43 . The retaining portion  44  defines a pair of retaining holes  441  for receiving and coordinating to the snapping portions  111 , respectively. The retaining holes  441  can be defined on the housing  1  to let the snapping portions  111  be defined on the retaining portion  44 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 4 , in assembly, a pair of semi-housings  11  are fastened each other along the left-to-right direction and the screws  7  fixed on the housing  1 . The circuit board  5  connecting to the cable  6  is received in the receiving cavity  12  of the housing  1 . The actuator  2  is located in the channel  14 , and the protruding portion  15  of the housing  1  prevents the actuator  2  from slide deucedly in the sliding slot  211  of the actuator  2 . The elastic portion  212  in the sliding slot  211  provides the protruding portion  15  with resilience. The pulling tape  3  is fastening in the connecting slot  23  of the actuator  2 . The latching member  4  is fastened on the housing  1 , and the covering portion  41  of the latching member  4  is supported by the ribs  131 , and the ear  42  portions is inserted into the grooves  22 , respectively, and the latching portion  431  of the latching member  4  is located over the inserting portion  17  for latching the complementary connector. 
     In conjunction with  FIG. 6 , when the user pulls the pulling tape  3  horizontally to drive the actuator  2  slide, the groove  22  of the actuator  2  in the channel  14  is moved rearwardly. When the groove  22  is arrived at a certain position, the ear portion  42  is risen and climbed out of the groove  22  to drive the latching portion  431  rise from a latched position toward a released position. 
     In this embodiment, the grooves  22  are defined on the actuator  2 , and the ear portions  42  are defined on the latching member  4 . In other embodiments, the grooves are also defined on the latching member  4 , and the ear portions  42  are defined on the actuator  2 . In this embodiment, the place where both the grooves  22  and the ear portions  42  coordinating with each other is located on the ramp  16 . In other embodiments, the place where both the grooves  22  and the ear portions  42  coordinating with each other can be located on the supporting portion  13  of the housing  1 . 
     In the prevent invention, the releasing action is needless with the ramp  16  of the housing  1 , and only need that the groove  22  of the actuator  2  and the ear portion  42  coordinate with each other. So, the releasing operation is convenient and steady. 
     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.