Abstract:
A cable end connector ( 100 ) for mating with a complementary connector ( 7 ) includes an insulative housing ( 1 ), a number of contacts ( 4 ) disposed in the housing, a cable ( 6 ) having a number of signal and grounding conductors ( 61, 62 ) electrically connected to the contacts, a cover ( 5 ) partially enclosing the housing, and a locking member ( 2 ). The locking member includes a securing portion fixed secured to the insulative housing, and a one-mated latching portion ( 22 ) movably extending forwardly from the securing portion and out of the housing for locking with the complementary connector permanently.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a cable end connector, and particularly to a cable end connector with a locking member for locking with a complementary connector. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Complementary electrical connectors typically include dielectric housings respectively receiving a plurality of terminals or contacts which, when the connectors are mated, establish an electrical connection therebetween. The complementary connectors may be male and female connectors or plug and receptacle connectors. In some instances, the connectors have complementary latches for locking the connectors together when mated. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,445,534, 5,775,931, 5,924,886 and 6,431,887 disclose different forms of latch structures to provide a reliable mechanical and electrical connection between complementary connectors. 
     There exists in the art an electrical connector known as a Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (Serial ATA) connector which is generally used for disk drives and storage peripherals. Especially, the Serial ATA connectors according the Serial ATA standard are featured in fewer electrical contacts than other conventional electrical connectors and are relatively tiny in configurations. It is desirable for the Serial ATA connector to have latching means for providing a reliable mechanical and electrical connection with a complementary connector. However, the latch structures disclosed in the above-mentioned patents are not fully suitable for the Serial ATA connector. For example, the latch structure of U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,534 is used for locking a male component in a female housing. The other latch structures are relatively complex or cannot used in the Serial ATA connector because of the specific structure of Serial ATA. 
     Therefore, assignee of the present application has proposed several solutions to satisfy current demands in, for example, U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 10/301,221, 10/280,515, 10/271,064, and 10/241,551, filed respectively on Nov. 20, 2002, Oct. 24, 2002, Oct. 15, 2002 and Sep. 11, 2002, and respectively entitled “ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY HAVING LOCKING MEMBER”, “CABLE END CONNECTOR WITH LOCKING MEMBER”, “CABLE END CONNECTOR WITH LOCKING MEMBER” and “CABLE END CONNECTOR WITH LOCKING MEMBER”. 
     The Serial ATA cable end connector of the above-mentioned applications generally comprises a housing, a plurality of terminals, a cable comprising a plurality of conductors respectively electrically connecting to the terminals, a cover over-molded with the housing and the cable, and a locking member. The locking member comprises a pushing portion received in a recess of the cover and a locking portion for releasing/locking the cable end connector from/with the complementary connector conveniently by way of the pushing portion. However, sometimes Serial ATA connectors are used in a chassis of a host computer. In such a condition, once the cable end connector has been engaged with the complementary connector, it doesn&#39;t need to separate the cable end connector often from the complementary connector. Thus, a suitable type of locking member is needed to satisfy this different demand. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object, therefore, of the present invention is to provide a cable end connector with a locking member for locking the connector with a complementary connector permanently. 
     In order to achieve the objects set forth, a cable end connector for mating with a complementary connector comprises an insulative housing, a plurality of contacts disposed in the housing, a cable comprising a plurality of conductors electrically connected to the contacts, a cover partially enclosing the housing, and a locking member. The locking member comprises a securing portion fixedly secured to the insulative housing, and a latching portion movably extending from the securing portion and out of the insulative housing for locking with the complementary connector and providing a mechanical connection therebetween. 
     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 a cable end connector in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an assembled, perspective view of the cable end connector of FIG. 1, without a locking member thereof; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the locking member of the cable end connector; 
     FIG. 4 is an assembled view of the cable end connector of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cable end connector in accordance with the present invention and a complementary connector, which together constitute an electrical connector assembly; 
     FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but the cable end connector and the complementary connector have been mated with each other; and 
     FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line  7 — 7  of FIG.  6 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIG.  1  and FIG. 4, a cable end connector  100  in accordance with the present invention comprises an insulative housing  1 , a locking member  2 , a spacer  3 , a plurality of contacts  4 , a cover  5 , and a cable  6 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 1-2 and in conjunction with FIG. 7, the insulative housing  1  is a rectangular body and comprises an upper wall  10 , a lower wall  12  opposite to the upper wall  10 , and a pair of side walls  15  joining the upper and lower walls  10 ,  12 . An L-shaped receiving space  11  is defined between the upper and lower walls  10 ,  12  for receiving the complementary connector  7 . A block  13  is formed on the lower wall  12  and protrudes into the receiving space  11 . A plurality of passageways  14  is defined through the block  13  for receiving the contacts  4 . Each side wall  15  is partly cut off to define a channel  151 . The upper and lower walls  10 ,  12  each defines a pair of recesses  16  communicating with a corresponding channel  151  on a pair of sides thereof. A guiding projection  18  protrudes sidewardly from a side surface of the side wall  15 . A pair of ribs  17  is formed on an upper surface and a lower surface of the housing  1  and adjacent to a rear portion of the housing  1  for engaging with the cover  5 , and a receiving slot (not labeled) is defined in the rear portion of the housing  1  for receiving the spacer  3 . 
     The spacer  3  is a rectangular board defining a plurality of holes therethrough. Each contact  4  comprises a retention portion  41  for engaging with a corresponding passageway  14  defined in the block  13 , a mating portion  40  extending forwardly from the retention portion  41  for being received in corresponding passageway  14  and partly exposed into the receiving space  11 , and a tail portion  42  extending rearwardly from the retention portion  41  for electrically contacting the cable  6 . 
     The cable  6  comprises two differential pairs and an outer insulative jacket  60  surrounding the pairs. Each differential pair comprises a pair of signal conductors  62  and a pair of grounding conductors  61  arranged beside the signal conductors  62 . Each conductor extends beyond a front end of the jacket  60 . 
     The cover  5  is preferably formed of molded plastic or polymer material and is over-molded with the rear portion of the housing  1  and the front end of the cable  6 . The cover  5  is a rectangular body and a transverse size of a rear portion thereof is smaller than a transverse size of a front portion thereof for being grasped conveniently and receiving the cable  6  therein. 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, the locking member  2  comprises a securing portion  23  for securing the locking member  2  to the housing  1  and a latching portion  22  extending forwardly from a middle of the securing portion  23 . The securing portion  23  comprises a transverse portion  20  and a pair of side portions  21  extending sidewardly from opposite lateral edges of the transverse portion  20 . Each side portion  21  comprises a U-shaped claw having opposite first and second portions  210 ,  212 , and a vertical portion  214  connecting the first and second portions  210 ,  212 . The first portion  210  extends sidewardly from the lateral edge of the transverse portion  20 . The second portion  212  is opposite to the first portion  210 . The latching portion  22  comprises a neck portion  220 , an enlarged portion  224  extending forwardly from the neck portion  220 , and a hook portion  226  bent downwardly from a free end of the enlarged portion  224  for locking with the complementary connector  7 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 1-4, and in conjunction with FIG. 7, in assembly, the contacts  4  are first assembled into the housing  1  in a rear-to-front direction. The mating portion  40  and the retention portion  41  of each contact  4  are received into corresponding passageway  14  and the tail portion  42  exposed outside the housing  1 . The spacer  3  is then received into the receiving slot defined in the rear portion of the housing  1 , and the tail portions  42  of the contacts  4  protrude through the holes defined in the spacer  3 . The spacer  3  seals the rear portion of the insulative housing  1 , thereby efficiently preventing the melted plastic material of the cover  5  from entering into the housing  1  when the cover  5  is being molded. The signal and grounding conductors  61 ,  62  of the cable  6  are soldered to the tail portions  42 , respectively. The cover  5  is then over-molded with the rear portion of the housing  1  and the front end of the cable  6 . Melted material of the cover  5  is received in the channel  151 . The pair of ribs  17  is received in a receiving cavity  56  defined by four walls of the cover  5  and engaging with inner surfaces of the receiving cavity  56 . Therefore, the cover  5  engages with the cable  6  and the housing  1  reliably. 
     The locking member  2  is then assembled to the housing  1 . The transverse portion  20  of the securing portion  23  filly attached to the upper surface of the housing  1 . The vertical portion  214  of the side portion  21  is received in the channel  151 . The first and second portions  210 ,  212  of each side portion  21  are respectively received in the recesses  16  defined in the upper and lower surfaces of the housing  1 . Opposite first and second edges  230 ,  232  of the securing portion  23  of the locking member  2  respectively abut against a front surface  50  of the cover  5  and front portions of the insulative housing  1 . Thus, the locking member  2  is secured between the insulative housing  1  and the cover  5  for preventing from moving along a front-to-rear direction. The enlarged portion  224  of the latching portion  22  extends beyond a front end of the housing  1  for locking with the complementary connector  7 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 5-7, the complementary connector  7  and the cable end connector  100  in accordance with the present invention together constitute an electrical connector assembly  200 . The complementary connector  7  comprises a dielectric housing  70  and a tongue  74  extending forwardly from a middle of the housing  70 . A guiding post  71  extends forwardly from one end of the housing  70  for facilitating the engagement with the cable end connector  100 . A guide portion  75  is formed on the housing  70  and is chamfered in configuration and has an inclined surface, functioning in guiding and facilitating the hook portion  226  of the locking member  2  to lock with the complementary connector  7 . A plurality of terminals  73  is assembled to the housing  70  and each terminal  73  has a solder tail in Surface Mount type extending beyond a rear surface  79  of the housing  70  for being soldered to a surface of a printed circuit board (not shown). 
     In use, referring to FIGS. 5-7, when the cable end connector  100  is to mate with the complementary connector  7 , the tongue  72  with the terminals  73  aligns with the receiving space  11  of the housing  1  of the cable end connector  100 . The hook portion  226  of the locking member  6  slides through the inclined surface of the chamfered guide portion  75  of the complementary connector  7  and then snapped onto the rear surface  79  of the housing  70 . In such a way, the one-mated locking member  6  of the cable end connector  100  is smoothly and securely locked with the complementary connector  7 . A permanent engagement between the cable end connector  100  and the complementary connector  7  is formed by the locking member  2 . Since there is no possibility of the latching portion  22  locking/separating with/from the complementary connector  7  repeatedly, after the locking member  2  locks with the complementary connector  7 , only the latching portion  22  of the locking member  2  is destroyed to deform upwardly, the cable end connector  1  can be separated from the complementary connector  7 . 
     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.