Abstract:
A low-profile connector for use with electronic devices provides a cantilevered latching arm with a pair of engagement hooks that engage mating holes in a guide frame, and which can be easily unlatched from the guide frame or opposing connector or housing. The hooks lock the plug connector into engagement with the frame or housing, but are readily released by way of a rotating cam lobe mechanism. The lobe mechanism converts horizontal pulling movement of an actuator into vertical, lifting movement of the latching arm such that the hooks are lifted upward and disengaged from the guide frame or housing.

Description:
REFERENCE To RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The Present Disclosure claims priority to prior-filed U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/844,757, entitled “Low Profile Latching Connector,” and filed with the United States Patent And Trademark Office on 10 Jul. 2013. The content of the aforementioned Application is fully incorporated herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE 
     The Present Disclosure is directed to small and low-profile connectors. More particularly, the Present Disclosure is directed to pluggable-style connectors received within a housing, or guide frame, and which require some sort of exterior latch operable to engage and disengage the connectors from their mated engagement with the housing. 
     Small and low-profile connectors, such as those used in SFP (Small Form Pluggable) applications are routinely used in electronic devices in which space is at a premium; typically, such connectors are used to make connections with routers and servers. The routers and servers are located in wiring closets, where space is also at a premium. Reliable engagement is desired along with a small size. The need to have a smaller size may affect the reliability of the engagement of the connector. Such a connector has a latch operated by an external operator. In order to provide good engagement, the latches of these connectors are formed with either a large depth or the actuator is provided with a large, vertical stroke for engaging and disengaging the latch. The use of large vertical operating strokes for latches defeats the purpose of reduced sizes of connectors. 
     A known connector is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,281,937, issued 16 Oct. 2007 to the Assignee of the Present Disclosure, the content of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety herein; that connector has a plug body with a longitudinal channel formed in it. The channel receives an elongated actuator in the form of a pull tab and the forward end of the actuator has a pin-like, or cylindrical end portion that rides up and down a ramp. The end portion makes contact with a latching member that extends in the channel and over the actuator. Movement of the actuator moves the end portion up and down the ramp, into contact with the latching member, causing it to selectively raise or lower the latching member. Although this connector provides reliable latching, the height required for the latching member to travel in its engagement/disengagement is relatively high and as such, this connector is impractical to use in reduced size settings where more connector density is desired. 
     The Present Disclosure is therefore directed to a small size, and low profile pluggable connector that overcomes the aforementioned shortcomings and which has a reduced stroke height for actuating the latching member associated with the connector. 
     SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE 
     In a preferred embodiment as described in the Present Disclosure, a low-profile latching plug connector is provided comprised of an elongated connector housing formed from two interengaging halves. The connector housing may have a non-uniform configuration, that is, a front, or first, section of the plug connector housing sized and shaped to fit within a mating receptacle connector and this section includes a mating end with exposed terminals for connecting to opposing terminals in the receptacle connector. A second, or rear, section of the plug connector may have a larger cross-section than the first section such that it will not fit within the opposing housing or guide frame, and thus may be considered as a body portion of the plug connector. The rear section of the plug connector also receives and supports one or more multiple wire cables therein which are terminated to contacts disposed within the front section of the connector. 
     The plug connector is latched into engagement with its opposing, associated receptacle connector by a latching member, which may take the form of an elongated arm that extends longitudinally of the plug connector. The rear end of the latching member is attached to the body portion of the connector housing in a manner to retain it in place and prevent it from moving, while the front end thereof has a free end capable of vertical movement. The attachment of the latching member to the connector housing defines a cantilevered latching structure for the connector. Engagement members in the form of hooks are disposed at the latching member free end, and are biased in one direction, typically downwardly, by the structure of the latching member, at the plug connector mating end, where they are aligned with holes or slots formed in the exterior surface of the opposing guide frame or receptacle connector housing. 
     An actuator is provided on that a user may lift the latching member with a simple pulling action. The actuator is interposed between the latching member and an exterior surface of the plug connector housing, and it preferably lies below the latching arm and along a top surface of the plug connector housing. The actuator preferably includes a cam end with an enlarged end portion in the form of a lobe, at its forward end. The enlarged end portion is captured received in a depression that is disposed on the connector housing near the front section of the connector housing. The enlarged end portion has, in effect, a hinged structure that permits it to rotate within the depression and up against the latching member when the actuator is pulled rearwardly. 
     This enlarged end portion rotation brings the forward end of the enlarged end portion clockwise (in the direction of the pulling force applied to the actuator by the user), up and. into contact with the latching member to raise it sufficiently high enough to cause the hooks thereof to disengage from the opposing receptacle housing. The enlarged end portion has a leg portion that extends rearwardly underneath the actuator and this leg portion opposes a shoulder disposed along the connector housing depression. The leg portion is separated from the actuator body portion by an intervening notch or re-entrant portion of the enlarged end portion. The shoulder defines a stop surfaces against which the leg portion contacts and stops, such that further rearward movement causes the actuator to rotate and raise the front end of the latching member. As the actuator is returned in its movement, the leg portion retreats from its contact with the depression shoulder and the enlarged end portion lowers itself into the depression. As such, the latching end of the latching member then moves downwardly into engagement with openings formed in the guide frame or receptacle connector housing. 
     The actuator preferably includes a pull tab in the form of a finger hole or tab at its rear end for the user to grasp and pull the actuator rearwardly. The actuator and plug connector housing include cooperating structure that limits the travel of the actuator, such as a stop member disposed on an exterior surface of the connector housing. The actuator has a slot formed in its body that engages the stop member. The length of the slot determines the extent to which the actuator may be moved on the housing. The depression, in effect, captures the actuator enlarged end portion and the need to form inclined surfaces as a cam surface for the enlarged end portion to ride upon is eliminated. Therefore, the connector housing may be made with a reduced height compared to prior known connectors. 
     These and other objects, features and advantages of the connector as described in the Present Disclosure will be clearly understood through a consideration of the following detailed description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       The organization and manner of the structure and operation of the Present Disclosure, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following Detailed Description, taken in connection with the accompanying Figures, wherein like reference numerals identify like elements, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a low profile latching connector of the Present Disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is a partially exploded view of  FIG. 1 , with the latching member and actuator removed from their respective positions on the connector housing; 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged detail view, partially in section of the connector of  FIG. 1 , with the left side of the connector housing removed and the latching member and actuator sectioned down the center of the connector to illustrate the location of the actuator and its free end; 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged side elevational view of the connector of  FIG. 3 , with the actuator free end in place in a rest position within its associated depression of the connector housing; 
         FIG. 5  is the same view as  FIG. 4 , but illustrating the rotational movement of the actuator free end when the actuator is pulled; and 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the actuator of the connector of  FIG. 1 , with an enlarged detail view of the actuator enlarged end portion. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     While the Present Disclosure may be susceptible to embodiment in different forms, there is shown in the Figures, and will be described herein in detail, specific embodiments, with the understanding that the Present Disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the Present Disclosure, and is not intended to limit the Present Disclosure to that as illustrated. 
     As such, references to a feature or aspect are intended to describe a feature or aspect of an example of the Present Disclosure, not to imply that every embodiment thereof must have the described feature or aspect. Furthermore, it should be noted that the description illustrates a number of features. While certain features have been combined together to illustrate potential system designs, those features may also be used in other combinations not expressly disclosed. Thus, the depicted combinations are not intended to he limiting, unless otherwise noted. 
     In the embodiments illustrated in the Figures, representations of directions such as up, down, left, right, front and rear, used for explaining the structure and movement of the various elements of the Present Disclosure, are not absolute, but relative. These representations are appropriate when the elements are in the position shown in the Figures. If the description of the position of the elements changes, however, these representations are to be changed accordingly. 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a low-profile plug connector  10  constructed in accordance with the principles of the Present Disclosure. The plug connector  10  is seen to include an elongated connector housing  12  having two opposing ends  14 ,  16 . The first, or front end,  14  of the plug connector body  12  defines a mating end  18  of the plug connector housing  12 . This front end  14  of the connector housing  12  is shown as a rectangular cube, the cross section of which is rectangular. One or more circuit boards  20  that define mating blades  21  of the connector  10  are contained within the front end  14  of the connector housing  12 . These circuit boards  20  include an arrangement of conductive contact pads  22  that make electrical contact with mating terminals in a mating receptacle connector (not shown) which is typically enclosed within an outer protective guide frame or receptacle connector housing. 
     The dimensions of the connector front end  14  are such that the front end fits within an opening of the guide frame that encompasses a corresponding opposing and mating receptacle connector. Inasmuch as the front end portion  14  is shown as having a cubic, or rectangular shape, it has a planar top surface  24 , which is insertable into the interior portion of the guide frame  22  (not shown). 
     The connector housing  12  has a second (or terminating) end  16  generally opposite to its first end  14 . The second, or rear end,  16  of the connector housing  12  may include a larger body portion  17  and also has a four-sided shape as illustrated. The cross-section of this body portion  17  is larger than the cross-section of the front mating end  18 . The difference in size between the connector housing body portion  17  and the connector housing mating end  18  prevents the body portion  17  from being introduced during mating, into the guide frame or receptacle connector. 
     The front end  14  of the connector housing  12  may further include a keying or indexing feature, such as a slot  25  formed in the bottom portion thereof and configured to engage a tab on the corresponding opposing connector when the two connectors are mated. The connector housing  12  may be formed of two interengaging halves  26   a, b  with a joining line that runs along the central axis C-C of the connector housing  12 . These two halves  26   a ,  26   b  may engage each other in any known suitable fashion. The rear end  16  of the connector housing  12  is configured to receive one or more multi-wire cables  27  with each cable  27  housing one or more wires  57  that have respective conductors  58  that are terminated to contacts  59  disposed on the rear of the connector circuit board(s)  20 . In this manner, the wires  57  of the cables  27  may be connected to circuits on the circuit board(s) to which the opposing mating connectors are mounted. 
     The connector housing rear end  16  has a recess  29  disposed thereon and this recess  29 , as illustrated, circumscribes almost the entirety of the connector housing rear end  16 . The recess  29  provides a support base for a latching member  28  that includes, as shown, a body portion in the form of a collar  31  received by the connector housing recess  29  and an elongated latching arm  32  that extends in a cantilevered fashion from the collar  31 . The collar  31  may include, as shown, a plurality of retaining members  61  in the form of tabs formed as part thereof and bent inwardly and received in corresponding slots  62  disposed on the connector housing rear end  16 . These tabs serve to hold the latching member collar  31  in place on the connector housing  12  as well as seat the latching member collar in a particular disposition on the housing rear end  16 . The retaining members  61  fix the latching member  28  in a desired position on the connector housing  12  so that the latching arm  32  and the latching member free end  33  are properly positioned over a selected area, especially the top surface  24  of the connector housing front end  14 . In this regard, the latching member  28  is fixed so that it will not move appreciably on the connector housing  12  during use, but may be removed is desired. 
     The latching arm  32  terminates in a free end  33  angled slightly downwardly with respect to the latching member collar  31  portion and this latching arm  32  has one or more engagement hooks  34  formed thereon which are spaced apart widthwise of the connector  10 . These engagement hooks  34  are positioned and configured to engage corresponding opposing openings in the guide frame or the receptacle connector (not shown). These engagement hooks  34  have a particular depth and in order for them to be raised an appropriate height in order to unlatch and disengage from the opposing connector, an actuator  40  is provided. As best shown in  FIGS. 2 and 4-6 , the actuator  40  utilizes an elongated body portion  41  having two opposing ends. One end  42  is an actuating end shown at the forward end of the actuator  40  and serves to selectively raise and lower the latching member free end  33 , while the other end at the rear of the actuator  40 , is a gripping end grasped and pulled by the operator to cause the actuation of the latching member free end  33  to occur. The gripping end is shown as an enlarged pull tab  43  with grooves  43   a  and a central opening  43   b  disposed therein. 
     In conventional connectors, the actuator was held in a slot on the housing and the slot included an inclined surface along which the actuator actuating end was moved in order to translate the longitudinal motion of the actuator into a vertical motion of the latching arm free end. The use of this inclined plane necessitated that the connector housing, especially the rear portion thereof, have a certain height, and particularly the difference in height between the connector housing front and rear portions. This resulted in relatively large size connectors. The goal in the electronics industry is to constantly reduce the size of devices and the use of an inclined ramp with its high elevation as an actuating, or cam surface, defeats that goal. 
     The connector of the Present Disclosure provides a structure that permits an overall reduction of height of the connector. It accomplishes this by providing a longitudinal channel  30  in the top surface  15  of the connector housing  12  that receives the actuator  40  therein. The channel  30  has a bottom surface that is substantially level, i.e., in a substantially horizontal plane, and does not utilize an inclined surface as a cam surface. Instead, there is a depression, or recess  48 , that is disposed at the forward end of the channel  30  that in effect, captures, or traps an end of the actuator  40  therein. This recess  48  extends widthwise of the connector housing  12 , or transversely to the central, longitudinal axis C-C of the channel  30 . The actuator  40  is provided with a camming structure at its front end  42  in the form of an enlarged end portion  44 . A separate leg portion  45  extends from this enlarged end portion  44  rearwardly under the actuator body portion  41 . The actuator body portion  41  ends where the enlarged end portion  44  begins, shown at “A” in  FIG. 4 . The actuator leg portion  45  and the associated enlarged end portion  44  are captured in the channel recess  48  in a manner such that there is a very slight clearance between the enlarged end and leg portions  44 ,  45  and the surrounding connector housing  12  and this slight clearance is best shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     The channel recess  48  includes two opposing front and rear surfaces  49 ,  52 , respectively, that extend transversely to the connector housing channel  30 . The recess rear surface  52  has a shoulder portion  50  that defines a stop surface in opposition to the actuator end leg portion  45 . In operation, the rear surface, or heel of the actuator leg portion  45  contacts the stop surface when the actuator pull tab  43  is grasped and pulled rearwardly. As illustrated best in  FIG. 5 , the actuator leg portion  45  and the enlarged end portion  44  rotate in the same direction as the pulling force, clockwise or rearwardly, in the Figure, so that the enlarged end portion  44  pivots and rises up into contact with the bottom surface  36  of the latching member  28 , thereby lifting the latching member free end  33  upwardly. Because the latching member free end  33  is cantilevered and because the actuator enlarged end portion  44  is spaced close to the free end  33  of the latching member  28 , this upward movement of the latching member  28  raises the engagement hooks  34  high enough to unlatch and disengage from the corresponding openings in the opposing guide frame or connector. In order to reliably disengage the engagement hooks  34  from the opposing guide frame, the length EL of the actuator enlarged end portion  44  and leg portion  45  extending therefrom should be not less than the height EH of the engagement hooks  34 . In this manner, the rotation of the actuator enlarged end portion  44  reliably raises the latching member free end  33 . 
     The actuator enlarged end portion  44  therefore acts a hinge with a point of rotation at approximately where the actuator body portion  41  meets the enlarged end portion  44 . The enlarged end portion  44 , as shown in  FIG. 5 , has a length from the front end of the actuator to the end of the leg portion  45 . The actuator body portion  41  extends over the leg portion  45  until it ends where it joins to the enlarged end portion cam lobe. The intersection of the top and front surfaces of this cam lobe is provided with a radius R to facilitate the raising contact that occurs, and the enlarged end portion, in particular the cam lobe portion thereof is provided with a raised portion  46  that is raised to a height, h, with respect to the top surface of the actuator body portion  41  ( FIG. 6 .) The enlarged end portion rotates about an axis of rotation AR which is forward of the heel of the leg portion  45 , as illustrated in  FIG. 5 . 
     The connector  10  may also be provided with a stop mechanism that limits the extent to which the actuator  40  may be pulled. Such a mechanism includes a slot  54  formed in the body portion  41  thereof. This slot  54  is engaged by a stop, or catch  55  formed in the latching arm  32  and bent downwardly so that it extends into the actuator slot  54  and the connector housing channel  30 . The catch  55  may be a simple depression in the latching arm connected to the latching arm at both ends, or it may have a U-shaped configuration in which the open end of the U-shape faces forward and receives the rear edge of the actuator slot  54  when the actuator is drawn back so as to limit the rearward travel of the actuator. The connector  10  may also be provided with an EMI gasket in the form of a collar  70  with rearwardly extending spring contacts  72  that extend past the location of the engagement hooks  34 . 
     Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate the simplicity of the connector&#39;s manner of disengagement from a mating receptacle connector simply by pulling on the easily grasped end of the actuator, which causes the engagement hooks at the free end of the latching member to be lifted out of engagement with the guide frame. 
     While a preferred embodiment of the Present Disclosure is shown and described, it is envisioned that those skilled in the art may devise various modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the foregoing Description and the appended Claims.