Patent Publication Number: US-6655980-B2

Title: Electrical connector having locks

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and particularly to an electrical connector having locks for ensuring a reliable connection between the connector and a complementary connector. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     As is well known, SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) connectors provide a standard interface between computers and internal/external SCSI peripheral devices, such as fixed and removable storage drives, scanners, compact discs, etc. Generally, an electrical connection is established between a computer and an internal/external SCSI peripheral device via a SCSI ribbon cable. One end of the SCSI ribbon cable is directly connected with the internal/external SCSI device, and another end of the SCSI ribbon cable is assembled with an IDC (Insulation Displacement Contact) SCSI  3  plug connector to be plugged into a complementary SCSI  3  receptacle connector, which is mounted on a circuit board of the computer. However, due to inevitable vibration and shock, the connection between the IDC plug connector and the complementary receptacle connector is relatively to loose. As a result, signal transmission between the computer and the internal/external SCSI device may be adversely affected. 
     Hence, the present invention aims to provide an electrical connector having locks to ensure a reliable connection between the connector and a complementary connector. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, a first object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector having locks for ensuring a reliable connection between the connector and a complementary connector. 
     A second object of the present invention is to provide a lock pivotally mounted on an electrical connector and having a spring portion forcing the lock to reliably latch with a complementary connector. 
     In order to achieve the objects set forth, an electrical connector having locks in accordance with the present invention comprises an insulative housing with a plurality of terminals retained therein, and a pair of locks pivotally mounted on opposite ends of the housing. Each lock includes a body portion, a handle at one end of the body portion for manually pivoting the lock, a latch at an opposite end of the body portion for latchably engaging with a complementary connector and a spring portion between the handle and the latch. The spring portion can always force the latch to approaching the housing to latchably engage with the complementary connector, thereby ensuring a reliable connection between the connector and a complementary connector. 
    
    
     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 plug connector having a pair of locks in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, and a complementary receptacle connector; 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged, perspective view of a lock shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIGS. 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views of the lock in FIG. 2 taken along different section lines; 
     FIG. 5 is an assembled, perspective view of the plug connector of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the plug connector of FIG. 5 engaged with the complementary receptacle connector; 
     FIG. 7 is a partial, cross-sectional view taken along section line  7 — 7  in FIG. 6, showing the locks in a closed position; 
     FIG. 8 is a partial, cross-sectional view taken along section line  8 — 8  in FIG. 6, showing the locks in the closed position; 
     FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 but showing the locks in an open position; 
     FIG. 10 is an enlarged, perspective view of a lock in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIGS. 11 and 12 are cross-sectional views of the lock in FIG. 10 taken along different section lines; 
     FIG. 13 is a partial, cross-sectional view showing the plug connector engaged with the receptacle connector and the locks of FIG. 10 in a closed position; 
     FIG. 14 is a view similar to FIG. 13 but taken from a different section; and 
     FIG. 15 is a view similar to FIG. 14 but showing the locks in an open position. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 and 5, an electrical connector  1  having a pair of locks  30  in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention and a complementary connector  4  adapted for mating with the connector  1  are shown. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the connector  1  is an IDC SCSI plug connector and the complementary connector  4  is an ultra SCSI receptacle connector which is mounted on a circuit board (not shown) of a computer. 
     The plug connector  1  comprises an insulative first housing  10  with a plurality of terminals (not shown) retained therein, a spacer  18  for being disposed on the first housing  10  for positioning insulation displacement portions of the terminals, a termination cover  20  for being latchably mounted on the first housing  10  and a pair of locks  30  for being pivotally mounted to opposite ends of the first housing  10 . The first housing  10  includes a base  12  and a shroud  14  downwardly projecting from the base  12 . The base  12  has a cavity  120  in a top face  12   a  thereof and a pair of mounting wedges  16  at opposite ends thereof. The base  12  is also formed with a pair of pivots  122  at each end thereof. 
     The spacer  18  is installed into the cavity  120  of the first housing  10 . The spacer  18  defines a plurality of positioning holes  180  arranged in four rows in a staggered manner for the insulation displacement portions of the terminals to extend therethrough. 
     The termination cover  20  is mounted on the top face  12   a  of the first housing  10  for performing electrical connections between a multi-conductor ribbon cable (not shown) and the insulation displacement portions of the terminals. The termination cover  20  includes a pair of downwardly extending mounting lugs  22  at opposite ends thereof. Each mounting lug  22  has an inward projection  220  at a free end thereof for engaging with a corresponding mounting wedge  16  of the first housing  10 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 2,  3  and  4 , the pair of locks  30  are pivotally mounted on the opposite ends of the first housing  10 . Each lock  30  includes a body portion  32  having a chamber  320  defined therein, an outwardly extending handle  34  at one end of the body portion  32  for manually pivoting the lock  30 , an inwardly extending latch  36  at an opposite end of the body portion  32 , and a spring portion  38  integrally and upwardly extending from the body portion  32  and disposed in the chamber  320  of the body portion  32 . The body portion  32  defines a pair of holes  322  in opposite sidewalls thereof. Each hole  322  is in communication with the chamber  320  for receiving a corresponding pivot  122  on the first housing  10 . 
     Referring to FIG. 5, in assembly, the spacer  18  is first disposed in the cavity  120  of the first housing  10  with the insulation displacement portions of the terminals extending therethrough. The termination cover  20  is then mounted on the first housing  10  to facilitate electrical connection between the multi-conductor ribbon cable and the insulation displacement portions of the terminals. The mounting lugs  22  of the termination cover  20  engage with the mounting wedges  16  of the first housing  10 . Finally, the locks  30  are pivotally mounted on the first housing  10  via the engagement between the holes  322  of the body portions  32  and the pivots  122  of the first housing  10 . At the same time, the mounting lugs  22  of the termination cover  20  and the mounting wedges  16  of the first housing  10  are accommodated in the chambers  320  of the locks  30 . Free ends of the spring portions  38  of the locks  30  abut against the opposite ends of the termination cover  20 . 
     Referring back to FIG. 1, the receptacle connector  4  comprises an insulative second housing  40  with a plurality of terminals (not shown) retained therein. The second housing  40  includes a base section  42  and a mating section  44  (only shown with the outer contour in FIG. 1) upwardly extending from the base section  42  for being received in the shroud  14  of the plug connector  1 . The base section  42  is formed with a pair of upwardly extending hooks  46  at opposite ends thereof. Each hook  46  has a pair of outwardly protruding projections  460  at a free end thereof. 
     Referring to FIGS. 6-9, before mating the plug connector  1  with the receptacle connector  4 , an external force is exerted inward on the handles  34  to actuate a bottom edge of each lock  30  to pivot outwardly until the locks  30  arrive at an open position where free ends of the spring portions  38  are deflected to abut against inner surfaces  324  of the body portions  32 . After the plug connector  1  mates with the receptacle connector  4 , the external force is removed from the handles  34  and the spring portions  38  spring back to cause the locks  30  to arrive at a closed position where the latches  36  of the locks  30  engage with the projections  460  of the hooks  46  of the receptacle connector  4 , whereby a reliable electrical connection between the plug connector  1  and the receptacle connector  4  is ensured. 
     When separation between the plug connector  1  and the receptacle connector  4  is required, an external force is exerted inward on the handles  34  to actuate the bottom edges of the locks  30  to pivot outwardly about the pivots  122  until the latches  36  completely disengage from the projections  460  of the hooks  46  of the second housing  40 . Then, the plug connector  1  can be easily removed from the receptacle connector  4 . 
     FIGS. 10-15 show a pair of locks  30 ′ in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. Each lock  30 ′ has a configuration substantially the same as that of the lock  30 , except that a spring portion  38 ′ of the lock  30 ′ is separated from a latch  36 ′ and the latch  36 ′ includes a pair of keys  360 ′ (only one is shown) on the inner surface  324  of the body portion  32 . 
     It is noted that once the external force is removed from the handles  34  of the locks  30 ,  30 ′, the spring portions  38 ,  38 ′ always reform to their original position to keep the locks  30 ,  30 ′ in the closed position, i.e., the locks  30 ,  30 ′ can automatically return to the closed position. Thus, a reliable connection between the plug connector  1  and the receptacle connector  4  is ensured. 
     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.