Patent Publication Number: US-6217364-B1

Title: Electrical connector assembly with guide pin latching system

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention generally relates to the art of electrical connectors and, particularly, to an electrical connector assembly which includes guide pins that perform a dual function of guiding a pair of connectors into mated condition as well as latching the connectors in the mated condition. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A typical electrical connector assembly includes a pair of electrical connectors which interconnect respective conductive terminals when the connectors are mated. In some assemblies, extraneous latching mechanisms are provided to hold the connectors in mated condition and to prevent the connectors from pulling apart. Obviously, such latching mechanisms require space or occupy an area of the connectors. In some instances, this space can be considerable in relation to much smaller terminals of the connectors. If one connector is mounted on a circuit board, a panel or the like, the space required for the latching mechanisms can occupy valuable “real estate” on the board or panel. 
     Other connectors require some form of guiding mechanisms to guide the pair of connectors into mated condition and, thereby, ensure that the terminals are properly aligned and interconnected. For instance, one connector of a connector assembly may include one or more guide holes for receiving complementary guide pins projecting from the mating connector. Here again, such guiding mechanisms require space or occupy a considerable area of the connectors. 
     The present invention is directed to solving the problems of latching mechanisms and guiding mechanisms taking up excessive space by a unique system wherein one of the connectors of the connector assembly includes at least one guide pin that performs a dual function of not only guiding the connectors into mated condition but to facilitate latching the connectors in the mated condition. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object, therefore, of the invention is to provide a new and improved electrical connector assembly of the character described which includes a unique guiding and latching system. 
     In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, the electrical connector assembly includes a first connector having a housing mounting a plurality of terminals. The housing has a guide hole at a mating face thereof. A second connector includes a housing mounting a plurality of terminals for connection to the terminals of the first connector when the connectors are mated. A guide pin on the second connector is insertable into the guide hole of the first connector to guide the connectors into mated condition. The guide pin has a latch portion. A latch member on the first connector is engageable with the latch portion of the guide pin when the connectors are mated to hold the connectors in mated condition. Therefore, the guide pin performs a dual function of guiding the connectors as well as latching the connectors. 
     As disclosed herein, a pair of the guide holes are provide at opposite ends of the mating face of the first connector, along with a pair of guide pins on the second connector. Both guide pins have latch portions, and the second connector includes a pair of the latch members. The latch portions on the guide pins are provided by notches in the sides thereof. The latch members include latch hooks engageable in the notches. 
     Each latch member comprises a latch arm pivotable relative to the housing of the first connector. In the preferred embodiment, the latch arm is a separate member independent of the housing of the first connector. The latch arm is pivoted to the housing intermediate opposite ends of the latch arm. One end of the latch arm is located inside the housing for engaging the latch notch of a respective one of the guide pins. An opposite end of the latch arm is located outside the housing for manual manipulation by an operator. The latch arms are fabricated of spring metal material, and the opposite ends of the latch arms include spring portions for biasing the hooked ends of the latch arms into latching condition with the notches of the guide pins. 
     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 
     The features of this invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention, together with its objects and the advantages thereof, may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals identify like elements in the figures and in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pair of connectors of the electrical connector assembly embodying the concepts of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of one of the connectors; 
     FIG. 3 is a view of the connector of FIG. 2, in assembled condition but with the top half of the housing removed; and 
     FIG. 4 is a view similar to that of FIG. 3 but showing how the second connector mates with and is latched to the connector of FIGS. 2 and 3. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings in greater detail, and first to FIG. 1, the invention is embodied in an electrical connector assembly, generally designated  10 , which includes a first or cable connector, generally designated  12 , and a second or header connector, generally designated  14 . Cable connector  12  is provide for terminating a plurality of pairs of electrical wires of a high speed electrical cable  16 . Header connector  14  includes a pair of externally threaded mounting posts  18  for mounting the header connector on a backplane, panel or the like. As will seen in greater detail hereinafter, cable connector  12  mounts a pair of latch members  20  on opposite sides thereof which are operatively associated with a pair of guide pins  22  at opposite ends of header connector  14 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 in conjunction with FIG. 1, cable connector  12  includes a housing, generally designated  24 , formed by a pair of substantially identical housing halves  26  held together by a plurality of bolts  28  and nuts  30 . The housing defines a mating face  32 . The housing halves combines to define an interior cavity  34  having a front opening  34   a  and a rear opening  34   b . The housing halves may be fabricated of die-cast metal material or of molded plastic material. A boot (not shown) of elastomeric material may cover the housing. The boot may have access openings to the latch members. 
     Still referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, electrical cable  16  includes a plurality of twisted pairs of electrical wires  36  which are terminated to conductive terminals overmolded in a plurality of thin flat wafers  38 . The wafers are molded of dielectric material such as plastic or the like. The wafers are closely juxtaposed in a parallel array and are positioned within interior cavity  34  of one of the housing halves  26  such that cable  16  projects out of rear opening  34   b  of the cavity as seen in FIG.  3 . For instance, the cable and wafer subassembly can be positioned in a bottom one of the housing halves  26  (e.g., the right-hand housing half as viewed in FIG. 2) and the other housing half then is positioned on top of the one housing half to completely enclose the cable/wafer subassembly, with bolts  28  and nuts  30  being used to close housing  24  about the cable/wafer subassembly. As will be seen in describing FIG. 4, each plastic wafer  38  is overmolded about a plurality of female terminals which are exposed at front opening  34   a  of cavity  34  of housing  24 . 
     As best seen in FIG. 3, cable connector  12  mounts a pair of the latch members  20  which were briefly mentioned in describing FIG.  1 . Each latch member is formed by a latch arm stamped and formed of spring sheet metal material. Each latch arm is pivoted to housing halves  26  by a rounded pivot portion  20   a  formed intermediate opposite ends of the latch arm and disposed within rounded pivot cavities  40  in the housing halves. One end  20   b  of each latch arm is located within a cavity  42  of the housing halves and includes an inwardly directed latch hook  20   c . An opposite end  20   d  of each latch arm is exposed exteriorly of the housing for manual engagement by an operator. This can be seen clearly in FIG.  1 . The outside or opposite end of each latch arm is bent back inwardly to form a spring portion  20   e  which is engageable with the housing halves, as at  44 . Therefore, when an operator moves outside ends  20   d  of the latch arms inwardly, as by a finger pinching action in the direction of arrows “A”, inside latch hooks  20   c  of the latch arms will be moved or pivoted outwardly in the direction of arrows “B” about pivot portions  20   a  of the latch arms. When the latch arms are released, spring portions  20   e  of the latch arms will bias the latch arms back to the positions shown in FIG. 3, with latch hooks  20   c  in their latching positions. 
     As seen in FIG. 1, guide pins  22  of header connector  14  have latch portions in the form of latch notches  46  in the outside surfaces thereof. As seen in FIG. 4, housing  24  of cable connector  12  has a pair of guide holes  50  for receiving guide pins  22  of the header connector. Guide holes  50  communicate with cavities  42  of housing  24  so that latch hooks  20   c  of latch members  20  can engage within latch notches  46  in the outside surface of guide pins  22 . Distal ends  22   a  of the guide pins are chamfered to provide angled surfaces for engaging latch hooks  20   c  of latch arms  20 . This causes the latch hooks to be biased outwardly in the direction of arrows “B” (FIG. 3) until the latch hooks become aligned with latch notches  46  in the guide pins. When the latch hooks are in alignment with the latch notches, spring portions  20   e  of the latch arms “snap” latch hooks  20   c  into latch notches  46  to hold connectors  12  and  14  in mated condition. When it is desired to unmate the connectors, outside ends  22   b  of the latch arms are moved inwardly in the direction of arrows “A” (FIG. 3) to move the latch hooks back out of the latch notches, whereupon the connectors can be easily unmated. 
     Finally, FIG. 4 shows that each plastic wafer  38  is overmolded about a plurality of conductive female terminals  52  which receive a plurality of terminal pins  54  of header connector  14 . The terminal pins are mounted in a housing  55  of the header connector and have terminating ends  54   a  which can be terminated to a plurality of electrical wires, other terminal devices, conductors on a printed circuit board or a wide variety of other configurations. It should be understood that the concepts of the invention, particularly the use of a dual function guide pin, are not limited to the specific cable connector  12  or header connector  14  disclosed herein. 
     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.