Patent Publication Number: US-11381035-B2

Title: Electrical connector assembly

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to an electrical connector assembly, and particularly to the plug connector and the receptacle connector mateable with each other with corresponding metal locking mechanism. 
     2. Description of Related Arts 
     U.S. Pat. No. 9,991,631 discloses the mated plug connector and receptacle connector wherein the receptacle is equipped with a deflectable latch unitarily formed on the insulative receptacle housing and the plug connector is equipped with a stationary locking protrusion unitarily formed on the insulative plug housing and interengaged with the deflectable latch. Anyhow, such latch mechanism may tend to be worn out after repeated use. 
     It is desired to provide an electrical connector assembly with the endurable latch mechanism for long time use. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     To achieve the above object, an electrical connector assembly includes a receptacle connector and a plug connector mateable with each other. The receptacle connector includes an insulative receptacle housing, a plurality of receptacle contacts retained in the receptacle housing, and a pair of metallic latches on two sides. The insulative receptacle housing includes a base and a pair of side arms extending forwardly from two opposite ends of the base along a front-to-back direction and spaced from each other in a transverse direction perpendicular to the front-to-back direction to commonly form a receiving space thereamong. The receptacle contacts extend into the receiving space. Each side arms forms a receiving groove communicating with the receiving space in the transverse direction. A pair of metallic latches are received within the corresponding receiving grooves, respectively, with the corresponding locking heads projecting into the receiving space in the transverse direction. The plug connector includes an insulative plug housing and a pair of immovable metal locking pieces thereon. The insulative plug housing includes a front face and a pair of side faces. The metal locking piece defines an L-shaped structure with a front section hidden behind and parallel to the front face, a rear section hidden behind and parallel to the side face, and a middle section with a locking protrusion for engagement with the locking head of the deflectable latch of the receptacle connector during mating. 
     Other advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an electrical connector assembly according to the invention wherein the plug connector and the receptacle connector are mate with each other; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the electrical connector assembly of  FIG. 1  wherein the plug connector and the receptacle connector are separated from each other; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector assembly of  FIG. 1  along line  3 - 3 ; 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view of the receptacle connector of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view of the receptacle connector of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     An electrical connector assembly  1000  includes a receptacle connector  100  for mounting to the printed circuit board  900  and a plug connector  200 , which is connected with a plurality of wires  80 , mateable with each other in a front-to-back direction Y. 
     The receptacle connector  100  includes an insulative receptacle housing  10 , a plurality of receptacle  20  contacts retained in the housing  10 , and a pair of deflectable latches  30 . The receptacle housing includes a base  12  extending along a transverse direction X perpendicular to the front-to-back direction Y, and a pair of side arms  11  extending forwardly from two opposite ends of the base  12  in the front-to-back direction and spaced from each other in the transverse direction X, The base  12  and the pair of side arms  11  commonly form receiving space  101  thereamong. The receiving space  101  is open to an exterior in the vertical direction Z and forwardly in the front-to-back direction. Each side arm  11  forms a receiving groove  110  transversely communicating with the receiving space  101  in the transverse direction. The deflectable latches  30  are received within the corresponding receiving grooves  110 , respectively. The side arm  11  includes a top wall  111 , a bottom wall  113  and a side wall  112  to surround the corresponding receiving groove  110 . The receiving groove  110  extends through the side arm  11  in the front-to-back direction and also through the rear face  121  of the base  12  so as to allow the corresponding latch  30  to be inserted thereinto for assembling the latch  30  therein. Each side arm  11  further forms a retention slot  114  to receive a securing part  40 . The securing part  40  includes a horizontal section  41  retained in the retention slot  114 , and a vertical section  42  extending downwardly out of the receptacle housing  10 . The base  12  forms a plurality of passageways  13  extending through the front face  120  and the rear face  121  of the base  12 . 
     The receptacle contacts  20  are forwardly assembled into the corresponding passageways  13 , respectively, from the rear face  121 . Each receptacle contact  20  includes a retaining section  22  retained in the passageway  13 , a contacting section  21  extending forwardly from the retaining section  21  and into the receiving space  101 , and a soldering section  23  extending rearwardly from the retaining section  22  out of the receptacle housing  10  for mounting to the printed circuit board  900 . The retaining section  22  forms barbs for retention consideration, and a shoulder  220  to abut against the base  12 . 
     The latch  30  includes a retaining portion  32  equipped with barbs and retained in the base  12 , and a deflectable arm  33  received within the corresponding receiving groove  110  and deflectable in the transverse direction. The deflectable arm  33  is equipped with a locking head  330  having a locking face  331  thereon. The thickness direction of the deflectable latch  30  is the vertical direction Z. The deflectable latch  30  further includes a soldering portion  31  outside of the receptacle housing  10  for mounting to the printed circuit board  900 . 
     The plug connector  200  includes an insulative plug housing  50 , a plurality of plug contacts  60  retained in the plug housing  50 , and a pair of stationary L-shaped locking pieces  70 . 
     The plug housing  50  includes a front face  501  and a rear face (not labeled) opposite to each other in the front-to-back direction, and a pair of side faces  502  opposite to each other in the transverse direction. Each side of the plug housing  50  forms a first retention groove  51  around a rear side, a second retention groove  52  around the front face  501 , and a protrusion  52  therebetween in the front-to-back direction Y. The first retention groove  51  extends along the front-to-back direction Y while the second retention groove extends along the transverse direction X. Both the first retention groove  51  and the second retention groove  52  extends through a top face of the plug housing  50  so as to allow the locking piece  70  to be downwardly assembled thereinto. The locking piece  70  includes a front section  71  retained in the second retention groove  52 , a rear section  73  retained in the first retention groove  51 , and a middle section  72  therebetween in the front-to-back direction Y. The middle section  72  includes a locking protrusion  720  with a front guiding face  721  and a rear locking face  722 . The locking protrusion  720  compliantly covers the protrusion  52 . The front section  71  has a front notch  710 , and the rear section  73  has a rear notch  730 . For enhancing retention, the front section  71  includes the barbs facing the front notch  710 , and the rear section  73  includes the barbs facing the rear notch  730 . To protect the locking piece  70 , the side face  502  forms step  59  under the locking piece  70 . Notably, different from the receptacle connector  100  wherein the thickness direction of the latch  30  is the vertical direction Z, the thickness direction of the locking piece  70  is perpendicular to the vertical direction Z. It is because the locking piece  70  is immovably supported by the plug housing  50  while the latch  30  is deflectable. It is also the reason that the thickness of the latch  30  is larger than that of the locking piece  70 . 
     During mating, the plug housing  50  is received within the receiving space  101 , the front face  501  confronts the front face  120 , and the latch  30  engages the locking piece  70 , wherein the locking face  722  engages the locking head  330 . 
     The plug housing  50  forms the mating slots  54  extending through the front face  501  and the bottom face. The plug contact  60  includes the contacting section  61  received within the mating slot  54  and equipped with a pair of arms  611  to sandwich the contacting section  21  of the receptacle contact  20  which extends into the mating slot  54  during mating. The plug contact  60  further includes the retaining section  62  behind the contacting section  61  for retaining within the plug housing  50 , and a connecting section  63  behind the retaining section  62  for connecting to the corresponding wires  80 . 
     Notably, in the invention, the locking engagement between the locking head of the deflectable latch of the receptacle connector and the immovable locking protrusion of the plug connector is operated with metal-to-metal, thus resisting wearing. 
     Although the present invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it is not to be construed as being limited thereto. Various alterations and modifications can be made to the embodiments without in any way departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.