Abstract:
The present invention provides an electrical connector ( 100 ) used to be inserted into a receptacle ( 80 ) mounted on a substrate. The electrical connector comprises a connector body ( 20 ), a latching lever ( 40 ) attached onto said connector body and being rotatable therearound between a first position where the latching lever engages the receptacle and a second position where the latching lever disengages the receptacle, and a pull strap ( 60 ) slidably mounted onto the connector body. The pull strap drives the latching lever to the second position when the pull strap slides along a sliding direction.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to an electrical connector used for electrically connecting a cable to a backplane connector, and more particularly, relates to an electrical connector having an operatable latch device which is convenient to be operated in a limited space. 
   2. Description of the Prior Art 
   A conventional cable connector having an operatable latch device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,371,788 issued on Aug. 30, 1994. A cable connector used to mate into a backplane connector comprises a plurality of wafer connectors; a stiffener member for engaging said plurality of connectors and retaining said plurality of connectors together as a block; a latching lever for latching said block of connectors to said backplane connector in mating engagement therewith, the latching lever being movable between first and second operative positions; an attachment member for movably attaching said latching lever to said stiffener member; said latching lever having an elongated body portion extending between first and second opposing ends, said first end having an engagement hook disposed thereon for engaging a portion of said backplane connector and said second end having a gripping portion for manipulation by a user, said latching lever further having a biasing member that extends therefrom and into contact with said stiffener member to bias said latching lever into said first operative positions wherein said latching lever first end is engaged with said backplane connector to thereby latch said connector block in place in engagement with said backplane connector. However, when used in a circumstance where the connectors are arranged side by side, there is rather limited space for a hand to operate the latching lever. 
   Hence, an improved electrical connector is needed to solve the above problem. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   One object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector having an improved latch device which can be conveniently operated in a limited space. 
   The present invention provides an electrical connector used to be inserted into a receptacle mounted on a substrate defining an inserting and extracting direction, said connector comprising a connector body, a latching lever, and a pull strap slidably mounted onto the connector body. The latching lever comprises a shaft portion rotatably attached onto the connector body, a flexible arcuate portion extending from the shaft portion along the extracting direction and slantwise away from the connector body, a deflecting portion extending from the arcuate portion along the extracting direction and slantwise towards the connector body and abutting thereon. The pull strap includes a pressing block corresponding to the arcuate portion, so that when the pull strap slides along the inserting direction, the arcuate portion is pressed close to the connector body or released away from the connector body. 
   Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiments when taken in conjunction 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 several electrical connectors (only one is completely shown for a clearer view) in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a connector body of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is another perspective view of an insulative cover for the connector body of  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a latching lever of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a pull strap of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the connector body with the pull strap firstly arranged thereon; 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the electrical connector with the lever and pull straps mounted thereon; and 
       FIG. 8  is a perspective view of an electrical connector of a second embodiment in accordance with the principles of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe the present invention in detail. 
     FIG. 1  shows several electrical connectors (only one electrical connector  100  is completely shown for a clearer view) according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The electrical connector  100  is used for mating with a receptacle  80  mounted on a substrate (not shown) and defines an inserting direction, an extracting direction opposite to the inserting direction and a side direction perpendicular to the inserting and extracting directions. The electrical connector  100  comprises a connector body  20 , a pair of latching levers  40  and a pair of pull straps  60 . 
   As shown in  FIGS. 2 ,  3 , the connector body  20  comprises a pair of insulative covers  21 , 22  cooperatively defining a cavity and a plurality of connector modules (not shown) received in the cavity. Each of the covers  21 , 22  forms a side wall  23  perpendicular to the side direction. The side wall  23  forms a pair of mutually opposite hubs  24  at a lower height and a pair of mutual opposite gibs  26  at a higher height. The hubs  24  define a pair concavities  240  face to face for mating with the latching lever  40 . The pair of gibs  26  defines a guiding path extending along the inserting direction for the pull strap  60  to slide thereinto. 
   As shown in  FIG. 4 , the latching lever  40  comprises a shaft portion  41  rotatably attached onto the hub  24 , an arcuate portion  42  extending from the shaft portion  41  along the extracting direction and slantwise away from the side wall  23  and then returning slantwise towards the side wall  23 , a flexible deflecting portion  43  extending from the arcuate portion  42  along the extracting direction and abutting the side wall  23  of  FIG. 2 , and a hook portion  46  extending from the shaft portion  41  along the inserting direction. The latching lever  40  defines in the center a receiving slot  45  cutting therethrough in the side direction. The receiving slot  45  comprises a wider portion  454  near the shaft portion  41  and a narrow portion  452  communicating the wider portion  454  and extending to a center point of the arcuate portion  42 . The shaft portion  41  forms a pair of shafts  411  oppositely projecting therefrom and respectively mating into corresponding concavities  240  defined in the hubs  24  of  FIG. 2 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 5 , the pull straps  60  are injection molded and comprises a plate-liked strip  64  extending along the inserting direction and a pressing portion  62  projecting from the strip  64 . The strip  64  has a first end forming a pulling portion  66 , for gripping by the operator, and a second end where the pressing portion  62  projects perpendicularly therefrom. Furthermore, the strip  64  forms a pair of positioning stops  642 , which limit the downward travel of the pull straps, are opposite to each other in a direction perpendicular to both the inserting direction and the side direction. 
   When an electrical connector  100  according to the present invention is assembled, a connector body  20 , a pair of latching levers  40  and a pair of pull straps  60  are firstly provided. Then, as shown in  FIG. 6 , the pull straps are respectively inserted along a guiding path defined by the pair of gibs  26  on the side wall  23  until the positioning stops  642  abutting the gibs  26 . Thirdly, one of the pair of latching levers  40  is perpendicularly put onto corresponding side walls  23  with the pressing portion  62  aligned with the wider portion  454  of the slot  45  and passing therethrough, when the shafts  411  of the shaft portion  41  are disposed at a position upwardly of the hubs  24  of the connector body  20 , the strip  64  is disposed between the latching lever  40  and the connector body  20  and the pressing portion  62  is disposed outside of the latching lever  40 . Fourthly, the latching lever  40  is pulled down until the shafts  411  are aligned to the concavities  240  of the hubs  24  in the side direction. Fifthly, the shaft portion  41  is pressed towards the connector body  20  so that the shafts  411  are forced into the concavities  240  of the hubs  24 . Then, the steps  3 – 5  are repeated so the left latching lever  40  is mounted onto the other side wall  23  of the connector body  20 . 
   When the electrical connector  100  is inserted into the mating receptacle  80 , the latching levers  40  are disposed at a first position where the hook portions  46  of the latching levers  40  engage a pair of steps  82  defined on the mating receptacle  80 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . When there is a need to extract the electrical connector  100  therefrom, the pulling portions  66  of the pull straps  60  are pulled upward and the pressing portions  62  slide upwardly, so as to press the arcuate portion  42  towards the connector body  20 , so that the latching levers  40  are driven to a second position where the hook portion  46  rotates around the shaft portion  41  and breaks away from the steps  82  of the mating receptacle  80 . 
   A second embodiment according to the present invention is disclosed as  FIG. 8 . The difference of the second embodiment from the first embodiment is that the pull straps  66 ′ are the pulling portions  66 ′ of the pull straps  60 ′ are connected together. 
   It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous, characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set fourth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosed is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of number, 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.