The present invention relates to electrical connectors, and more particularly to electrical connectors for personal digital assistants (PDAs). The electrical connectors have specific applicability to latching systems.
Portable communication devices, such as cellular telephones, pagers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), etc., have become popular in recent years. Being portable, such devices frequently need to be charged, or connected to other devices, such as personal computers to upload or download information. Such a portable communication device is connected to an external device via an electrical connector. The electrical connector for the above portable device has a latching mechanism. The latching mechanism includes a pair of latch arms and a push button connecting the latch arms. Each latch arm has a hole for positioning the latching mechanism on a housing and a latch pawl at its end for intermating with a mating connector. The push button extends through an opening in a top cover of the electrical connector. In order to separate the electrical connector from the mating connector, a user presses the push button to actuate the latch arms to move downwardly, which leads the latch pawls to move downwardly. When the push button is released, the latch arms return to their original position, with the latch pawls spring backwardly from the mating connector.
However, in the above prior design, the latch arms are at the same level, so the release function of the latching mechanism is laborious and not beneficial to the operating life of the latch mechanism or the electrical connector. Also, the latch mechanism is positioned on the housing by the notches, so the housing needs a complex structure to mate the notches.
Hence, an improved connector latch mechanism is required to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.
Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector, with its latch mechanism having a laborsaving release function and a prolonging operating life. The latch mechanism can be firmly positioned on a housing without adding to complexity of the housing.
An electrical connector in accordance with the present invention, comprises a top cover, a bottom cover, a terminal module having a plurality of terminals received therein, a print circuit board (PCB) with a switch soldered thereon, a latching piece, a metal plate and a strain relief. The top cover defines a press button and a latch release button. The latching piece assembled to the terminal module comprises a pair of latch arms, a pair of hooks extending from two edges of the two latch arms respectively, a pair of transition portions perpendicularly to the latch arms respectively, a pair of latches at each end of the transition portion for engaging with a mating connector and a crimping at a rear end of the latch arms for securing a cable. During operation, the press button is depressed and the latch release button moves downwardly to drive the two hooks move downwardly. When the press button is released, the latches release from a mating 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.