Reversible cable assembly connector
Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorsKok Hoe Lee, Saujit Bandhu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Connectors or connector assemblies include first and second latching members attached to a housing thereof for latching the connector to a mating connector are provided. When the connector mates with the mating connector in a first/second mating orientation, the first/second latching member, but not the second/first latching member latches the connector to the mating connector.
Claims22
A connector comprising:
- an insulative housing;
- a plurality of electrically conductive contacts disposed within the housing for engaging contacts of a mating connector;
- and
- first and second latching members integrally attached to the housing for latching the connector to the mating connector, the connector configured to have different first and second mating orientations relative to the mating connector, such that when in the first mating orientation, the connector is configured to mate with the mating connector along a mating direction with the first latching member, but not the second latching member latching the connector to the mating connector, and when in the second mating orientation, the connector is configured to mate with the mating connector along the mating direction with the second latching member, but not the first latching member latching the connector to the mating connector, and such that for each of the first and second mating orientations, when the connector mates with the mating connector, the plurality of electrically conductive contacts engage corresponding contacts of the mating connector.
(canceled)
18-20. (canceled)
A connector comprising a plurality of latching members integral to the connector and a plurality of mating orientations with a one-to-one correspondence between the latching members and the mating orientations, such that for each mating orientation, the connector is configured to mate with a same mating connector along a same mating direction with only the latching member corresponding to the mating orientation latching onto the mating connector.
A connector assembly configured to mate with a mating connector along a mating direction and comprising:
- an insulative housing;
- first and second spaced apart circuit boards at least partially disposed in the housing, each circuit boards comprising a plurality of electrically conductive contacts disposed on each major surface near a same mating end of the circuit boards;
- and
- first and second latching members integrally attached to opposing sides of the housing, the connector comprising a first angular mating orientation relative to the mating direction in which the connector is configured to mate with the mating connector along the mating direction and only one of the first and second latching members latches the connector to the mating connector, and a different second angular mating orientation relative to the mating direction in which the connector is configured to mate with the mating connector along the mating direction and only the other one of the first and second latching members latches the connector to the mating connector, such that for each of the first and second angular mating orientations, when the connector mates with the mating connector, each plurality of electrically conductive contacts of each of the first and second circuit boards engages a plurality of contacts of the mating connector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.