Latching system for electrical connectors

A system for releasably securing a first connector to a confronting second connector, comprising:

• a pair of catches spaced apart along said second connector:
• a pair of pivotably-mounted latching members mounted on said first connector, each latching member being pivotable between a latched position in which it is latched to a corresponding one of said catches and a released position in which it is free of said corresponding latch;
• a pair of manually-rotatable shaft members secured to said first connector for controlling actuation of said latching members between said latched and released positions thereof,
• each of said latching members has a passage through it;
• said system comprising supports holding each of said shafts for rotation while securing it against axial motion;
• and a pair of traveller nuts, each nut being threadingly engaged with one of said shaft members in the corresponding one of said passages, each nut being held against rotation, and each nut being responsive to turning of one of said shaft members to move against one side or another of said one passage, depending on the direction of turning of said one shaft member, thereby to move said latching member between said latched and released positions thereof.

A connector system, comprising:

• a first connector;
• a second connector matable with said first connector;
• first and second catches mounted on said second connector;
• first and second latching members mounted on opposite sides of said first connector and extending toward second connector;
• each of said latching members being pivotable to be free of a corresponding one of said catches when pivoted in one direction, and to engage said corresponding catch when pivoted in the opposite direction;
• first and second threaded shafts rotatably mounted on opposite sides of said first connector;
• and
• first and second latch-control mechanisms responsive to said first and second threaded shafts respectively, to move said first and second latching members, respectively, in said one direction or in said opposite direction depending on the direction of rotation of the threaded shaft, thereby to control latching and unlatching of said first and second connectors to and from each other, and means for spring-biasing each of said latching members toward its latched position.