A receptacle connector having a plurality of airflow holes positioned to avoid heat buildup inside a receptacle shell, preventing deformation to the housing of a short, high density connector during solder reflow. The airflow holes may be in a bent portion joining a top face and rear face of the shell. The receptacle connector may be mounted to a substrate, such as a printed circuit board, leaving a gap between the connector and the substrate, forming an airflow passage between the substrate and the receptacle connector, enabling heated air to reach mounting portions of terminals of the connector during soldering, but reducing heat buildup within the shell. The passage, alone or in combination with a cutout in a face of the shell, may expose terminal contacts of the receptacle connector to provide for easy inspection and rework of the solder joints between the terminal contacts and the substrate.

A card edge connector includes an elongated insulative housing, a plurality of conductive terminals retained in the housing, and a latching structure. The housing defines a card receiving slot. The latching structure includes a locking portion and an operating portion. The operating portion defines an operating surface. The operating portion is made of insulative material, and a metal plate is attached to the operating surface. The metal plate can effectively improve the technical feeling of the card edge connector and protect the operating surface from being damaged by external tools.

A receptacle connector includes an insulative receptacle housing, two rows of receptacle contacts retained to the receptacle housing, a one-piece metallic shell member retained to the receptacle housing and having a circumferential structure continuously surrounding the receptacle housing wherein a shielding/grounding member unitarily extends from the shell member and into an center island of the receptacle housing to separate the two rows of contacts in the transverse direction. A plug connector includes an insulative plug housing, two rows of plug contacts, and a pair of grounding blocks at two ends. During mating, two opposite ends of the shielding/grounding member mechanically and electrically connect to the pair of metallic grounding blocks or locking members, respectively.

An electrical connector includes a plug that mates with a receptacle. In a medical application, the plug is connected to electrical leads that pass through a patient's skin to an implanted medical device in the patient's body, while the receptacle is connected to external medical equipment. The plug is small in diameter so the size of the opening in the patient's skin can be minimized. All electrical contacts in the plug are on internal portions. The receptacle includes annular contacts that contact the internal electrical contacts on the plug when the plug and receptacle are properly mated. When the plug is plugged into the receptacle, spring-loaded retention arms in the receptacle lock into place on the plug, retaining the plug in the receptacle.

A transceiver module includes a housing, a latch, a springy sheet, and a pull tab. The latch has a wedging portion and is movably connected to the housing. The springy sheet is disposed between the housing and the latch. The pull tab is connected to the latch. When the pull tab moves from a first pull tab position to a second pull tab position, the pull tab applies a force to move the latch with relative to the housing and to carry the wedging portion to move from a first wedging position to a second wedging position, thereby deforming the springy sheet. When the force applied by the pull tab is removed, the springy sheet pushes the wedging portion to move from the second wedging position to the first wedging position.

A lever-type connector includes a female housing. A panel latching section, a flange, a flexible arm, and a locking protrusion are formed on the outer side of the female housing. The locking protrusion is formed in the center of the flexible arm. The locking protrusion is locked to hold a vehicle body panel between the locking protrusion and a flange. The lever-type connector is locked by, in a state in which the panel latching section is hooked to an edge portion, rotating the female housing with the panel latching section as a fulcrum and bringing a locking surface of the locking protrusion into contact with a wall surface of the vehicle body panel.

An electrical connector includes a plug that mates with a receptacle. In a medical application, the plug is connected to electrical leads that pass through a patient's skin to an implanted medical device in the patient's body, while the receptacle is connected to external medical equipment. The plug is small in diameter so the size of the opening in the patient's skin can be minimized. All electrical contacts in the plug are on internal portions. The receptacle includes annular contacts that contact the internal electrical contacts on the plug when the plug and receptacle are properly mated. When the plug is plugged into the receptacle, spring-loaded retention arms in the receptacle lock into place on the plug, retaining the plug in the receptacle.

The invention provides an electrical connection module for an automotive vehicle. The module includes a printed circuit board, PCB, and a connector for connecting a wire harness to said PCB. An edge of the PCB can be inserted into the connector. The module provides retention mechanism that is integral to the PCB. The retention mechanism is shaped and configured to retain the edge connector, if the PCB is seated therein.

A member locking structure includes: a first locking portion provided in a first member; and a second locking portion provided in a second member. The first locking portion and the second locking portion have a first locking face and a second locking face. The first locking face has a first inclined face and a first abutment portion. The second locking face has a second inclined face and a second abutment portion. The first inclined face contacts the second abutment portion and then the first abutment portion contacts the second inclined face, during a relative movement of the first member to the second member in an opposite direction to the locking direction from the locking state, to elastically deform the first locking portion in a direction opposite to lock on the second locking portion by the first inclined face and the second inclined face to release the locking state.

Methods and apparatus are provided for use in connecting and disconnecting cable connectors to and from communication ports. In some embodiments, a connector assembly has a ganging member, a plunger member, and a key. The ganging member can retain a plurality of cable connectors, and be used to simultaneously connect/disconnect groups of cable connectors. The plunger member can have a plurality of elongated plungers usable to simultaneously unlock or lock the cable connectors.