Connector assembly

Abstract

A connector assembly has a locking arrangement for locking electrical plug-in connectors together so as to prevent unintended disconnection. The locking arrangement includes a resilient, cantilevered, biased latch coupled to a first plug and one or more protrusions on an exterior surface of the second plug. The latch has one or more openings for receiving the one or more protrusions to secure the first and second plugs together. The latch may be integrally molded to the first plug. Structure may be provided for disengaging the latch. The disengaging structure extends through the second plug and, in a preferred embodiment, is a non-spring-loaded, two-piece assembly. However, the disengaging structure may also be a spring-loaded, two-piece assembly. When the two plugs are connected together, a portion of the latch extends over a portion of the exterior surface of the second plug so as to bias the disengaging structure in the direction of the bias of the latch, and so that the one or more protrusions are disposed through the one or more corresponding openings formed in the latch. The disengaging structure can be moved in a direction opposing the bias of the latch so as to disengage the openings formed in the latch from the one or more protrusions on the second plug so that the plugs can be disconnected.