Connector with articulated latch

Claim 1

A connector for engaging a mating connector comprising: a housing; and an articulated latch connected to said housing at one or more primary joints, said latch contacting said housing at two points, at least one of which is said primary joint, said articulated latch also having first and second parallel sections, each section having proximate and distal ends, and a third section connected to the distal ends of said first and second sections at secondary joints, said proximate end of said first section being joined to said housing and said proximate end of said second section contacting said housing, wherein said first and second parallel sections, said third section and a portion of said housing substantially form a parallelogram, and wherein said first and second sections move to maintain a substantially parallel relationship when said latch is actuated, said third section having an actuation point and either said first or second sections having an engagement structure, said engagement structure being adapted to engage a corresponding structure on said mating connector such that said connector and said mating connector cannot be separated without actuating said latch, wherein said primary joint of said one or more primary joints and one of said secondary joints are located on opposite sides of said actuation point such that, when an actuating force is applied to said actuation point, a moment of said primary joint is opposed by a moment of said secondary joint.