Connector arrangement with environmental and electrical protection

A system for connecting a first contact with a second contact, the system comprising:

• a first contact in the form of a plug fixed within a cavity of a first receiver;
• a second contact in the form of a socket fixed within a cavity of a second receiver, wherein the socket is sized and arranged to receive the plug in a mating connection, and one of the first receiver and the second receiver is sized and arranged to receive the other of the first receiver and the second receiver;
• a first cover having a closed position and an open position, wherein the first cover seals an interior of the first receiver in the closed position;
• a second cover having a closed position and an open position, wherein the second cover seals an interior of the second receiver in the closed position;
• wherein relative movement of the first receiver toward the second receiver automatically moves the first and second covers from the closed positions to the open positions via a kinematic linkage that begins at a pre-defined distance between the first and second receiver;
• a U-shaped cover disposed over the first and second receivers and configured to shield the first and second receivers when the first and second covers are moved away from the closed position and the second receiver is not received in the first receiver.

A method for connecting a first contact with a second contact, the method comprising the steps of:

• translating a first contact in the form of a plug and a second contact in the form of a socket from a disconnected position relatively axially toward each other into a connected position, wherein the plug is fixed within a first receiver and the socket is fixed within a second receiver and the first receiver and the second receiver axially overlap in the connected position;
• in response to translating the plug and socket relatively toward each other, moving a first cover away from a sealed closed position on the first receiver toward an open position and a moving a second cover away from a sealed closed position on the second receiver toward an open position;
• in response to translating the plug and socket relatively away from each other, disposing a U-shaped cover over the first and second receivers to shield the first receiver and second receivers when the first and second covers are moved away from the sealed closed position and the second receiver is not received in the first receiver;
• and
• wherein the first cover and the second cover are kinematically linked in response to moving the first and second receivers toward each other at a predefined distance between the first and second receivers, such that relative movement between the first and second receivers causes the automatic translation of the first and second covers.

A system for connecting a first contact with a second contact, the system comprising:

• a first contact fixed within a cavity of a first receiver;
• a second contact fixed within a cavity of a second receiver,
• wherein the second contact is sized and arranged to mate with the first contact,
• wherein the first receiver is sized and arranged to mate with the second receiver;
• a first cover associated with the first receiver and having a closed position and an open position;
• a second cover associated with the second receiver and having a closed position and an open position;
• a U-shaped cover disposed over the first and second receivers and configured to shield the first receiver and second receivers when the first and second covers are moved away from the closed position and the second receiver is not received in the first receiver;
• wherein relative movement of the first receiver toward the second receiver automatically moves the first and second covers from the closed positions to the open positions via a kinematic linkage that begins at a pre-defined distance between the first and second receiver.