Breakaway power connector
AssigneeWinchester Interconnect Corporation
InventorJohn E. Benham
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A breakaway power connector. The breakaway power connector includes a panel mount connector and a plug connector configured to mate with the panel mount connector. The plug connector and the panel mount connector are configured such that when the plug connector is fully mated with the panel mount connector i) the minimum lateral force needed to laterally unmate the plug connector from the panel mount connector is X pounds (lbs) and ii) the minimum axial force needed to axially unmate the plug connector from the panel mount connector is Y pounds (lbs), and X<Y.
Claims17
A breakaway power connector, comprising:
- a panel mount connector;
- and
- a plug connector configured to mate with the panel mount connector, wherein
- the plug connector and the panel mount connector are configured such that when the plug connector is fully mated with the panel mount connector i) the minimum lateral force needed to laterally unmate the plug connector from the panel mount connector is X pounds (lbs) and ii) the minimum axial pull force needed to axially unmate the plug connector from the panel mount connector is Y pounds (lbs),
- X<Y, and
- the panel mount connector comprises an insulator housing that comprises:
- a curved outer wall having a first height;
- a curved inner wall having a second height that is less than the first height;
- and
- a slanted surface that extends from a top of the curved outer wall to a top of the curved inner wall, wherein
- the curved outer wall surrounds the curved inner wall.
A panel mount connector for mating with a plug connector, the panel mount connector comprising:
- an insulator housing comprising a generally circular outer wall that surrounds a corresponding inner wall and a slanted surface that extends from a top of outer wall to a top of the inner wall, wherein
- the insulator housing defines a cavity,
- a plurality of male power contacts are disposed within the cavity, the plurality of male power contacts comprising a first male power contact and a second male power contact,
- the height of the inner wall is between 0.12 and 0.17 inches,
- the height of outer wall is between 0.25 and 0.35,
- the inner wall is separated from the outer wall to create a 30 to 50 degree lead-in geometry, and
- a point at which the slanted surface meets an upper point of the inner wall functions as a pivot point around which the plug connector rotates when a lateral force is applied to the plug connector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.