US 4,066,315 A · Electrical connector with arcuate detent means

Abstract

An electrical connector having a receptacle means including a receptacle shell and a plug means including a plug shell, coupling means including a coupling housing engaged with a coupling nut for rotation of the coupling nut, the coupling nut having threaded engagement with the plug shell and the coupling housing having a breech lock means engageable with cooperable breech lock lands on the receptacle shell, the plug means and receptacle means being adapted to be fully electrically mated and locked by rotation of the coupling housing through about 90.degree.. An arcuate detent member of about 180.degree. keyed to the plug shell for relative axial movement and received within an annular groove in the coupling housing for resilient forcible selective engagement of opposite radially outwardly enlarged ends of the arcuate detent member with two sets of radially outwardly formed recesses in the coupling housing. When the coupling housing is rotated to full locked position of the plug and receptacle means, ends of the arcuate member are forcibly snapped into one set of recesses to indicate locked and fully mated position by sound and by feel. Rotation of the coupling housing in the opposite direction unlocks the plug and receptacle means and the detent member is released from the first set of recesses to engage a second set of recesses in the coupling housing to audibly and tactilely indicate unlocked position.

Claims11

Dependent claims

In an electrical connector having a receptacle means including a receptacle shell and a plug means including a plug shell, a coupling nut threaded on said plug shell, and a coupling ring housing keyed to said coupling nut, electrical contact elements carried within said receptacle and plug shells for electrically mating and unmating, and lock means on said coupling housing and said receptacle shell for releasably holding said contact elements in mating relation, the provision of:

means for audibly indicating fully mated and locked relationship of said receptacle means and plug means, said indicating means including
an internal annular groove in said coupling housing;
a keyway on said plug shell;
and an arcuate resilient detent member in said annular groove and having a key engaged in said keyway;
said detent member having radially outwardly directed end portions;
said annular groove having spaced sets of radially outwardly located recesses to selectively receive said end portions;
whereby when said housing is rotated to full locked and mated position, said end portions are urged out of one set of recesses and forcibly audibly engaged in a second set of recesses.

4 more elements

In an electrical connector having a receptacle means including a receptacle shell, a plug means including a plug shell, a coupling nut threaded on said plug shell, and a coupling ring housing keyed to said coupling nut, electrical contact elements carried within said receptacle and plug shells for electrically mating and unmating, and lock means on said coupling housing and said receptacle shell for releasably holding said contact elements in mating relation, the improving comprising:

indicating means for audibly indicating fully mated and locked relationship of said receptacle means and said plug means, said indicating means including a member movable between a first position and a second position but which is continuously biased towards said first position, whereby upon movement of said member from said second position to said first position is clearly audible sound is produced indicating the fully mated and locked relationship of said receptacle means and said plug means;
said member comprising an arcuate resilient detent member which is mounted within said coupling housing normally exerting a continuous force against said coupling housing;
said arcuate resilient detent member having arm portions extending on each side of a central portion, each said arm portion having progressively reduced cross-sectional area in the direction from said central portion, each said arm portion terminating in an end portion, each said end portion including an outwardly extending projection, each said outwardly extending projection being cooperable with the recess formed within said coupling housing.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Electrical connector with arcuate detent means

Life of this patent

Electrical connector with arcuate detent means

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims11