Electrical connector having removable contacts

In combination with an electrical connector having removable contacts, said connector of the type having a housing;

• a plurality of contacts, each contact having a rear portion, a forward mating portion, and an annular groove between said forward and rear portions;
• an insert having a plurality of bores each having a rear portion of a respective contact therein;
• and means for releasably mounting said contacts in a respective bore, said means including a plurality of contact retaining members in each of said bores, the improvement wherein each of said contact retaining members comprises:
• an arcuate segment having forward and rear ends spaced from the wall of said bore, axial extending sides between said ends, one of said sides being radially deflectable, on the inside of said segment an inwardly projecting and radially tapered arcuate shoulder engaging the annular groove in a contact in the bore, and on the outside means located between the ends thereof for pivotally mounting an axial side of said arcuate segment in each bore of said insert whereby, a tool may be inserted into a bore in said insert to engage and pivot said arcuate segment in said bore thereby releasing a contact in said bore for removal from the connector.

In combination with an electrical connector having removable contacts said connector of the type having:

• a housing;
• a plurality of contacts, each contact having a rear portion, a forward mating portion, and an annular groove between said forward and rear portions, and means for releasably mounting said contacts in said housing including an insert having a plurality of bores therein, each bore having therein a portion of a respective contact having the annular groove therein and a plurality of contact retention members in each bore, the improvement wherein:
• each of said retention members includes forward and rear ends spaced from the wall of said bore, axially extending sides between said ends, one of said sides being radially deflectable, an inwardly projecting and radially tapered arcuate shoulder engaging the annular groove in a respective contact;
• and
• means located between the ends of said retention members for pivotally mounting said contact retention members in a respective bore of said insert whereby, a tool may be inserted into a bore to engage and pivot said members thereby releasing a contact in the bore for removal from the connector.

In combination with an electrical connector having removable contacts said connector of the type having:

• a housing;
• a plurality of contacts, each contact having a rear portion, a forward mating portion, and means for releasably mounting said contacts in said housing including an insert having a plurality of bores therein, each bore having therein a portion of a respective contact therein and a plurality of contact retention members in each bore, the improvement wherein:
• each of said retention members includes forward and rear ends spaced from the wall of said bore and axially extending sides between said ends;
• an arcuate groove in each one of said contacts and said retention members;
• a radially tapered arcuate shoulder in each one of the other of said contacts and retention members engaging a respective arcuate groove;
• and
• means located between the ends of said retention members for pivotally mounting said contact retention members in a respective bore of said insert so that one axial side of each member is radially deflectable to disengage the shoulder from a respective groove whereby, a tool may be inserted into a bore to engage and pivot said members thereby releasing a contact in the bore for removal from the connector.