Electrical connector assembly having locking means
AssigneeAllied Corporation
InventorVladimir Tomsa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A spring member (40) comprising a plate (42) and a U-shaped leaf portion (44) is carried on the inner wall of a coupling nut (30), the leaf portion including a deflectable leaf portion (45) including a detent (46) and a foot portion (43), the wall having a helical groove (36) for captivating a pin (18) extending from a receptacle shell (12) and an annular rib (60) for seating the spring member adjacent the terminus (35) of the groove, the receptacle being drawn into metal-to-metal contact with a plug shell (20) by coupling rotation of the coupling nut whereupon the detent captivates the pin and locks the coupling nut from uncoupling rotation relative to the plug shell.
Claims11
An electrical connector assembly comprising first and second connector members, a coupling member rotatably carried by said first connector member, one and the other said second connector member and said coupling member being provided with a radially extending bayonet pin and a wall including a helical groove arranged to be threadably engaged by the pin for pulling the connector members together upon rotation of the coupling member in one direction, and locking means for preventing unwanted rotation of said coupling member in the other direction, said locking means being characterized by:
- a spring member disposed at the terminus of said helical groove for captivating said bayonet pin when the pin is advanced thereto, and a rib including a pair of angularly spaced sidewalls which define a gap extending from said wall including the helical groove, said spring member comprising a plate having lateral end faces abutted against respective of said sidewalls and mounted to the wall and a resilient leaf member having first and second end portions, said first end portion being secured to said plate and said second end portion being free to deflect and including a detent for captivating said pin, advancement of said pin to said leaf member deflecting said second end portion and advancing said pin into captivated relation with said detent.
A coupling member for use with an electrical connector of the type comprising a first cylindrical shell adapted to mate with a second cylindrical shell, said coupling member being adapted to be rotatably mounted to said first shell and including a helical groove on its inner wall to engage a bayonet pin extending radially outward from said second shell, said coupling member being characterized by an annular rib extending from its inner wall and including an arcuate gap, and a locking spring being disposed adjacent to the terminus of said helical groove, said locking spring comprising an arcuate plate seated in the arcuate gap formed in the annular rib and a U-shaped leaf member comprising a pair of interconnected leaf portions, one of said leaf portions extending from said plate and the other of said leaf portions extending from the one of said leaf portions and including a detent for captivating the bayonet pin.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.