Self-locking electrical connector

An electrical connector comprising:

• first and second mating connector members;
• each said connector member comprising a shell surrounding an insert containing a contact adapted to engage the contact in the other connector member;
• a rotatable ring on one of said shells having first coupling means thereon adapted to interengage with second coupling means on the other shell;
• an annular groove formed in the interior of said ring behind said first coupling means;
• an annular groove formed in the exterior of said other shell in front of said second coupling means, said grooves being axially aligned when said connector members are fully mated by said coupling ring;
• radially deformable annular spring means carried by said ring and lying in both of said grooves when said connector members are fully mated;
• the groove in said other shell providing a front annular surface forming a high-angle rearwardly facing ramp;
• a low-angle forwardly facing ramp formed on the exterior of said other shell in front of the groove therein;
• and
• upon rotation of said ring in one direction to mate said connector members said spring means riding up over said low-angle ramp and snapping inwardly into said groove in said other shell to releasably lock said ring to said other shell, and upon rotation of said ring with a high torque in the opposite direction said spring means riding up over said high-angle ramp to become released from said groove in said other shell to allow unmating of said connector members.

An electrical connector comprising:

• first and second mating connector members;
• each said connector member comprising a shell surrounding an insert containing a contact adapted to engage the contact in the other connector member;
• a rotatable ring on one of said shells having first coupling means thereon adapted to interengage with second coupling means on the other shell;
• an annular groove formed in the interior of said ring in front of said first coupling means;
• an annular groove formed in the exterior of said other shell behind said second coupling means, said grooves being axially aligned when said connector members are fully mated by said coupling ring;
• radially deformable annular spring means carried by said ring and lying in both of said grooves when said connector members are fully mated;
• the groove in said other shell providing a front annular surface forming a high-angle rearwardly facing ramp;
• a low-angle forwardly facing ramp formed on the exterior of said other shell in front of the groove therein;
• and
• upon rotation of said ring in one direction to mate said connector members said spring means riding up over said low-angle ramp and snapping inwardly into said groove in said other shell to releasably lock said ring to said other shell, and upon rotation of said ring with a high torque in the opposite direction said spring means riding up over said high-angle ramp to become released from said groove in said other shell to allow unmating of said connector members.

An electrical connector comprising:

• first and second mating connector members;
• each said connector member comprising a shell surrounding an insert containing a contact adapted to engage the contact in the other connector member;
• a rotatable ring on one of said shells having first coupling means thereon adapted to interengage with second coupling means on the other shell;
• an annular groove formed in the interior of said ring in front of said first coupling means;
• an annular groove formed in the exterior of said other shell behind said second coupling means, said grooves being axially aligned when said connector members are fully mated by said coupling ring;
• radially deformable annular spring means carried by said other shell and lying in both of said grooves when said connector members are fully mated;
• the groove in said ring providing a front annular surface forming a high-angle rearwardly facing ramp;
• a low-angle forwardly facing ramp formed on the interior of said ring in front of the groove therein;
• and
• upon rotation of said ring in one direction to mate said connector members said spring means riding over said low-angle ramp and snapping outwardly into said groove in said ring to releasably lock said ring to said other shell, and upon rotation of said ring with a high torque in the opposite direction said spring means riding up over said high-angle ramp to become released from said groove in said ring to allow unmating of said connector members.

An electrical connector comprising:

• first and second mating connector members;
• each said connector member comprising a shell surrounding an insert containing a contact adapted to engage a contact in the other connector member;
• a rotatable ring on one of said shells having first coupling means thereon, second coupling means on the other shell interengageable with said first coupling means;
• an annular groove formed in the interior of said ring behind said first coupling means;
• locking recess means on the exterior of said other shell in front of said second coupling means, said groove and said locking recess means being axially aligned when said connector members are fully mated by said coupling ring;
• radially deformable annular spring means carried by said ring and lying in said groove, said spring means engaging said locking recess means when said connector members are fully mated;
• a forwardly facing ramp formed on the exterior of said other shell in front of said locking recess means;
• and
• upon rotation of said ring in one direction to mate said connector members said spring means riding up over said ramp and snapping inwardly into said locking recess means to releasably lock said ring to said other shell, and upon rotation of said ring in the opposite direction said spring means riding out of said locking recess means to allow unmating of said connector members.