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US 4,990,099 AGranted
Keyed electrical connector with main and auxiliary electrical contacts
AssigneeHigh Voltage Engineering Corporation
InventorsJorge G. Marin, Craig H. Baker, Lester E. Wilson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hermaphroditic or "genderless" electrical connector having a main housing and an auxiliary housing. The main housing contains primary electrical contacts while the auxiliary housing provides mechanical keying and, preferably, contains auxiliary electrical contacts. The auxiliary housing can be positioned within the main housing in a plurality of orientations to provide mechanical keying when the electrical connector is telescopically engaged with a duplicate electrical connector.
Claims11
A keyed genderless electrical connector comprising:
- A. a main housing means having
- (i) first and second main electrical contact receiving means, and
- (ii) first and second genderless main electrical contacts positioned within said corresponding first and second main electrical contact receiving means, respectively,
- B. a longitudinally extending auxiliary housing means having
- (i) a plurality of auxiliary electrical contact receiving means, and
- (ii) a plurality of auxiliary electrical contacts positioned within said corresponding plurality of auxiliary electrical contact receiving means,
- said auxiliary housing means being rotationally positioned about its longitudinal axis with respect to said main housing means to provide a key for the electrical connector that prevents the electrical connector from being mated with a duplicate but differently keyed electrical connector.
4 more elements
A keyed genderless electrical connector comprising:
- A. a main housing means having
- (i) first and second main electrical contact receiving means,
- (ii) first and second genderless main electrical contacts positioned within said corresponding first and second main electrical contact receiving means, respectively, and,
- (iii) longitudinally extending bore means having a transverse geometric configuration that defines a plurality of indexing means spaced from and angularly positioned around the longitudinal axis of said longitudinally extending bore means;
- B. a longitudinally extending auxiliary housing means adapted for positioning in said main housing longitudinally extending bore means and having
- (i) a plurality of auxiliary electrical contact receiving means,
- (ii) means defining a keying element,
- (iii) means cooperative with said main housing indexing means for positioning said longitudinally extending auxiliary housing means with respect to a selected one of said plurality of indexing means whereby the mating keying means is rotationally keyed with respect to the main housing to prevent the electrical connector from being mated with a duplicate but differently keyed electrical connector.
5 more elements
A keyed genderless electrical connector comprising:
- A. a main housing means having
- (i) first and second main electrical contact receiving means,
- (ii) first and second genderless main electrical contacts positioned within said corresponding first and second main electrical contact receiving means, respectively, and, (iii) longitudinally extending bore means having a transverse geometric configuration that defines a plurality of indexing means spaced from and angularly positioned around the longitudinal axis of said longitudinally extending bore means;
- B. a longitudinally extending auxiliary housing means adapted for positioning in said main housing longitudinally extending bore means and having
- (i) a plurality of auxiliary electrical contact receiving means,
- (ii) a plurality of auxiliary electrical contacts positioned within said corresponding plurality of auxiliary electrical contact receiving means,
- (iii) means defining a mating key element, and,
- (iv) means cooperative with said main housing indexing means for positioning said longitudinally extending auxiliary housing means with respect to a selected one of said plurality of indexing means whereby the mating keying element is rotationally keyed with respect to the main housing to prevent the electrical connector from being mated with a duplicate but differently keyed electrical connector.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.