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US 5,211,585 AGranted
Electrical connector housings having polarizing means
AssigneeAMP Incorporated
InventorsGeorge H. Douty, Charles H. Weidler
Life of this patent
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AssigneeAMP Incorporated
InventorsGeorge H. Douty, Charles H. Weidler
Estimating the term…
An electrical plug connector (2) for mating With a receptacle connector (4) mounted to float in a back panel (P2) of a drawer containing a power supply distribution module, comprises polarizing alignment members (68,78) arranged on opposite sides of a forward plug part (42) the connector (2). The polarizing alignment members (68,78) are offset from each other longitudinally of the plug part (42) and unsymmetrically with the longitudinal center of the plug part (42). The receptacle connector (4) has a hood (106) formed with opposite alignment member receiving arcs (136,138) which are offset unsymmetrically with respect to the longitudinal center of the hood (106) in such a way as to be capable of receiving the respective polarizing alignment members (68,78) of the plug connector (2). The plug connector (2) can be mounted to further panel (P1) which may be part of a fixed casing, and which has alignment member receiving recesses (95,96) complimentary with the polarizing alignment members (68,78) of the plug connector (2) and with the alignment member receiving arcs (136,138) of the receptacle connector (4). By virtue of its polarizing to the further panel (P1), the plug connector (2) can only be mounted to the casing in its correct orientation for mating with the receptacle connector (4).
An electrical connector insulating housing comprising a forward part having a mating front face and a rear part having a rear face, and a flange to be secured to a mounting panel projecting peripherally of the housing intermediate said faces, the forward part of the housing projecting forwardly from said flange, the housing defining a plurality of contact receiving, through cavities each opening into both of said forward and rear faces, the forward part of the housing having top and bottom walls connected by opposite end walls, first and second polarizing alignment members extending forwardly from said flange, and each having a half cylindrical rear portion and a nose in the form of a half cone projecting from the rear portion beyond the mating face, the flat side of the rear portion of each polarizing alignment member being coplanar with the flat side of the nose of that alignment member, the flat side of the rear portion of the first polarizing alignment member being formed integrally with the top wall of the forward part of the housing and the rear portion of the second polarizing alignment member being formed integrally with the bottom wall of the forward part of the housing, said bottom walls being elongate laterally of the forward part of the housing, and said polarizing alignment members being offset from each other longitudinally of said top and bottom walls, unsymmetrically with respect to the longitudinal center of the top and bottom walls.
An electrical connector assembly comprising:
An electrical connector insulating housing having a forward mating face and a rear face and defining a plurality of contact receiving through cavities opening into both of said faces, a hood projecting form and surrounding said mating face, the hood having a pair of elongate top and bottom walls connected by side walls, the top wall being formed with an upwardly bowed and forwardly opening arcuate alignment member receiving recess, and the bottom wall being formed with a downwardly bowed, forwardly opening, arcuate alignment member receiving recess, said alignment member receiving recesses being offset from each other longitudinally of said top and bottom walls unsymmetrically with respect to the longitudinal center of said top and bottom walls, projecting laterally from the housing, upper and lower panel engaging flanges, the upper flanges being forwardly offset from the lower flanges, whereby the housing can be inserted into a cut out in a mounting panel with the upper flanges engaging one face of the panel and the lower flanges engaging an opposite face of the panel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.