Electrical connection system with interlock

An electrical connection including:

• a) a first component carrying a first connector element;
• b) a shorting element releasably associated with the first component and including a disk-shaped member carrying a contact element biased into electrical contact with the first connector element for electrically connecting the first connector element to a first electrical potential;
• c) a second component having a body releasably matable with the first component and carrying a second connector element engagable with the first connector element, a portion of the body being contoured to enter between the contact element and the first connector element to disconnect the first connector element from the first electrical potential upon mating of the second component with the first component;
• d) resilient latch means carried by the second component for providing a mechanical latch with the first component;
• and,
• e) a locking element insertable into a lock position in the first component for preventing release of the latch means and preventing separation of the first and second components while in the lock position.

An electro-mechanical connector for use with an electrical apparatus having a first pair of electrical contacts for electrical communication with said apparatus, said connector comprising:

• a first insulative housing of disk shape removably positioned about said first pair of electrical contacts and carrying electrical conducting means thereon for selectively electrically connecting said first pair of electrical contacts when in a first position and electrically disconnecting from said first pair of electrical contacts when in a second position;
• means on said first housing for biasing said electrical conducting means into said first position;
• a second housing adapted for releasable mating with said electrical apparatus and carrying a second pair of electrical contacts adapted to engage said first pair of electrical contacts for selective electrical communication with said electrical apparatus, a portion of said second housing entering into said first housing and being adapted for urging said electrical conducting means into said second position against said biasing means when said second housing is mated with said electrical apparatus;
• resilient latch means on said second housing adapted for providing a mechanical latch with said electrical apparatus;
• and,
• a locking element positionable into a lock position in said second housing for preventing release of said latch means and preventing separation of the first and second housings from said electrical apparatus.

An electrical connection including:

• a) a first component carrying a pair of first connector elements;
• b) a shorting element associated with the first component and including a disk-shaped insulative body carrying a pair of contact elements each biased into electrical contact with respective ones of said pair of first connector elements for producing an electrical short therebetween;
• c) a second component having a body releasably matable with the first component and carrying a pair of second connector elements engagable with said pair of first connector elements, a portion of the body being contoured to enter between both contact elements of said pair of said shorting elements and the pair of first connector elements to disconnect the electrical short upon mating of the second component with the first component;
• d) resilient latch means carried by one of the first and second components for providing a mechanical latch with the other component;
• e) a locking element insertable into a lock position in one of the first and second components for preventing release of the latch means and preventing separation of the first and second components while in the lock position;
• f) one of the first and second components including a socket into which a portion of the body of the other component is releasably received;
• and,
• g) the disk-shaped insulative body of the shorting element being releasably received in the socket and the shorting element further including a generally U-shaped shorting clip which has leg portions that define the pair of contact elements and extend parallel to the first connector elements, said first connector elements extending through the disk-shaped insulative body.