Switching connector apparatus

A switching connector assembly comprising:

• a shell;
• a rear insert assembly which includes a rear insulator lying in said shell and a plurality of rear contacts mounted in said rear insulator, said rear contacts having matable front ends;
• a front insert assembly which includes a front insulator lying in said shell and a plurality of front contact devices mounted in said front insulator at positions forward of and substantially aligned with said rear contacts, said front contact devices having matable front and rear ends;
• said front insert assembly being movable in forward and rearward directions within said shell, with said front contact devices being positioned so their matable rear ends mate with and unmate from said front ends of said rear contacts when said front insert assembly moves rearwardly and forwardly, respectively,
• said front contact devices each have an electrically conductive main part;
• and including
• an electrically grounded member which lies in said shell and which has parts positioned to lie out of engagement with said front contact main parts when said insert assembly is in a rearward position, and to engage each of said plurality of front contacts when said front insert assembly moves forward to a forward position.

A method for connecting, to a corresponding different one of a plurality of conductors, each of a plurality of front contact devices that are mounted on a front insert assembly that lies in a first housing of a first connector, when a second connector mates to said first connector and each of a plurality of second contacts of said second connector mate to front ends of each of said plurality of front contact devices, but safeguarding each of said conductors from any current applied to said front contact devices when said second connector unmates from said first connector and said second contacts unmate from said front contact devices, characterized by:

• establishing in said first housing, a rear insert assembly that includes a plurality of rear contacts, and connecting each of said plurality of conductors to a corresponding one of said plurality of rear contacts;
• moving said front insert assembly and said front contact devices thereon rearwardly to a rear position and mating said front contact devices to said rear contacts substantially when fully mating said second connector to said first connector, and moving said front insert assembly and said front contact devices thereon forwardly to a forward position and unmating said front contact devices from said rear contacts substantially when fully unmating said second connector from said first connector;
• establishing a grounded member in said first housing with contact-engaging parts that are each positioned to electrically engage and thereby electrically connect to one of said front contact devices when said front insert assembly and said front devices thereon move forwardly to said forward position, and to electrically disengage from one of said front contact devices when said front insert assembly and said front contact devices move rearwardly to said rearward position.