Suspension connector assembly having over-travel male contact members

Abstract

A suspension connector assembly is provided that includes a female connector mounted within a stationary housing that includes a conductive barrel contact surrounded and resiliently supported by an electrically insulative plug body, a movable male connector adapted to be raised toward and lowered away from the female connector that includes a pin contact member having a conductive end insertable within the female barrel contact, and a cam-type latching mechanism for joining the female and male connectors when they are mutually engaged. The length of the male contact member is extended to include an over-travel portion that maintains the conductive end of the pin within the barrel contact of the female connector after the male connector separates a short distance away from the female connector incident to a latching operation. The over-travel portion of the male pin is insulated such that all exposed current-carrying components of the connector assembly are not only electrically insulated, but isolated from potentially corrosive ambient air and moisture.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.