Anti-decoupling arrangement for an electrical connector

An electrical connector including a connector shell having a front mating end, a coupling nut fitted over the connector shell, and an anti-decoupling arrangement preventing rotation of the coupling nut in a decoupling direction, said anti-decoupling arrangement comprising:

• a spiral lock clutch extending around said connector shell;
• at least one spring ring positioned to the rear of the spiral lock clutch, front and rear being hereinafter taken relative to an axis of the connector shell and its front mating end, said spring ring also extending around said connector shell, said spring ring and spiral lock clutch being locked together against relative movement so that the spiral lock clutch rotates with the spring ring, and said spring ring further including cantilever beams, the distal ends of which are formed with radially outwardly extending detents;
• serrations on an inside surface of said coupling nut, said serrations engaging said detents;
• and
• at least one retention member positioned to the rear of the coupling nut to capture the tooth ring, spring ring, spiral lock clutch, and coupling nut and retain them on the connector shell,
• wherein when said coupling nut is rotated in a coupling direction, said engagement of said cantilever beams with said serrations causes rotation of the spring ring in the coupling direction, the rotation of the spring ring causing rotation of the spiral lock clutch in the coupling direction, said spiral lock clutch being arranged to freely rotate relative to the connector shell and thereby provide minimal resistance to said rotation of the coupling nut in the coupling direction,
• wherein when a torque less than a threshold value is applied to said coupling nut in a decoupling direction, a corresponding torque is applied by the serrations to the spring ring in the decoupling direction, and said torque applied to the spring ring in the decoupling direction causing said spiral lock clutch to lock and prevent rotation of the spring ring in the decoupling direction, and
• wherein when a torque greater than a threshold value is applied to the coupling nut in the decoupling direction, said greater torque causes said serrations to ratchet over said detents and thereby permit the coupling nut to be rotated in the decoupling direction despite continued locking of the spiral lock clutch and spring ring against rotation.