Connector assembly and method having segmented body portion

A connector component comprising:

• a connector body having a plurality of conductors,
• said connector body being segmented into a plurality of independently removable and replaceable body segments, with each said body segment having a subplurality of said conductors, said body segments each including an interior surface and an exterior wall portion;
• a housing for receiving said body segments to hold said interior surfaces of the body segments together adjacent one another, said housing forming at least a portion of said connector body;
• a uniform retaining member coupled to said housing to retain said body segments within said housing;
• said body segments each including an alignment element formed along the exterior wall portion;
• said housing including alignment portions for engaging said alignment elements to key said body segments to said housing;
• and
• any one of said body segments being removable from the remaining ones of said body segments to enable a different body segment to be re-secured to said remaining ones of said body segments to facilitate at least one of repair and modification of said connector body.

A method of forming a connector assembly, comprising:

• forming a first connector body having a plurality of conductive elements;
• forming a second connector body having a plurality of conductive elements;
• further forming said second connector body as a plurality of independently replaceable body segments, each with an interior surface and an exterior surface, the interior surfaces held adjacent one another to form said second connector body;
• forming a locating element on the housing to couple said second connector body to said first connector body;
• forming a first alignment structure on each of said body segments along the exterior surface of each of the body segments;
• forming at least one second alignment structure on an inner surface of a housing for receiving said body segments so that said connector body is keyed at a desired orientation within said housing;
• coupling a uniform retaining member to a surface of said housing to retain said body segments within said housing.