Allied Corporation

The Bendix Corporation

Eric F Shepler

Valentine J Hemmer

Robert W Brush

R Amelia Piscitelli

Anthony W Knapp

Vincent A Luca, Jr

Charles P Fischer

The invention is an anti-decoupling mechanism for a connector assembly characterized by an axially extending portion (42) at the free end of a spring (40) which engages an axially extending shoulder (12) at the start of a thread (11) on one of the housings (10) during a portion of the final coupling rotation of the coupling ring (30) around the first housing (10). During the final portion of coupling rotation of the coupling ring (30) the projection (41) is moved inwardly to increase the pressure between the projection (41) and the teeth (21) thereby resisting decoupling of the housings (10, 20) when the coupled connector assembly is subjected to vibration.

Connector assembly having an anti-decoupling mechanism

An annular, radially expansible/contractible spiral spring (50) includes inner and outer circumferential faces (54, 56) and a tab (60) disposed perpendicularly to the annulus and between the faces, the spring being adapted to mount a coupling nut (30) on a plug shell (20) and provide means for resisting rotation of the coupling nut in both coupling/uncoupling directions, the spiral spring having faces (52) overlapping and opposite ends (58a, 58b) free with tab (60) being disposed at one end (58b) and adapted to be received in successive detents (40) disposed around an end face (37) of the coupling nut, each detent (40) having angularly spaced sidewalls (42, 44) with one sidewall (42) being radially disposed and the other sidewall (44) being skewed and acutely-angled relative to a radius, the sidewalls being adapted to be driven against the tab to tighten (contract) or loosen (expand) the spring annulus relative to the plug shell, sidewall (44) being adapted to cam tab (60) radially from its detent and allow coupling nut rotation.

Anti-decoupling mechanism for an electrical connector assembly

This invention is an anti-decoupling mechanism for an electrical connector assembly of the type having two housings (20, 50) connected together by a coupling ring (30). The invention is characterized by an annular member (10) that has a plurality of slots (11) around the periphery thereof that engages the projection (41) on each spring (40) mounted within a coupling ring (30). The annular member (10) is radially expandable to increase its diameter in response to opposing axial forces applied by the housings (20, 50) as they are drawn together by the coupling ring (30). This anti-decoupling arrangement provides a first lower pressure against the spring (40) during the initial stage of the coupling cycle and a second higher pressure against the spring during the final stage of the coupling cycle thereby reducing the wear on the anti-decoupling mechanism an increasing its effectiveness.

Anti-decoupling device for an electrical connector

A socket contact for electrical connectors consisting of a contact liner sleeve (16) with a rear sleeve (14) and inner and outer front sleeves (12, 10) assembled to the front and to the contact liner sleeve (16) with the outer sleeve (10) rear portion thereof formed over the rear face (40) of the inner front sleeve (12) to form a well defined retention shoulder (48).

Socket contact for electrical connectors

A thin, flat, elongated band (50) of flexible material having opposite ends and of roughened surfaces is slidably wrapped about itself several times and around a plug shell (20) such that one end is confined against the plug shell and the other end is connected by a tab (52) to a coupling nut (30), the coupling nut including on its inner wall a plurality of radial detents (42) sized to successively receive the tab (52) upon rotation of the coupling nut, rotation of the coupling nut (30) and threadable coupling with a receptacle shell (10) in a coupling direction drawing the shells (10, 20) together whereby cooperating flanges (36, 22) on the coupling nut and plug shell and thread flanks are tightly abutting, coupling rotation tending to unwrap the band (50) so that it will slide freely about the plug shell, uncoupling rotation being resisted by the band tightly coiling so that it will not slide about the plug shell, increased external torque camming the tab (52) from its detent (42) and into the next detent, the band (50) thereby providing resistance only to unwanted uncoupling.

This invention is a three piece contact assembly of the type having an inner sleeve (10), a forward sleeve (20), and a rear sleeve (30), wherein the inner sleeve is characterized by a dual thickness. The forward portion of the inner sleeve 10 has a thickness (T) greater than the thickness (t) of the rear wire receiving end thereby strengthening the deflectable fingers (14) at the mating end of the inner sleeve (10).

Growing community of inventors

Bainbridge, NY, United States of America

Eric F Shepler