Receptacle and plug assembly

Abstract

An electrical connector for interconnecting a plurality of signals comprises an assembly of a plug and receptacle. The plug includes a housing member having a cavity at its forward end defined by a peripheral wall and a cavity wall, and a rear wall. The housing further includes contact receiving apertures extending between the cavity wall and the rear wall. An insert is locked in place in the forward cavity, the adjacent wall of the insert having standoff feet to define a gap between the cavity wall and insert wall. The insert has apertures in alignment with the apertures in the housing. The apertures within the insert include a shoulder facing the rear wall of the insert. A contact insertable into the apertures in the housing and insert has a lance which is locatable in the gap between the cavity wall and insert wall to lock the contact in place. The receptacle has a right-angled configuration having pins extending from a mounting face for interconnection to a printed circuit board. A second face is mountable to a bulkhead and has three rows of pins mounted in a cavity recessed from the second mounting face for interconnection to a matable plug having socket contacts. The contacts within the receptacle are disposed in three tiers, the contacts being bent around mandrels to form the right-angled bend. Below the mandrels is a contact locating plate having contact receiving slots in line with the contacts. The upper and lower row of contacts are laterally aligned with each other and with a first contact receiving slot. The first slot has two widths, and has a rib extending down along the edges of the slot. When the contacts are placed in the slot, the ribs interferingly hold the contacts in place, the second row of terminals is also aligned with a contact receiving slot having ribs for interferingly locking the second row of terminals in place.