The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 10, 1998
Filed:
Sep. 05, 1996
Randolph Lee Buchter, Harrisburg, PA (US);
The Whitaker Corporation, Wilmington, DE (US);
Abstract
A pivotable connector assembly includes first and second matable connectors (20, 20) adapted to be brought into mated engagement by rotating the connectors in a first angular direction about a center of pivoting, and adapted to be disengaged by rotating the connectors in an opposite second angular direction about the center of pivoting. Each connector (20) includes a housing (22) having at least one contact having an arcuate section mounted therein. One of the contacts (96) is rigidly mounted within its respective connector housing and the other of the contacts (60) is resiliently mounted within its respective connector housing such that upon mating of the first and second connectors (20, 20) the arcuate section of the resiliently mounted contact (60) is engaged by the arcuate section of the rigidly mounted contact (96) along an elongate mating path and laterally deflected therefrom under bias. The contacts (60, 96) are adapted to accommodate a wide range of arcuate distance during mating of the connectors and the resiliently mounted contact assures sufficient mating force between the arcuate sections of the mating contacts (60, 96).