ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS

• US 3,611,261 A
• Filed: 05/04/1970
• Issued: 10/05/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kenneth Laurence Gregory
• Original Assignee: Kenneth Laurence Gregory
• Inventors: Gregory, Kenneth Laurence
• Primary Examiner(s): McGlynn, Joseph H.
• Application Number:
  US05/034,376
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• Field of Search: 339/91,113 340/381,252P 324/149
• US Class Current: 439/353
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/62 Means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts or for holding them in engagement
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/641 by indicating incorrect coupling; by indicating correct or full engagement

Abstract

An electrical connector comprises two contact-bearing blocks connectable together, one of the blocks has at least one barbed resilient limb, the other at least one apertured lug. One limb and one lug each have a contact. Engagement of the limbs by the lug upon passage of the barb through the aperture brings these contacts into engagement. There contacts complete an electrical circuit for continuity testing to check the proper connection together of the blocks and thus afford a check on the circuits completed through the block contacts.

Claims

1. An electrical connector comprising:

two blocks of electrical insulator material;

a plurality of electrical contacts on said blocks, said contacts on one of said blocks being engageable with said contacts on said other block upon connection together of said blocks;

a resilient limb extending from one of said blocks and terminating in a free end portion;

a barb on said free end portion;

a lug in said other block, having end wall portions and sidewall portions;

a through aperture in said lug defined by said wall portions;

said barb being effective to secure said blocks together upon passage through said aperture and into engagement with one of said wall portions;

two electrical contacts, one in said limb and one on said aperture, said contacts being mutually engageable upon passage of said barb through said aperture whereby said limb is engaged by said lug.

2. An electrical connector comprising:

two blocks of electrical insulator material;

a plurality of electrical contacts on each of said blocks, said contacts on one of said blocks being engageable with said contacts of said other block upon connection together of said blocks;

a resilient limb extending from one of said blocks and terminating in a free end portion;

a barb on said free end portion;

a lug on said other block, having end wall portions and sidewall portions;

a through aperture in said lug defined by said wall portions;

said barb being effective to connect together said blocks upon passage through said aperture and into engagement with one of said wall portions;

two electrical strip contacts, one on said limb and the other on a wall portion of said aperture;

said barb being in contact with at least one of said wall portions during passage through said aperture whereby said barb contact with said wall portion cause deformation of said limb and holds said contact on said limb out of engagement with said contact on said wall portion until said barb has passed through said aperture into engagement with said one wall portion.

3. An electrical connector comprising:

two blocks of electrical insulator material;

a plurality of electricaL contacts on each of said blocks, said contacts on one of said blocks being engageable with said contacts of said other block upon connection together of said blocks;

one of said blocks having a hollow end portion surrounding said contacts on said block, said hollow end portion constituting a resilient limb on said block;

the other of said blocks having an end portion with said contacts thereon, said block being so dimensioned as to fit into said limb upon connection together of said blocks;

said limb and said end portion being so shaped as to permit fitment together in one design orientation only;

a barb on said limb;

a bug on said other block, extending beyond and overlying said end portion, and having end wall portions and sidewall portions;

a through aperture in said lug, defined by wall portions;

said barb being effective to connect together said blocks upon passage through said aperture and into engagement with one of said wall portions;

two electrical strip contacts, one on said limb adjacent said barb, and the other on a wall portion of said aperture, said contacts being mutually engageable upon passage of said barb through said aperture;

said limb being deformable upon contact of said barb with said lug until said barb has passed through said aperture whereupon said limb returns to its substantially undeformed shape and said contacts engage one another,

4. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 3 wherein said strip contacts are connectable together to complete an electrical continuity test circuit arranged to test connection together of said connector blocks.

5. An electrical connector comprising:

two blocks of electrical insulator material;

a plurality of electrical connectors on each of said blocks, said contacts on one of said blocks being engageable with said contacts on said other block upon connection together of said blocks;

one of said blocks having two spaced-apart facing limbs extending from said block, each limb terminating in a free end portion;

two barbs, one on each free end portion;

two lugs on said other block, each lug having end wall portions and sidewall portions;

two through apertures, one in each of said lugs, and defined by said wall portions of each said lug;

each one of said barbs being effective to pass through one of said apertures into engagement with one of said wall portions of said lug and connect said blocks;

two electrical strip contacts one on one of said limbs and one on one of said aperture wall portions;

said limb and said aperture having said contacts having cross-sectional shape different from said other limb and aperture, whereby said blocks are connectable together in one design orientation only;

said limb having said strip contact being deformable upon contact of said barb on said limb with said lug having said other strip contact until said barb has passed through said aperture, said deformation being effective to keep said strip contacts out of engagement until said barb has passed through said aperture.

6. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 5, wherein said strip contacts are connectable together to complete an electrical continuity test circuit arranged to test connection together of said connector blocks.