ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR HAVING ADJUSTABLE KEYING

• US 3,614,711 A
• Filed: 10/15/1969
• Issued: 10/19/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Amphenol Corporation
• Original Assignee: David F. Rundle, Norman R. Anderson
• Inventors: Anderson, Norman R., Rundle, David F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Champion, Marvin A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Staab, Lawrence J.
• Application Number:
  US04/866,664
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• Field of Search: 339/186R,186M,184M,185,187,90
• US Class Current: 439/314
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6456 comprising keying elements at different positions along the periphery of the connector

Abstract

An electrical connector having adjustable keying and comprising a lockingly engageable plug and receptacle containing respectively mating pins and sockets. The receptacle includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced pluggable keyways which can be selectively plugged by a connector user to provide a keyway for the receptacle at any of a plurality of different possible locations. The plug has a rotatably movable key which a connector user can align with the selected keyway location provided in the receptacle.

Claims

1. An electrical connector having adjustable keying comprising in combination:

a cooperatively engageable plug and receptacle each including a tubular shell and containing pins and sockets which respectively mate when the plug and receptacle are engaged in proper keyed relationship, said receptacle including a plurality of keyways provided at spaced circumferential locations in the inner surface of the receptacle shell, and a plurality of keying plugs insertable in at least a predetermined plurality of the keyways provided in said receptacle so as to provide for selective plugging thereof, said plug including a rotatable band mounted on the outer surface of the plug shell, said band having a key provided therein so that rotation of said band permits said key to be circumferentially positionable to a location corresponding to that of any desired one of said predetermined plurality of keyways of said receptacle and so as to be able to key therewith when the plug and receptacle are engaged, said band also including an inwardly biased resilient locating lug provided thereon at a location circumferentially spaced from said key, said plug also including circumferentially spaced slots formed in the outer surface of the plug shell adjacent said band so as to be cooperatable with said resilient locating lug provided on said band to permit said lug to be insertable in any selected one of said slots in order to lock said rotatable band and thus said key at a circumferential position corresponding to any desired one of said keyways of said receptacle.

2. The invention in accordance with claim 1, wherein said plug also includes a plurality of fixed keys provided for mating with predetermined ones of said keyways when said plug and receptacle are engaged.

3. The invention in accordance with claim 2, wherein said plug and said receptacle also include cooperating locking means for providing locking thereof in an engaged position.