Connector portion having releasable fastening means

• US 3,937,547 A
• Filed: 05/03/1974
• Issued: 02/10/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kenneth William Lee-Kemp
• Original Assignee: Kenneth William Lee-Kemp
• Inventors: Lee-Kemp, Kenneth William
• Primary Examiner(s): Lake, Roy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bicks, Mark S.
• Application Number:
  US05/466,773
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 285/315, 285/317, 285/319, 403/322, 403/326, 403/329, 339/91 R, 339/91 P, 339/74 R
• US Class Current: 439/352
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/098 by means of flexible hooks
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6275 Latching arms not integral with the housing H01R13/6276, H01R13/6277, H01R13/6278 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/629 Additional means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts, e.g. aligning or guiding means, levers, gas pressure electrical locking indicators, manufacturing tolerances separate tools or apparatus H01R43/26
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/60 Biased catch or latch

Abstract

A plug and socket connector is disclosed having releasable locking means to prevent unintentional disconnection. The locking means comprises spring catches preferably formed from flat resilient material and they are fitted in a recess or respective recesses in a shell which forms part of one of the connector portions. An environmental seal is provided by locating the catches in the recess or recesses. Other catches are disclosed which are formed in a solid tubular member.

Claims

1. In a quick-release connector having interengageable male and female connector portions, said male connector portion including an outer shell having openings therethrough, an inner shell concentric with said outer shell and having external recesses therein, and a plurality of spring catches, each of said catches having a portion projecting through a respective one of said openings in said outer shell for locking engagement with said female portion, and said outer shell being axially slidable relative to said inner shell to deflect said portions of said catches to cause disengagement from said female connector portion, the improvement comprising the provision of a plurality of separately formed spring catches which are independent of each other and of said inner shell, each of said spring catches being located in a recess in said inner shell, each of said catches being in the form of a flat strip of resilient material, and each strip being freely supported at its ends in said recess in said inner shell whereby, when said portion of each catch is deflected, said strip thereof is deformed by bowing between said freely supported ends.

2. The improvement according to claim 1 wherein each strip is configured to have the general outline of an elongated portion coextensive with said portion which projects through the respective opening in said outer shell, said elongated portion being configured to resist deformation.

3. The improvement according to claim 2 wherein each of said portions of said strips which project through said respective openings are configured to have in elevation the general outline of two sides of a triangle, one side of said triangle extending substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said outer shell so as to provide positive abutment with an edge of said outer shell defining a respective one of said openings therein, which edge partly defines said opening.

4. A male connector portion for a quick release connector of the type having interengageable male and female connector portions, said male connector portion comprising an outer shell having openings therethrough, an inner shell concentric with said outer shell and having a locating recess in the outer surface thereof, and a plurality of spring catches, said catches each being formed as a flat sheet of resilient material, each catch being defined by an uplifted detent portion bounded at least at opposite sides thereof by axially extending base portions, each detent portions projecting through a respective one of said openings for locking engagement with a female portion, and said outer shell being axially slidable relative to said inner shell for deflecting said detent portions of said catches inwardly to cause disengagement of said detent portions from a female connector portion, said base portion of each of said spring catches being transversely arcuately configured to accommodate the curvature of said locating recess in said inner shell, said detent portions also being transversely arcuately configured with a smaller radius of curvature than that of said base portions whereby said detent portions resist said deflection.

5. A male connector portion according to claim 4 wherein said detent portions are in the form of tongues projecting from a substantially rectangular opening in said base portion, each tongue having a root, and a region on each side of the root of each of said tongues adjacent corresponding corners of said rectangular opening being apertured.

6. A male connector portion according to claim 5 wherein each of said spring catches is formed independently of one another and of said inner shell, and said locating recess is in the form of a plurality of recesses in said inner shell, each receiving one of said spring catches.