Coupling nut having an anti-decoupling device

• US 4,464,001 A
• Filed: 09/30/1982
• Issued: 08/07/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amphenol Corporation
• Original Assignee: The Bendix Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Collins, Gordon T.
• Primary Examiner(s): MCQUADE, JOHN P
• Application Number:
  US06/430,905
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• Field of Search: 339/90 R, 339/90 C, 339/DIG. 2, 339/88 R, 339/181, 339/188, 339/189, 339/190, 285/396, 403/349
• US Class Current: 439/318
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/402 for cantilever gates
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/625 Casing or ring with bayonet engagement
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2103/00 Two poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/40 specially adapted for high frequency

Abstract

An electrical connector assembly including a pair of mating shells (100, 200) having end faces (122, 224) on dielectric inserts (110, 210) and a coupling nut (300) rotatably mounted on first shell (100), coupling nut (300) including an elongated a generally U-shaped passageway (142, 146, 144) sized to receive a coupling pin (280) on second shell (200), the passageway forming an integral cantilevered latch spring (160) of the type having adjacent its deflectable end a detent (162) for captivating the pin (280), rotation of coupling nut (300) bringing end faces (122, 224) into abutment to stop axial advance but permit continued rotation to allow coupling pin (280) to advance along the passageway to deflect latch spring (162) downwardly and reach the detent (162) whereupon latch spring (162) springs forwardly to captivate coupling pin (280) therein.

Claims

1. An electrical connector assembly having an anti-decoupling device comprising:

first and second shells (100,

     200) with each including, respectively, a dielectric insert (120,

     220) and said second shell (200) further including a radially extending coupling pin (280) on an outside portion thereof;

a coupling nut (300) rotatably disposed about said first shell (100) and including a longitudinal guideway (148) for receiving the coupling pin (280); and

an anti-decoupling device for preventing unwanted disconnection between the shells, said anti-decoupling device characterized by a first end face (124) associated with said first shell (100) being adapted to abut a second end face (222) associated with said second shell (200) for limiting axial advance of the shells but allowing continued rotation of the coupling nut;

said coupling nut (300) including a slot arrangement for receiving the coupling pin and including a longitudinal slot (146) and first and second laterally extending slots (142,

     144) joined at their adjacent ends by the longitudinal slot (146), said first lateral slot (142) being joined at its other end to the guideway (148), said slot arrangement forming integrally of the coupling nut (300) a deflectable latch spring (160) including a detent (162) formed thereon for receiving and securing said coupling pin (280), longitudinally advancing the coupling nut (300) causing the end faces (124,

     222) to abut and the coupling pin (280) to be presented into the first lateral slot (142) and against the latch spring (160), rotating the coupling nut driving the coupling pin against the latch spring and the latch spring to deflect rearward whereby the coupling pin advances to the detent, whereupon the latch spring deflects forward and the detent captivates the coupling pin.

2. The electrical connector assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said end faces (122, 224) are disposed on dielectric inserts (120, 220).

3. The electrical connector assembly as recited in claim 2, wherein said dielectric insert (220) includes a second end face (224) and a generally cylindrical male-portion (225) extending between the end faces (222, 224), and said dielectric insert (120) includes a second end face (122) and a generally cylindrical receptacle (125) extending between said end faces (122, 124), said receptacle (125) being sized to receive said male-portion (225).

4. The electrical connector assembly as recited in claim 3, wherein the first and second end faces (122, 124) of said dielectric insert (120) abut, respectively , the first and second end faces (222, 224) of said dielectric insert (220) for limiting axial entry of said male-portion (225) into the receptacle (125).

5. The electrical connector assembly as recited in claim 2, wherein a pair of deflectable latch springs (160) are equiangularly disposed on said coupling portion (310).

6. An electrical connector coupling member for connecting together two electrical connector shells (100, 200), said coupling member including a tubular wall having a front face and being adapted to mount for rotation to one of said shells (100) and connect to a coupling pin (280) extending radially from the other of said shells (200), the coupling member being characterized by:

a guideway (140) extending longitudinally rearward from the front face for receiving the coupling pin (280), and a continuous U-shaped passageway (142, 144,

     146) formed into the wall to define an integral cantilever-type latch spring (160), said latch spring having a secured end portion thereof forming part of the guideway (140), a free end portion thereof being longitudinally deflectable, and means (162) disposed at the free end portion thereof for captivating the coupling pin (280), said U-shaped passageway comprising generally laterally extending first and second slots (142,

     144) with the first slot (142) communicating with said guideway (140) to provide a continuous rearward path from the front face for the coupling pin (280) to follow to reach said captivating means.

7. The electrical connector coupling member as recited in claim 6, wherein the captivating means (162) at the free end portion of the latch spring (160) comprises a detent (162).

8. The electrical connector coupling member as recited in claims 6 or 7, wherein the U-shaped passageway (142, 144, 146) comprises said first slot (142) defining an edge of latch spring (160) for engaging said coupling pin (280) and the second lateral slot (144) defining a space wherein the latch spring may longitudinally deflect.

9. The electrical connector coupling member as recited in claim 6, wherein the first lateral slot (142) is substantially linear.