Breakaway connector

• US 5,427,542 A
• Filed: 11/15/1993
• Issued: 06/27/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ITT Corporation (ITT, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ITT Corporation (ITT, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gerow, John B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bilinsky, Z. R.
• Application Number:
  US08/151,698
• Time in Patent Office: 589 Days
• Field of Search: 439/474, 439/475, 439/314, 29/876
• US Class Current: 439/314
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/633 for disengagement only in combination with safety switch H01R13/7132
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6582 with resilient means for engaging mating connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6592 the conductive member being a shielded cable
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/14 seismic connectors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49208 by assembling plural parts

Abstract

A connector is described that allows the connector main part (16, FIG. 2) to be pulled out of a coupling nut or part (24) when the cable (20) that extends rearwardly from the main part, is pulled with a large force. The main part is of the type that includes a metal shell (30) enclosing an insulator (32) that holds contacts (34) whose front ends mate with the contacts of a mating connector device (14) and whose rear ends connect to wires of the cable. The outside of the shell and the inside of the coupling part have adjacent grooves (56, 54), and an expandable ring-shaped retainer (52) lies in both grooves to normally hold the main part to the coupling part. The forward wall (74, FIG. 3) of the groove in the main part is inclined from an axial direction to form a ramp. If the main part is pulled rearwardly with a large force, the retainer expands as it rides up the ramp and past the front of the main part, to thereby release the main part from the coupling part and the connector device to which it is coupled.

Claims

1. A breakaway connector which has an axis and which comprises a main part that includes a shell with an outside surface, an insulator in the shell, a plurality of contacts in the insulator and a cable extending rearwardly from the insulator and having a plurality of conductors connected to said contacts, wherein the connector also includes a coupling part for coupling to a mating connector device, wherein of said connector and said connector device one has pin contact ends that mate with socket contact ends of the other, with said coupling part surrounding the shell and having an internal surface, and wherein said cable can be pulled rearwardly with respect to said

said shell has an external groove in its outside surface which extends by more than 180°

about said axis, and said coupling part has an internal groove in its internal surface which extends by more than 180°

about said axis, with said grooves lying opposite each other; and

a ring-shaped retainer which has radially inner and outer parts lying respectively in said external and internal grooves, with the walls of said groove of said shell forming a ramp that is angled from said axis to extend radially outward and forwardly and with the walls of the groove of said coupling part constructed to abut said retainer and prevent the retainer from sliding axially thereon, so said retainer deforms to ride out of said groove of said shell while remaining in said internal groove, and said contacts unmate, when a predetermined rearward release force is applied by said cable to said main part which is no more than said predetermined safe force level, when said contacts ends of said connector are mated to said contacts ends of said connector device.

2. The connector described in claim 1 wherein:

said ramp extends at an angle B of no more than 45°

from said axis.

3. The connector described in claim 1 wherein:

said ramp extends at an angle B of about 30°

from said axis.

4. A method for releasing a front end of a connector main part which has an axis and which includes a shell surrounding a contact-holding insulator, from a coupling part, wherein the coupling part has an inside surface and the shell has an outside surface lying within said inside surface, comprising:

forming said shell outside surface with an external groove having forward and rearward walls, with said forward wall comprising a ramp wall which extends at a forward and radially outward incline to said axis, and with a forward surface region lying forward of said ramp which is of substantially no greater diameter than the forward end of said ramp;

forming said coupling part inside surface with an internal groove having forward and rearward walls;

installing an expandable retainer ring and inserting said shell into said coupling part around said shell so a portion of said retainer ring lies in said external groove of said shell and another portion of said ring lies in said internal groove of said coupling part, including forming said ramp wall at a large enough angle to said axial direction so when said shoulder pushes said retainer ring forwardly said ring moves forwardly along said ramp while progressively increasing in diameter until it lies and moves forwardly along said forward surface region and then forwardly off said shell while remaining trapped within said internal groove.

5. The method described in claim 4 wherein:

said step of forming said ramp includes forming it at an angle B to the said axis, which is no more than 45°

.