Abstract: A suspension connector assembly is provided that includes a female connector mounted within a stationary housing that includes a conductive barrel contact surrounded and resiliently supported by an electrically insulative plug body, a movable male connector adapted to be raised toward and lowered away from the female connector that includes a pin contact member having a conductive end insertable within the female barrel contact, and a cam-type latching mechanism for joining the female and male connectors when they are mutually engaged. The length of the male contact member is extended to include an over-travel portion that maintains the conductive end of the pin within the barrel contact of the female connector after the male connector separates a short distance away from the female connector incident to a latching operation.

Abstract: An improved suspension connector assembly is provided that is particularly adapted for use with a multiple pin and barrel type electrical connector. The suspension connector assembly includes a female connector mounted within a stationary housing, a movable male connector adapted to be raised and lowered toward and away from the female connector via the cable of a hoisting mechanism, and a latching mechanism for latching and unlatching the male connector to the female connector when the two are mutually engaged for a latching stroke distance. A resilient mounting assembly interconnects the female connector with the stationary housing. The stroke of the resilient mounting assembly is at least as long as the latching stroke distance of the latching mechanism so that the pins and barrels of the male and female electrical connectors will not be partially pulled apart from one another as a result of the stroke of the latching mechanism.

Abstract: An electrical connector assembly comprising first and second mateable connectors is disclosed herein. The first connector includes a collet having an expandable mouth in a concave interior, and the second connector includes a convex member, such as a sphere, which is substantially complementary in shape to the concave interior surface of the collet. The concave interior of the first connector, and the convex member of the second connector surround a male pin and female barrel connector, respectively. The male pin and female barrel mate when the convex member of the second connector is inserted into the concave interior of the first connector. Additionally, the collet is split along its longitudinal axis in order to form a plurality of collet fingers which are closeable by means of a collet which is movable along the outside surface of the collet. A water-tight seal between the male pin and the female barrel of the connectors is accomplished by an O-ring disposed in the mouth of the female barrel.

Abstract: An improved outdoor lighting system is provided that comprises a light assembly formed from at least one tubular mast having a distal end for supporting an electrically powered light source, and a proximal end mounted in the ground, and an electrical cable for connecting the light source to an underground power source. The improved system includes an electrical connector assembly in the cable located in the vicinity of the ground-mounted distal end of the tubular mast. The electrical connector assembly spontaneously disconnects in response to an application of an tensile force indicative of an automobile collision with the mast, thereby preventing damaging tensile forces from being transmitted along the underground portion of the cable to the circuit breaker.

Abstract: An improved outdoor lighting system is provided that comprises a light assembly formed from at least one tubular mast having a distal end for supporting an electrically powered light source, and a proximal end mounted in the ground, and an electrical cable for connecting the light source to an underground power source. The improved system includes an electrical connector assembly in the cable located in the vicinity of the ground-mounted distal end of the tubular mast. The electrical connector assembly spontaneously disconnects in response to an application of an tensile force indicative of an automobile collision with the mast, thereby preventing damaging tensile forces from being transmitted along the underground portion of the cable to the circuit breaker.