Abstract: An electrical connector part has its connector end covered by a metal shield or grid plate having openings individually aligned with electrical contacts. The electrical contacts are of the "butt" variety having spring-loaded parts which shieldingly cover the grid plate openings when the connector parts are released.

Abstract: One end of an electrical connector first contact is a metallic cylinder which is hollow to receive a cable wire for soldered or crimping securement. A second contact has a body portion constructed substantially the same as the first contact except that its pin end is faced off to a flat surface. A hollow cylindrical metal shell with one closed end and a flanged open end is slidingy received on the body portion other cylindrical end. Mating engagement of the connector parts brings the radiused pin end of the first contact into pressurizing connection with the second contact metal shell establishing the desired connection. Unmating may be accomplished by either axial or transverse relative movement of the connector parts. In a further embodiment the hollow cylindrical metal shell has one or more inwardly formed spring fingers that slide over the enlarged head during assembly and prevent inadvertent removal of the shell from the rest of the contact.

Abstract: A coupling ring is slideably received onto a cylindrical plug shell that is mateable with a receptacle. A removable end piece in the coupling ring end has an internal set of key ways which correspond to a complementary set of keys on the receptacle. The end piece has shallow recesses on its outer surface which align with passageways extending through the coupling ring. Each passageway has a metal ball of such diameter as to have parts thereof extending inwardly of the opening and into the end piece recesses. A locking ring is slidingly received over the outer end of the coupling ring and includes a first portion which contactingly engages each of the metal balls holding them in an inwardly extending relation into the recesses on the outer surface of the releasable portion (locked mode). The locking ring is movable to a second position in which an inner groove is aligned with each of the passageways extending through the coupling ring so as to release pressure on the metal balls (released mode).

Abstract: In a plug and receptacle connector, directly couple to the threads of the coupling ring with threads on the driven portion of the connector (e.g., plug), without a coupling nut, and insert a spring intermediate at least one of the threads on the coupling ring and the driven portion. A split-wave spring having corrugated legs may be used. Another feature is to provide notches on the thread facing the wave spring legs to receive the end of the respective leg for preventing the spring from slipping out of the threads.

Abstract: A spring mechanism is positioned to hold two members of, e.g., an electrical connector which are moveable relative to each other, securely together and to resist motion of the one element with respect to the other in a decoupling direction until the force exerted on the spring exceeds a predetermined force. At this point, the spring, due to its structure, pops or flips to another position producing a decrease in the overall spring diameter causing the spring to clear retaining grooves in one or both of the two members such that the two members are released.

Abstract: An expandable ring is expanded during connector mating to extend outwardly of the external surface of a connector element which on touching reveals at a subsequent point in time that the connector is mated.

Abstract: A connector has a coupling ring received about a plug shell, the inner wall surfaces of the coupling ring having a coded arrangement of keyways to insure proper mating with similar coded keys on a proper receptacle. An opening in the coupling ring slidingly receives a metal ball. A notch is formed in a surface of a detent spring arranged such that when the plug shell and receptacle shell are fully mated, the ball is aligned with and can move into a notch in the detent spring. A retainer ring located over the coupling ring lies immediately opposite the opening containing the metal ball. The inner surface of the retainer ring has a groove which on receiving the ball leaves no obstructing part of the ball extending inwardly of the coupling ring. Rotation of the retainer ring can locate either the groove opposite to the metal ball opening or a smaller diameter surface which will cause the ball to lock the connector parts.

Abstract: A spring-loaded pin maintains the plug shell and coupling ring of a plug and receptacle electrical in predetermined relation lockingly aligning internal keyways when the connector parts are unmated. When a receptacle having an appropriately coded set of peripheral keys is received within the plug shell, certain of the keys act to release the locked alignment of coupling ring to plug shell enabling the coupling ring to be rotated and drive the plug and receptacle together into mated relation.

Abstract: A zero insertion force electrical connector in which, when the plug and receptacle connector members are initially mated, the contacts therein are spaced from each other. An actuating plate is shifted to move the movable contacts in the plug connector member in tandem in a direction to engage the fixed contacts in the receptacle connector member. A program plate is mounted on the plug connector member having apertures therein through which the movable contacts extend. The apertures in the program plate are dimensioned to allow some of the contact pairs to engage when the actuating plate is shifted, but prevent engagement between other contact pairs. Conductive traces may be provided on the program plate to provide electrical connection between two movable contacts, or between a movable contact of one pair of contacts and a fixed contact of another pair. Other program plates are disclosed allowing different electricl paths through the connector.

Abstract: A contact retention assembly is disclosed for an electrical connector in which the contact has a retention section of U-shaped cross-section. One of the sidewalls of the U-shaped retention section has a retention tine formed therefrom which extends rearwardly and inwardly toward the opposite sidewall for engaging a forwardly facing shoulder provided by projection formed in the corner of the contact cavity.