Retractable electrical connector

Claim 1

A RETRACTABLE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR FOR ELECTRICALLY CONNECTING TOGETHER TWO STRUCTURES PRIOR TO BLIND MATING OF THE TWO STRUCTURES, COMPRISING A HOLLOW HOUSING HAVING AN OPEN END AND AN OPPOSITELY DISPOSED CLOSED END, A TERMINAL BOARD MOUNTED ON SAID HOUSING NEAR THE OPEN END THEREOF, AN ELECTRICAL CABLE NORMALLY WITHIN SAID HOUSING AND COAXIALLY ALIGNED THEREWITH, SAID CABLE HAVING A RIGID PORTION PARTIALLY EXTENDING THROUGH THE OPEN END OF SAID HOUSING AND A FLEXIBLE PORTION ENTIRELY WITHIN SAID HOUSING AND BEING ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO SAID TERMINAL BOARD, SAID FLEXIBLE PORTION BEING FOLDED BACK UPON ITSELF IN A DIRECTION PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF SAID HOUSING IN SUCH A MANNER THAT A SMOOTH BEND IS FORMED IN SAID FLEXIBLE PORTION, WHEREBY THE RIGID PORTION OF SAID CABLE MAY BE PARTIALLY WITHDRAWN FROM SAID HOUSING TO FACILITATE THE MAKING OF AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID TWO STRUCTURES PRIOR TO BLIND MATING THEREOF SO THAT THE CABLE IS PROTECTED FROM INJURY WHEN SAID TWO STRUCTURES ARE BLIND MATED, SAID HOUSING HAVING LONGITUDINAL GROOVES FORMED IN THE INTERIOR WALL THEREOF, SAID RIGID PORTION OF SAID CABLE HAVING PROJECTIONS EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY THEREFROM TO SLIDABLY ENGAGE SAID GROOVES TO FACILITATE LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF THE RIGID PORTION OF SAID CABLE RELATIVE TO SAID HOUSING WHILE PRECLUDING RELATIVE ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT THEREBETWEEN, THE RIGID PORTION OF SAID CABLE COMPRISING A MOLDED MEMBER OF DIELECTRIC MATERIAL HAVING ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS EMBEDDED THEREIN, AND A SLEEVE CONNECTOR MOUNTED ON ONE END OF SAID MOLDED MEMBER EXTERIORLY OF SAID HOUSING.