Retention system for electrical contacts

Claim 1

AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR UNIT COMPRISING A BODY OF INSULATION MATERIAL HAVING A PLURALITY OF PASSAGES THERETHROUGH FROM A FRONT FACE TO A REAR FACE AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE RESPECTIVE ELECTRICAL CONTACT MEMBERS THEREIN WHICH ARE INSERTABLE FROM THE REAR AND WHICH EACH HAVE AN ENLARGED SECTION DEFINING A REARWARDLY FACING SHOULDER AND A PLURALITY OF TRUNCATED, TUBULAR CONTACT RETENTION CONES INTEGRAL WITH SAID BODY AND COAXIAL WITH THE RESPECTIVE SAID PASSAGES, EACH OF SAID CONES TAPERING FOR WARDLY AND RADIALLY INWARDLY FROM THE WALL OF THE RESPECTIVE PASSAGE TO A FORWARD FREE END, EACH CONE BEING RESILIENTLY RADIALLY EXPANDABLE TO PERMIT SAID ENLARGED SECTION OF A RESPECTIVE CONTACT MEMBER TO PASS THERETHROUGH UPON FORWARD INSERTION OF THE CONTACT MEMBER INTO THE RESPECTIVE SAID PASSAGE, THE CONE CONTRACTING BEHIND THE SHOULDER ON THE CONTACT MEMBER TO LIMIT REARWARDLY MOVEMENT OF THE CONTACT MEMBER IN THE PASSAGE, AND EACH CONE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID IN AN AXIAL DIRECTION WHEN IN ITS CONTACTED POSITION SO AS TO PROVIDE A POSITIVE STOP AGAINST REARWARD MOVEMENT OF THE RESPECTIVE CONTACT MEMBER.