Electrical connecting and switch device

Claim 1

A MULTI-CONTACT ELECTRICAL CONNECTING DEVICE COMPRISING: A PAIR OF CONNECTOR HOUSINGS AND A CONNECTING HOUSING, SAID CONNECTOR HOUSINGS EACH HAVING A HOOD SURROUNDING, AND EXTENDING BEYOND, ONE END THEREOF, SAID CONNECTING HOUSING HAVING OPPOSITE ENDS CONFORMING TO THE INTERNAL CONFIGURATION OF SAID HOODS WHEREBY, SAID CONNECTOR HOUSINGS CAN BE COUPLED TO, AND DECOUPLED FROM, SAID CONNECTING HOUSING, A PLURALITY OF CONTACT TERMINAL CAVITIES EXTENDING THROUGH EACH OF SAID CONNECTOR HOUSINGS, CONTACT TERMINALS IN AT LEAST SOME OF SAID TERMINAL CAVITIES, SAID TERMINALS EACH HAVING A CONTACT PORTION OF CHANNEL-SHAPED CROSS-SECTION DISPOSED WITHIN THE CONFINES OF SAID HOODS, SAID CONNECTING HOUSING HAVING CONTACT SPRING CAVITIES EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID OPPOSITE ENDS, CONTACT LEAF SPRINGS DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CONTACT SPRING CAVITIES, THE ENDS OF SAID LEAF SPRINGS BEING ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID CONTACT PORTIONS OF SAID CONTACT TERMINALS UPON COUPLING OF SAID CONNECTOR HOUSINGS TO SAID OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID CONNECTING HOUSING THEREBY TO FORM CONDUCTING PATHS BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL CONDUCTORS SECURED TO SAID CONTACT TERMINALS, SHUNT MEANS IN SAID CONNECTING HOUSING EXTENDING FROM A FIRST ONE OF SAID CONTACT SPRING CAVITIES TO A SECOND ONE OF SAID CONTACT SPRING CAVITIES, SAID SHUNT MEANS NORMALLY BEING IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CONTACT LEAF SPRINGS IN SAID FIRST AND SECOND CONTACT SPRING CAVITIES WHEREBY, A CONTINUOUS CONDUCTING SHUNT PATH IS ESTABLISHED BETWEEN TWO CONDUCTORS SECURD TO CONTACT TERMINALS IN ONE OF SAID CONNECTOR HOUSINGS WHEN SAID ONE CONNECTOR HOUSING IS COUPLED TO SAID CONNECTING HOUSING, AND SHUNT CIRCUIT INTERRUPTING MEANS IN A CORRESPONDING CONTACT TERMINAL CAVITY IN THE OTHER ONE OF SAID OTHER CONNECTOR HOUSINGS, SAID SHUNT CIRCUIT INTERRUPTING MEANS BEING ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID SHUNT MEANS FOR DEACTIVATING SAID SHUNT MEANS WHEN SAID OTHER CONNECTOR HOUSING IS COUPLED TO SAID CONNECTING HOUSING THEREBY TO BREAK SAID CONDUCTING SHUNT PATH AND TO ESTABLISH A CONDUCTING PATH BETWEEN TWO CORRESPONDING CONTACT TERMINALS IN SAID CONNECTOR HOUSINGS.