Electrical connectors

Claim 1

AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: (A) A HOUSING HAVING A CAVITY FORMED THEREIN, WHICH CAVITY IS FORMED SO AS TO BE IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE REGION OUTSIDE OF SAID HOUSING; (B) AT LEAST ONE SOCKET, WHICH IS ELASTICALLY DEFORMABLE IN A TRANSVERSE DIRECTION, DISPOSED IN SAID HOUSING CAVITY FOR RECEIVING A PLUG TO BE INSERTED IN A LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION IN SAID SOCKET; (C) ELASTIC RESTORING MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID SOCKET FOR NORMALLY MAINTAINING IT IN A CONDITION IN WHICH IT OFFERS SUBSTANTIALLY NO FRICTION RESISTANCE TO THE INSERTION OF THE PLUG; (D) SOCKET DEFORMING MEANS HAVING A FIRST PORTION WHICH IS STATIONARY WITH RESPECT TO SAID HOUSING AND A SECOND PORTION WHICH IS MOVABLE IN A LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION WITH RESPECT TO, AND IN SLIDING CONTACT WITH, SAID FIRST PORTION, SAID SECOND PORTION BEING OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID SOCKET FOR ELASTICALLY DEFORMING SAID SOCKET TRANSVERSELY INTO A POSITION WHERE IT TIGHTLY GRIPS THE INSERTED PLUG; (E) AT LEAST ONE CONTROL MEANS DISPOSED WITHIN SAID HOUSING CAVITY AND CONNECTED FOR LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT WITH SAID SECOND PORTION OF SAID SOCKET DEFORMING MEANS, SAID CONTROL MEANS BEING DISPOSED IN THE PATH OVER WHICH THE PLUG WILL TRAVEL WHEN IT IS BEING INSERTED IN A LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION INTO SAID SOCKET TO BE MOVED LONGITUDINALLY BY THE PLUG AT LEAST DURING THE LATTER PORTION OF ITS INSERTION TRAVEL, THIS MOVEMENT OF SAID CONTROL MEANS OPERATING TO CAUSE SAID SECOND PORTION OF SAID SOCKET DEFORMING MEANS TO DEFORM SAID SOCKET TRANSVERSELY INTO SAID POSITION WHERE IT TIGHTLY GRIPS THE PLUG; AND (F) LOCKING MEANS POSITIONED TO COOPERATE WITH SAID SECOND PORTION OF SAID DEFORMING MEANS FOR RETAINING SAID SECOND PORTION OF SAID DEFORMING MEANS IN THE POSITION WHERE IT CAUSES SAID SOCKET TO TIGHTLY GRIP THE PLUG, AND TO MAINTAIN A SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT GRIPPING PRESSURE ON THE PLUG, AFTER THE PLUG BEEN FULLY INSERTED AND UNTIL THE PLUG HAS BEEN SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETELY WITHDRAWN FROM CONTACT WITH SAID SOCKET, SAID LOCKING MEANS APPLYING TO SAID SECOND PORTION OF SAID DEFORMING MEANS A LONGITUDINAL RESTRAINING FORCE WHICH, UNTIL THE PLUG HAS BEEN COMPLETELY WITHDRAWN FROM CONTACT WITH SAID SOCKET, IS GREATER THAN THE COMBINED OPPOSING LONGITUDINAL FORCE EXERTED BY SAID RESTORING MEANS AND BY THE PLUG WHEN IT IS BEING WITHDRAWN FROM SAID SOCKET.