Electrical connector means having operating means for connecting multiconductor cable means

Claim 2

An electrical connector comprising: a housing member having a hood defining a polarizing and guiding means when said connector is matingly connected with a complementary or an identical electrical connector, electrical connector blocks having electrical terminals therein secured in position in said housing member adjacent said hood, said electrical terminals adapted to be connected with conductors of a multiconductor cable, latching members mounted along opposing sides of said housing member and adapted to move in a reciprocatory and linear manner during said mating connection, latching arms provided by said latching members which are capable of movement transverse with respect to the linear movement of said latching members, camming means provided between said housing member and said latching members for camming and transversely moving said latching arms during the reciprocatory linear movement of said latching members, and operating means connected to said latching members for moving said latching members with respect to said camming means.

Claim 3

An electrical connector according to claim 1 wherein, said housing member includes guide channel means in which said latching members are disposed.

Claim 4

An electrical connector latching mechanism according To claim 1 wherein, said hood includes first and second diagonal angular sections with the first diagonal angular sections being offset with respect to the second diagonal angular sections.

Claim 5

An electrical connector according to claim 3 wherein, one of said first and second diagonal angular sections is provided with latching means for engagement by latching-engaging means of said latching members when said housing member is mated with another identical housing member.

Claim 6

An electrical connector according to claim 1 wherein, the latching members are disposed in parallel planes parallel with respect to a plane containing a longitudinal axis of said housing member so as to be vertically offset with respect to each other.

Claim 7

The structure as recited in claim 1, wherein said latching members are movably mounted with respect to said housing member, and said operating means is movably mounted with respect to said housing for reciprocating said latching members with respect to said housing as well as with respect to said camming means.

Claim 8

An electrical connector according to claim 6 wherein, said operating means comprises circular members disposed in openings in said housing member and having handle means extending outwardly therefrom to rotate said circular members within their openings, eccentric members provided by said circular members, oblong openings in said latching members, said eccentric members disposed in said oblong openings, and means securing said eccentric members in said oblong openings.

Claim 9

A separable electrical connector comprising: a pair of interengageable units each including connector block means carrying terminal means, the terminal means of one connector block means being adapted for engagement with the respective terminal means of the other connector block means on coaxial movement of the interengageable units together, guide means provided by said units for guiding said units during engagement and disengagement therebetween to assure proper engagement between said terminal means, latching member means reciprocably mounting on one of said units, latching-arm means provided by said latching-member means, latching means provided by the other of said units and in alignment with said latching-arm means, operating means connected to said latching-member means for moving said latching-member means reciprocably along a linear path with respect to both of said interengageable units, and means engaging said latching-arm means during the reciprocal movement of said latching-member means for moving said latching-arm means transversely with respect to said linear path and in engagement with said other unit for connecting said units together as said latching-member means moves in one direction and for transversely removing said latching-arm means from said engagement for disconnecting said units as said latching-member means moves in another direction.

Claim 10

A separable electrical connector comprising: a pair of interengageable units each including connector block means carrying terminal means, the terminal means of one connector block means being adapted for engagement with the respective terminal means of the other connector block means on coaxial movement of the interengageable units together, guide means provided by said units for guiding said units during engagement and disengagement therebetween to assure proper engagement between said terminal means, latching member means reciprocably mounting on one of said units, latching-arm means provided by said latching-member means, latching means provided by the other of said units and in alignment with said latching-arm means, operating means connected to said latching-member means for moving said latching-member means reciprocably along a linear path with respect to both of said interengageable units, and means engaging said latching-arm means during the reciprocal movement of said latching-member means for moving said latching-arm means transversely with respect to said linear path and in engagement with said other unit for connecting said units together as said latching-member means moves in one direction and for transversely removing said latching-arm means from said engagement for disconnecting said units as said latching-member means moves in another direction.

Claim 11

A separable electrical connector according to claim 8 wherein said interengageable units are identical in configuration with said latching means of one of said units being engageable on the latching-arm means of the other of said units.

Claim 12

A separable electrical connector according to claim 8 wherein said guide means comprises first and second diagonal angular sections with said first diagonal angular sections being offset with respect to said second diagonal angular sections.