Quick-release electrical connector

Claim 2

A releasable connector comprising first and second connector components having interengaging contacts when mated, said first connector having a peripheral groove, a plurality of ball members having inner segments thereof received in said groove, means engageable with said second connector component for normally engaging outer segments of said ball members to cause the inner segments of said ball members to remain in said groove and thereby retain said first and second connector components in a mated relation, said means including a coupling ring formed with a first bore portion having an internal diameter of a size to confine segments of said ball members in said groove and an enlarged second bore portion of sufficient internal diameter to accommodate said ball members when displaced from said groove, a carrier sleeve for normally assisting said coupling ring in retaining said ball members in said first bore portion, and spring means biasing said carrier sleeve member in the direction of said first bore portion, said spring means yielding to permit movement of said ball members into said second bore portion.

Claim 3

A releasable connector in accordance with claim 1 including a third bore portion intermediate said first and second bore portions, said third bore portion providing a sloping surface for urging said ball members inwardly toward said groove when said carrier sleeve member is moved in the direction of said first bore portion.

Claim 4

A releasable conNector in accordance with claim 2 in which said carrier sleeve member is provided with angularly disposed openings for receiving each ball member.

Claim 5

A releasable connector in accordance with claim 3 including a camming sleeve member innerjacent said carrier sleeve, said camming sleeve member having a plurality of circular openings of smaller diameter than the ball members but sufficiently large to permit the inner segments of said ball members to extend into said groove, and additional spring means normally biasing said camming sleeve member in the direction of said second bore portion so as to cause displacement of said ball members from said groove when said carrier sleeve member moves toward said second bore portion.

Claim 6

A releasable connector in accordance with claim 4 in which said additional spring means constitutes a wave washer, said camming sleeve member having an outwardly directed portion so as to be engaged by said wave washer and said camming sleeve member having an inwardly directed portion, said first connector component having a shoulder engageable by said last-mentioned portion of said camming sleeve member.

Claim 7

A releasable connector comprising first and second connector components having interengaging contacts when mated, said first connector component having a circumferential groove, a plurality of balls having segments thereof received in said groove, a coupling ring, interfitting lug and helical groove means associated with said second connector and said coupling ring so as to cause longitudinal advancement of said coupling ring when rotated in one direction, said coupling ring having a first diameter portion to retain the inner segments of said balls in said circumferential groove and a second diameter portion of a size sufficient to permit said balls to move out of said circumferential groove, a carrier sleeve having a radially directed opening for each ball, spring means urging said carrier sleeve into said first diameter portion, a camming sleeve having a plurality of openings therein for accommodating larger portions of said balls to permit said segments to be received in said circumferential groove and to force said balls outwardly when said camming sleeve is shifted axially, said camming sleeve having an outwardly directed flange, and a wave washer disposed so as to bear against the outwardly directed flange on said camming sleeve, whereby when said first component is pulled axially with respect to said second component, said spring means compresses to permit said carrier sleeve to move longitudinally to a position such that the balls are free to leave said circumferential groove, the spring action provided by said wave washer forcing said camming sleeve member in a direction to force said balls outwardly from said circumferential groove.

Claim 8

A releasable connector comprising first and second connector components having interengaging contacts when mated, said first connector component having a circumferential groove, a plurality of balls having segments thereof received in said groove, a coupling ring, interfitting lug and helical groove means associated with said second connector and said coupling ring so as to cause longitudinal advancement of said coupling ring when rotated in one direction, said coupling ring having a first diameter portion to retain the inner segments of said balls in said circumferential groove and a second diameter portion of a size sufficient to permit said balls to move out of said circumferential groove, a carrier sleeve having a radially directed opening for each ball, spring means urging said carrier sleeve into said first diameter portion, a camming sleeve having a plurality of openings therein for accommodating larger portions of said balls to permit said segments to be received in said circumferential groove and to force said balls outwardly when said camming sleeve is shifted axially, said camming sleeve having an outwardly directed flange, and a wave washer disposed so as to bear against the outwardly directed flange on said camming sleeve, whereby when said first component is pulled axially with respect to said second component, said spring means compresses to permit said carrier sleeve to move longitudinally to a position such that the balls are free to leave said circumferential groove, the spring action provided by said wave washer forcing said camming sleeve member in a direction to force said balls outwardly from said circumferential groove.

Claim 9

A releasable connector in accordance with claim 6 in which said first component has a shoulder and said camming sleeve has an inwardly directed flange engageable with said shoulder, the latching position of said balls when in said circumferential groove maintaining said camming sleeve in a position to cause its outwardly directed flange to press against said wave washer to flatten same, whereby when said first component is pulled away from said second component said wave washer acts to shift said camming sleeve to force said balls outwardly and thus release said first component from said second component and whereby said shoulder acts against said inwardly directed portion of said camming sleeve to return said balls to said circumferential groove and to again flatten said wave washer when said first component is relatched with said coupling ring.

Claim 10

A releasable connector in accordance with claim 7 in which said second connector component has a barrel, said lug means being integral with said barrel and said groove means being formed in said coupling ring, said wave washer reacting against one end of said barrel to maintain said coupling ring in engagement with said second component after said fiRst component has been pulled therefrom.

Claim 11

A releasable connector comprising first and second connector components having interengaging contacts when mated, said first connector component having a groove extending therearound, a coupling ring, interfitting lug and helical groove means associated with said second connector and said coupling ring so as to cause longitudinal advancement of said coupling ring when rotated in one direction, said coupling ring having a first diameter bore portion and a second diameter bore portion of a larger size than said first bore portion, a ball carrier sleeve having at least one radially directed opening, at least one ball member received in said radially directed opening and having a segment thereof received in said groove, a camming sleeve having an opening therein for accommodating a larger portion of said ball member to permit said segment thereof to be received in said groove and to force said ball member outwardly when said camming sleeve is shifted axially with respect to said groove, yieldable means actuated by said coupling ring for urging said carrier sleeve in the direction of said first bore portion when said coupling ring is rotated in a direction to cause said interfitting lug and helical groove means to produce mating of the contacts on said first connector components with the contacts on said second connector component to yieldably maintain said ball member in said first bore portion, whereby said yieldable means yields sufficiently when said first connector component is pulled axially with respect to said second connector component to permit said ball member to move from said first bore portion into said second bore portion, thereby allowing said ball member to move outwardly from said groove and thereby permit separation of said interengaging contacts from their mated condition.

Claim 12

A releasable connector comprising first and second connector components having interengaging contacts when mated, said first connector component having a groove extending therearound, a coupling ring, interfitting lug and helical groove means associated with said second connector and said coupling ring so as to cause longitudinal advancement of said coupling ring when rotated in one direction, said coupling ring having a first diameter bore portion and a second diameter bore portion of a larger size than said first bore portion, a ball carrier sleeve having at least one radially directed opening, at least one ball member received in said radially directed opening and having a segment thereof received in said groove, a camming sleeve having an opening therein for accommodating a larger portion of said ball member to permit said segment thereof to be received in said groove and to force said ball member outwardly when said camming sleeve is shifted axially with respect to said groove, yieldable means actuated by said coupling ring for urging said carrier sleeve in the direction of said first bore portion when said coupling ring is rotated in a direction to cause said interfitting lug and helical groove means to produce mating of the contacts on said first connector components with the contacts on said second connector component to yieldably maintain said ball member in said first bore portion, whereby said yieldable means yields sufficiently when said first connector component is pulled axially with respect to said second connector component to permit said ball member to move from said first bore portion into said second bore portion, thereby allowing said ball member to move outwardly from said groove and thereby permit separation of said interengaging contacts from their mated condition.

Claim 13

A releasable connector in accordance with claim 9 in which said yieldable means includes a coil spring having one end engaging said ball carrier sleeve and means bearing against the other end thereof movable in unison with the advancement of said coupling ring.

Claim 14

A releasable connector in accordance with claim 10 including spring means acting on said camming sleeve to force said ball member outwardly when said ball member has been shifted axially into said second bore portion.

Claim 15

A releasable connector in accordance with claim 11 in which said last-mentioned spring means bears against a portion of said second connector component, said last-mentioned spring means being compressed as said coupling ring advances said first connector component in the direction of said second connector component to effect mating of said interengaging contacts.