Environment proof connector

Claim 1

An electrical connector engageable with its identical counterpart comprising in combination: a. a connector shell having a longitudinal axis; b. a connector insert mounted at the forward end of said shell and having an axis of symmetry extending across said longitudinal shell axis in a plane normal to said shell axis; c. a plurality of openings in said insert, each extending parallel to said longitudinal shell axis and at least some of them supporting the shanks of contacts therein, said openings being distributed in an array of equispaced columns and rows, said columns being located in pairs equidistantly about said axis of symmetry; d. a hollow post extending integrally from said insert at openings in alternate ones of said columns in a checkerboard pattern symmetrical about said axis of symmetry so that, when a pair of said connectors are face-to-face, with the axes of their respective connector shells collinear, and the axes of symmetry of their respective inserts turned substantially 90* with respect to each other, their inserts intermesh; and e. means for coupling said connector to its identical counterpart with the longitudinal shell axis of said connector being collinear with the corresponding axis of its counterpart and with the axis of symmetry of its insert turned substantially 90* relative to the corresponding axis of the insert of its counterpart about said collinear axes.