Magnetically operated electrical connector

Claim 1

An electrical connector comprising: plug and socket members having concentric frusto-conical mating walls; a pair of electrical conducting rings mounted in concentric axially spaced positions on and exposed at the exterior suRface of one of said walls and in axially spaced planes substantially perpendicular to the axis of said last named wall; external electric conducting means connected to said rings; a pair of electric contact members exposed at the exterior surface of the other of said walls and spaced axially from each other to engage said rings when said plug and socket members are in mated position; external electric conducting means connected to said contact members; electric switch means connected for completion of an electric circuit through said rings and contact members and having a switch part movable between circuit closing and circuit opening positions; means biasing said part to circuit open position; a magnet carried by one of said members; an armature carried by the other of said members for movement between unattracted and attracted positions and being displaced by said magnet to attracted position upon positioning of said plug and socket members in mated position; and means connecting said armature and switch part for movement of the latter to circuit closed position upon movement of said armature to attracted position.