Hermaphroditic electrical connector with front releasable and rear removable electrical contacts

Claim 2

A hermaphroditic electrical connector for a multi-conductor cable comprising: a one-piece molded insulating block having a front face, a rear face, a plurality of axially aligned passages extending through said insulator from said rear face to said front face and a plurality of axially aligned and nonround forwardly extending fingers arranged in spaced relationship and extending from said front face, at least one of said fingers having a pair of slots in one side thereof that communicates with a respective passage and is adapted to receive a contact, the spaces between adjacent fingers adapted to receive the fingers of a second identical connector; a plurality of electrical contacts each having a first conductor receiving end portion and a resiliently compressible folded section which includes a shaft portion and an opposite mating surface which terminates in a second end portion, each of said contacts mounted in a portion of a respective passage with said conductor receiving portion disposed in said passage and said shaft Portion extending into said pair of slots in said finger so that contact is mounted in said housing with said mating surface of said contact exposed on one side of said finger, each of said second end portions of said contacts having an end that engages a housing shoulder to prevent rearward movement of said contacts with respect to said housing; at least one lateral projection on said at least one finger, said projection disposed on the side of said finger opposite said side of said finger with said slots; and at least one projection receiving aperture on the forward end portion of another of said fingers, said aperture disposed on the side of said another finger that faces the side of said at least one finger having said pair of slots therein whereby when said electrical connector is mated with a second identical connector, said fingers of said connector mate with the spaces between the fingers of said second connector, said contact mating surfaces of said connectors engage, and the lateral projection of each of said connectors are received in the aperture in said other connector to retain said connectors in mated relationship.

Claim 3

A hermaphroditic electrical connector for a multi-conductor cable comprising: an insulating block having a rear face, a plurality of axially aligned passages extending through said insulator from said rear face and a plurality of axially aligned and nonround forwardly extending fingers arranged in spaced relationship and extending from an opposite face, at least one of said fingers having a slot in one side thereof that faces an adjacent finger and communicates with a respective passage and is adapted to receive a contact, the spaces between said fingers adapted to receive the fingers of a second identical connector; a plurality of electrical contacts each having a first conductor receiving end portion and a resiliently compressible folded section which includes a shaft portion and an opposite mating surface which terminates in a second end portion, each of said contacts mounted in a respective portion of one of said passages with said conductor receiving portion disposed in said passage and said shaft portion extending into said pair of slots in said finger so that said contact is mounted in said housing with said mating surface of said contact exposed on one side of said finger, each of said second end portion of said contacts engaging a housing shoulder to prevent rearward movement of said contacts with respect to said housing; at least one lateral projection on the forward end portion of said at least one finger, said projection disposed on the side of said finger opposite said side of said finger with said slots; and at least one projection receiving groove on the forward end portion of another of said fingers, said groove disposed on the side of said another finger that faces the side of said at least one finger having said pair of slots therein, whereby when said electrical connector is mated with a second identical connector, said fingers of said connector mate with the spaces between the fingers of said second connector to form a substantially rectangularly shaped connector block void of any external projections when mated, said contact mating surfaces of said connector engage and the lateral projection of each of said connectors are received in the groove in said other connector to retain said connectors in mated relationship.

Claim 4

A hermaphroditic electrical connector for a multi-conductor cable comprising: an insulating block having a rear face, a plurality of axially aligned passages extending through said insulator from said rear face and a plurality of axially aligned and nonround forwardly extending fingers arranged in spaced relationship and extending from an opposite face, at least one of said fingers having a slot in one side thereof that faces an adjacent finger and communicates with a respective passage and is adapted to receive a contact, the spaces between said fingers adapted to receive the fingers of a second identical connector; a plurality of electrical contacts each having a first conductor receiving end portion and a resiliently compressible folded section which includes a shaft portion and an opposite mating surface which terminates in a second end portion, each of said contacts mounted in a respective portion of one of said passages with said conductor receiving portion disposed in said passage and said shaft portion extending into said pair of slots in said finger so that said contact is mounted in said housing with said mating surface of said contact exposed on one side of said finger, each of said second end portion of said contacts engaging a housing shoulder to prevent rearward movement of said contacts with respect to said housing; at least one lateral projection on the forward end portion of said at least one finger, said projection disposed on the side of said finger opposite said side of said finger with said slots; and at least one projection receiving groove on the forward end portion of another of said fingers, said groove disposed on the side of said another finger that faces the side of said at least one finger having said pair of slots therein, whereby when said electrical connector is mated with a second identical connector, said fingers of said connector mate with the spaces between the fingers of said second connector to form a substantially rectangularly shaped connector block void of any external projections when mated, said contact mating surfaces of said connector engage and the lateral projection of each of said connectors are received in the groove in said other connector to retain said connectors in mated relationship.