Rear release contact retention assembly

Claim 2

An electrical connector unit comprising: an insulator member having a plurality of bores therethrough extending from a forward face to a rearward face; a body having a forward face and a rearward face mounted with its forward face against the rearward face of the insulator member, said body having a plurality of passages therethrough axially aligned with said bores of said insulator member, said bores and said passages each adapted to receive an electrical contact member which is insertable from the rear of said body and each contact having an enlarged section defining a rearwardly facing shoulder and a forwardly facing shoulder thereon; and a plurality of hook shaped retention members extending rearwardly from the rear face of said body and disposed in spaced relationship around the periphery of each of said passages, said retention members being integral with said body and having a forwardly facing shoulder that partially blocks the path of a passage in said body and terminates in a rear free end, each of said retention members being resiliently and radially deflectable to permit said enlarged contact sections to pass into said passages upon forward insertion of the contact member into the passage and bore, said hook shaped contact retention members contracting behind the rearwardly facing shoulder on the contact member to limit rearward movement thereof in the passage and bore of said body and member respectively, said retention members being substantially rigid in the axial direction when in their contracted position so as to provide a positive stop against rearward movement of the respective contact member.

Claim 3

An electrical connector unit as recited in claim 1 including an insert comprised of rigid material having a plurality of holes therein that are sized to receive each group of retention members disposed around the periphery of one of said passages, said insert being removably mounted adjacent the rearward face of said body to prevent radial movement of said retention members when said insert is mounted and to permit radial movement of said retention members when said insert is removed.

Claim 4

An electrical connector as recited in claim 2 wherein said body and said insert are comprised of a dielectric material.

Claim 5

An electrical connector unit as recited in claim 2 wherein said insulator member includes rearward directed means for stopping the forward movement of said contact, said stop means being disposed within the bore of said insulator member.

Claim 6

An electrical connector unit as recited in claim 3 wherein said insulator member includes rearward directed means for stopping the forward movement of said contact, said stop means being disposed within the bore of said insulator member.

Claim 7

An electrical connector comprising: a tubular housing; a first dielectric insert mounted in said housing, said insert having a front face, a rear face, and a plurality of bores therethrough extending from said front face to said rear face, said insert including means for stopping the forward movement of an electrical contact at a predetermined point when an electrical contact is inserted into one of said bores from the rear face; a second dielectric insert having a forward face and a rearward face mounted with its forward face against the rearward face of said first insert, said second insert having a plurality of passages therethrough extending from the front face to the rear face of said second insert and which are axially aligned within said bores of said first insert, said bores and said passages each adapted to receive an electrical contact member which is insertable from the rear of said second insert, said second insert including a plurality of rearwardly extending hook shaped latching means which are resiliently deflectable in a radial direction and arranged in spaced relationship around each passage in said second dielectric insert for latching onto a rearward facing shoulder of an electrical contact inserted into one of said passages to prevent rearward movement of said contact; a plurality of electrical contacts each disposed in a respectIve bore and passage, each of said contacts having a forward facing shoulder and a rearward facing shoulder, said forward facing shoulder engaging said first insert stop means thereby limiting forward movement of said electrical contacts and said rearward facing shoulder engaging said second insert latching means thereby limiting rearward movement, whereby said contact is retained within said connector housing until said latching means are radially deflected to permit the removal of said contact and means for preventing said second insert latching means from being resiliently deflected in a radial direction, said preventing means being removably mounted in said connector housing adjacent the rear face of said second insert and wherein said latching means extends rearwardly from said second insert into a passage in said preventing means.

Claim 8

An electrical connector comprising: a tubular housing; a first dielectric insert mounted in said housing, said insert having a front face, a rear face, and a plurality of bores therethrough extending from said front face to said rear face, said insert including means for stopping the forward movement of an electrical contact at a predetermined point when an electrical contact is inserted into one of said bores from the rear face; a second dielectric insert having a forward face and a rearward face mounted with its forward face against the rearward face of said first insert, said second insert having a plurality of passages therethrough extending from the front face to the rear face of said second insert and which are axially aligned within said bores of said first insert, said bores and said passages each adapted to receive an electrical contact member which is insertable from the rear of said second insert, said second insert including a plurality of rearwardly extending hook shaped latching means which are resiliently deflectable in a radial direction and arranged in spaced relationship around each passage in said second dielectric insert for latching onto a rearward facing shoulder of an electrical contact inserted into one of said passages to prevent rearward movement of said contact; a plurality of electrical contacts each disposed in a respectIve bore and passage, each of said contacts having a forward facing shoulder and a rearward facing shoulder, said forward facing shoulder engaging said first insert stop means thereby limiting forward movement of said electrical contacts and said rearward facing shoulder engaging said second insert latching means thereby limiting rearward movement, whereby said contact is retained within said connector housing until said latching means are radially deflected to permit the removal of said contact and means for preventing said second insert latching means from being resiliently deflected in a radial direction, said preventing means being removably mounted in said connector housing adjacent the rear face of said second insert and wherein said latching means extends rearwardly from said second insert into a passage in said preventing means.

Claim 9

The combination as recited in claim 6 wherein said means for preventing said latching means from being deflected in a radial direction comprises a third insert having a forward face and a rearward face, said third insert removably mounted in said housing with its forward face against the rearward face of said second insert, said third insert comprised of a rigid material having a plurality of holes therethrough axially aligned with the passages of said second insert, said holes in said insert sized to receive said rearwardly extending latching means in a manner that permits the walls defining said holes to contact said rearwardly extending latching means and thereby prevent radial deflection of said latching means.

Claim 10

The combination as recited in claim 6 including a third insert having a forward face and a rearward face mounted with its forward face against the rearward face of said second insert, said third insert comprised of a resiliently deformable material having a plurality of holes therethrough, from said front face to said rear face, axially aligned with the passages of said second insert, said holes in said third insert sized to receive said rearwardly extending latching means in a manner that permits the walls defining said holes to contact said rearwardly extending latching means and the rear portion of said contact, said third insert forming a fluid-tight seal with said contacts and increasing the restoring force of said latching means, when deflected, and the force required to radially deflect said latching means.