Angularly positionable electrical contact housing

Claim 2

A electrical contact housing assembly comprising: first and second housing members of electrically insulating material, a plurality of female receptacles fixedly mounted in one of said members and a like plurality of male pins fixedly mounted in the other of said members arranged to be linearly slidably received in a corresponding female receptacle, complementary locking means on said housing members releasably connecting the housing members together such that one housing member can be engaged at different angular positions relative to the other housing member so that the receptacles are aligned with the pins, and said pins being bent prior to engagement to a predetermined fixed angle of engagement about an axis defined by said locking means.

Claim 3

An electrical contact housing assembly according to claim 1 wherein said locking means comprises a pair of spaced locking ears on one of said housing members, each said ear having on a free end a tab extending inwardly toward the other said ear, and a pair of spaced outwardly directed truncated conical lead-in surfaces formed on the other housing member, each said lead-in surface having an axial bore the axis of which corresponds to the axis of the bends of said pins.

Claim 4

An electrical contact housing assembly which can be linearly mated along any preset relative angular direction within a 180* arc, comprising: a male member including a body of insulating material, a plurality of pin contacts fixedly mounted in said body, and a pair of spaced lead-in surfaces integral with said body, said pin contacts extending from said member to an axis defined by said lead-in surfaces and being bent about said axis to extend linearly along said preset direction; and a female member including a body of insulating material a plurality of female receptacle contacts fixedly mounted in said body, and a spaced pair of locking ears integral with said body having tab means adapted to engage said lead-in surfaces, whereby said male and female members can be linearlY mated only at the preset angle determined by the bent portion of said pin contacts.

Claim 5

An electrical contact housing assembly which can be linearly mated along any preset relative angular direction within a 180* arc, comprising: a male member including a body of insulating material, a plurality of pin contacts fixedly mounted in said body, and a pair of spaced lead-in surfaces integral with said body, said pin contacts extending from said member to an axis defined by said lead-in surfaces and being bent about said axis to extend linearly along said preset direction; and a female member including a body of insulating material a plurality of female receptacle contacts fixedly mounted in said body, and a spaced pair of locking ears integral with said body having tab means adapted to engage said lead-in surfaces, whereby said male and female members can be linearlY mated only at the preset angle determined by the bent portion of said pin contacts.

Claim 6

An electrical contact housing assembly according to claim 3 wherein: said lead-in surfaces extend integrally from opposite ends of said male member body and comprise a pair of oppositely directed, truncated conical surfaces each having an axial bore therein.

Claim 7

An electrical contact housing assembly according to claim 3 wherein: said contact pins extend through said male members body whereby said body is fixedly mounted on associated circuitry means.

Claim 8

An electrical contact housing assembly according to claim 4 wherein: said locking ears on said female member body comprise lever members pivotally mounted at opposite ends of said body extending transversely to the longitudinal axis thereof, and said tab means extend in opposite directions from the free ends of said lever members to engage in said bores of said male member lead-in surfaces.