Connector means having shorting clip

Claim 2

An electrical connector means comprising: a first insulator housing having a plurality of first spaced apart cavities therein, a first plurality of metal terminals housed in said first cavities and having exposed forward end portions, a second cavity in said first insulator housing, a spring clip housed within said second cavity, said spring clip having a bridge portion extending transversely of the cavity and a plurality of spaced resilient fingers extending transversely of the bridge portion and overlying the respective ones of the first terminals, said fingers each having a depending portion which is engaged with one of the first plurality of terminals to provide a shorting path between the first plurality of terminals, said spring clip when disposed in the second cavity being self-biased toward a position in which their depending portions engage the respective first plurality of terminals, a second insulator housing which is matable with the first insulator housing, said second insulator housing having a plurality of spaced cavities therein, a second plurality of metal terminals housed in said cavities of said second insulator housing which are adapted to mate with the first plurality of terminals in the first insulator housing, said second insulator housing having a cam means intermediate its ends, said insulator housings when being connected together first causing said first and second plurality of terminals to matingly engage each other and then causing said cam means on said second insulator housing to engage the spring fingers of the spring clip to move the spring fingers in opposition to their self-biasing forces to disengage the spring clip from the first plurality of terminals.

Claim 3

An electrical connector means comprising: a first insulator housing having a plurality of first spaced apart cavities therein, a first plurality of metal terminals housed in said cavities and having exposed forward ends, said insulator housing having a plurality of transverse through slots in communication with said cavities, a second cavity in said first insulator housing, a spring clip housed within said second cavity, said spring clip having a bridge portion extending transversely of the second cavity and a plurality of spaced resilient fingers extending transversely of the bridge portion and overlying the first cavities in the first insulator housing, said fingers being bent to form a ramp surface adjacent their forward ends remote from the bridge portion and which forms an acute included angle with the adjacent insulator housing, said fiNgers each having a depending portion which is adapted to extend through one of the slots in the first insulator housing to engage the respective first plurality of terminals rearwardly of their forward ends to provide a shorting path between the first plurality of terminals, said spring clip when disposed in the second cavity being self-biased toward a position in which their depending portions engage the respective first plurality of terminals, said first terminals having their forward ends extending forwardly of the ramp surfaces of said fingers, a second insulator housing having a forward portion and a rearward portion, said forward portion having a longitudinally extending opening for receiving the first insulator housing and said rearward portion having a plurality of spaced cavities therein in communication with said opening in the forward portion, a second plurality of metal terminals housed in said cavities of said rearward portion of said second insulator housing which are adapted to mate with the first plurality of terminals in the first insulator housing, said second insulator housing having a plurality of tapered cam surface intermediate its ends, said first insulator housing being connectable to the second insulator housing by inserting the first insulator housing into the opening of the forward portion of the second insulator housing, said insulator housings when being connected together first causing said first and second plurality of terminals to matingly engage each other and then causing said tapered cam surfaces on said second insulator housing to engage the ramp surfaces of the spring clip to move the spring fingers in opposition to their self-biasing forces to disengage the spring clip from the first plurality of terminals.

Claim 4

An electrical connector means comprising: a first insulator housing having a plurality of first spaced apart cavities therein, a first plurality of metal terminals housed in said cavities and having exposed forward ends, said insulator housing having a plurality of transverse through slots in communication with said cavities, a second cavity in said first insulator housing, a spring clip housed within said second cavity, said spring clip having a bridge portion extending transversely of the second cavity and a plurality of spaced resilient fingers extending transversely of the bridge portion and overlying the first cavities in the first insulator housing, said fingers being bent to form a ramp surface adjacent their forward ends remote from the bridge portion and which forms an acute included angle with the adjacent insulator housing, said fiNgers each having a depending portion which is adapted to extend through one of the slots in the first insulator housing to engage the respective first plurality of terminals rearwardly of their forward ends to provide a shorting path between the first plurality of terminals, said spring clip when disposed in the second cavity being self-biased toward a position in which their depending portions engage the respective first plurality of terminals, said first terminals having their forward ends extending forwardly of the ramp surfaces of said fingers, a second insulator housing having a forward portion and a rearward portion, said forward portion having a longitudinally extending opening for receiving the first insulator housing and said rearward portion having a plurality of spaced cavities therein in communication with said opening in the forward portion, a second plurality of metal terminals housed in said cavities of said rearward portion of said second insulator housing which are adapted to mate with the first plurality of terminals in the first insulator housing, said second insulator housing having a plurality of tapered cam surface intermediate its ends, said first insulator housing being connectable to the second insulator housing by inserting the first insulator housing into the opening of the forward portion of the second insulator housing, said insulator housings when being connected together first causing said first and second plurality of terminals to matingly engage each other and then causing said tapered cam surfaces on said second insulator housing to engage the ramp surfaces of the spring clip to move the spring fingers in opposition to their self-biasing forces to disengage the spring clip from the first plurality of terminals.

Claim 5

An electrical connector means comprising: a first insulator housing having a main body portion and a projecting end portion of a lesser height than the main portion, said first insulator housing having a plurality of first spaced apart cavities therein, a first plurality of metal terminals housed in said first cavities and extending within the projecting end portion thereof, said insulator housing having a plurality of transverse through slots in communication with said first cavities, a second cavity in said first insulator housing, a spring clip housed within said second cavity, said spring clip having a bridge portion extending transversely of the cavity and a plurality of spaced resilient fingers extending transversely of the bridge portion and overlying the first cavities in the projecting end portion of the first insulator housing, said fingers being bent to form a ramp surface adjacent their forward ends remote from the bridge portion and which forms an acute included angle with the adjacent projecting end portion of the first insulator housing, said fingers each having a depending ear which is adapted to extend through one of the slots in the first insulator housing to engage the respective first plurality of terminals to provide a shorting path between the first plurality of terminals, said spring clip when disposed in the second cavity being self-biased toward a position in which their ear engages the respective first plurality of terminals, said first terminals having forward ends which extend forwardly of the ramp surfaces of said fingers, a second insulator housing having a forward portion and a rearward portion, said forward portion having a longitudinally extending opening for receiving the projecting end portion of the first insulator housing and said rearward portion having a plurality of spaced cavities therein in communication with said opening in the forward portion, a second plurality of metal terminals housed in said cavities of said rearward portion of said second insulator housing which are adapted to mate with the first plurality of terminals in the first insulator housing, said second insulator housing having a plurality of tapered cam surfaces intermediate its ends, said first insulator housing being Connectable to the second insulator housing by inserting the projecting portion of the first insulator housing into the opening of the forward portion of the second insulator housing, said insulator housings when being connected together first causing said first and second plurality of terminals to matingly engage each other and then causing said tapered cam surfaces on said second insulator housing to engage the ramp surfaces of the resilient fingers of the spring clip to move the spring fingers in opposition to their self-biasing forces to disengage the spring clip from the first plurality of terminals, and cooperable latching means on said first and second insulator housings for latching the housings together when connected.

Claim 6

An electrical connector means comprising: a first insulator housing having a main body portion and a projecting end portion of a lesser height than the main portion, said first insulator housing having a plurality of first spaced apart cavities therein, a first plurality of metal terminals housed in said first cavities and extending within the projecting end portion thereof, said insulator housing having a plurality of transverse through slots in communication with said first cavities, a second cavity in said first insulator housing, a spring clip housed within said second cavity, said spring clip having a bridge portion extending transversely of the cavity and a plurality of spaced resilient fingers extending transversely of the bridge portion and overlying the first cavities in the projecting end portion of the first insulator housing, said fingers being bent to form a ramp surface adjacent their forward ends remote from the bridge portion and which forms an acute included angle with the adjacent projecting end portion of the first insulator housing, said fingers each having a depending ear which is adapted to extend through one of the slots in the first insulator housing to engage the respective first plurality of terminals to provide a shorting path between the first plurality of terminals, said spring clip when disposed in the second cavity being self-biased toward a position in which their ear engages the respective first plurality of terminals, said first terminals having forward ends which extend forwardly of the ramp surfaces of said fingers, a second insulator housing having a forward portion and a rearward portion, said forward portion having a longitudinally extending opening for receiving the projecting end portion of the first insulator housing and said rearward portion having a plurality of spaced cavities therein in communication with said opening in the forward portion, a second plurality of metal terminals housed in said cavities of said rearward portion of said second insulator housing which are adapted to mate with the first plurality of terminals in the first insulator housing, said second insulator housing having a plurality of tapered cam surfaces intermediate its ends, said first insulator housing being Connectable to the second insulator housing by inserting the projecting portion of the first insulator housing into the opening of the forward portion of the second insulator housing, said insulator housings when being connected together first causing said first and second plurality of terminals to matingly engage each other and then causing said tapered cam surfaces on said second insulator housing to engage the ramp surfaces of the resilient fingers of the spring clip to move the spring fingers in opposition to their self-biasing forces to disengage the spring clip from the first plurality of terminals, and cooperable latching means on said first and second insulator housings for latching the housings together when connected.