Electrical connector with means for maintaining a connected condition

Claim 1

An electrical connector comprising a plug shell, a receptacle shell, a coupling nut for interconnecting said shells, said coupling nut being mounted for rotation on one of said shells and having threads adapted to cooperate with corresponding threads on the other of said shells, said coupling nut having a plurality of ratchet teeth extending therefrom, said ratchet teeth each having a forward face and a rearward face formed at different angles relative to a plane normal to the axis of rotation of said coupling nut, and an elongate spring arm mounted on one of said shells and urged into contact with said ratchet teeth, said arm comprising an intermediate portion and a hooked free end terminal portion, said hooked terminal portion bearing against one of the forward and rearward faces of said ratchet teeth for impeding but not preventing rotation of said coupling nut in its uncoupling direction while maintaining rotation of said coupling nut in its coupling direction substantially unimpeded, said forward face being formed at a lower angle than said rearward face, relative to a plane normal to the axis of the coupling nut, and when said coupling nut is turned during coupling, said forward face moves, relative to the free end of said spring arm, in the direction which extends from the free end of said arm toward the other end of said arm, whereby frictional forces acting between said ratchet teeth and said arm places said arm in compression during coupling.