Hermaphroditic multiple connector plug

Claim 1

In a high density hermaphroditic electrical connector plug adapted to couple and mesh with an identical meshing plug comprising; a. said electrical connector plug having a cable end and a meshing end, the cable end connected to a multi-conductor cable; b. said electrical connector plug comprising; 1. a cylindrical body; 2. a unitary cylindrical sealed contact assembly means attached and sealed to said body to support a plurality of electrical contacts inside said contact assembly means; 3. said contact assembly means of said electrical connector plug having two circumferentially spaced projections in the meshing end, which mesh in only one angular colinear position with the projections of an identical contact assembly means on said identical meshing plug, and wherein when said contact assembly means projections of said electrical connector plug and said meshing plug are meshed, the electrical contacts of said electrical connector plug and said meshing plug are also meshed; the improvement in means to lock and unlock said electrical connector plug and said identical meshing plug, comprising; c. a cylindrical locking ring on said electrical connector plug surrounding said body and contact assembly thereof and adapted to mate with a similar locking ring on said identical meshing plug; d. means to permit rotation of said locking ring on said body of said electrical connector plug through a selected angle; e. means to substantially prevent relative longitudinal motion of said locking ring and said body on which it is mounted; f. first and second circumferentially spaced projections on the meshing end of said locking ring; g. a single sloped groove in the inside surface of said first projection forming a first ridge on the inside end of said first projection, and on the outside surface of said second projection, forming a second ridge on the outside end of said second projection, said first ridge on said first projection of said locking ring of said electrical connector plug adapted to fit into a groove of a second projection, of said locking ring on said identical meshing plug, and vice versa; whereby as said locking ring on said electrical connector plug is rotated clockwise with respect to said locking ring on said meshing plug, said ridges will slide in the corresponding grooves, and because of the slopes of the grooves, the two locking rings will be pulled together, and with them said electrical connector plug and said meshing plug; and wherein said electrical connector plug includes the further improvement comprising; h. a first longitudinal edge of said projections on said locking rings of said electrical connector plug and said meshing plug being the leading edge where said ridges and said grooves first mesh; i. the ends of said projections cut perpendicular to the axis of said locking rings, at said leading edges; j. the ends of said projections cut at a selected small slope angle to said perpendicular to the axis of said locking rings at the trailing edges of said projections; k. whereby, after rotating said locking rings of said electrical connector and meshing plugs in a clockwise direction and said two plugs are pulled together, as said locking rings are rotated counter clockwise with respect to each other, said sloping ends of said projections will slide, one on the other, and will pull apart said locking rings and with them said electrical connector plug and said meshing plug.