Electrical connector

Claim 2

A hermaphroditic electrical connector comprising an insulating terminal housing having a front, mating face and a rear, wire connecting face, a plurality of terminals mounted in the housing with wire connecting portions at the wire connecting face and resilient contact tongues at the mating face, electrical shunt means mounted in the housing aligned with preselected contact tongues, the shunt means comprising two one-piece shunt bars located in tandem relation, each having a bridge portion extending transversely of all the contact tongues and a pair of spaced contact lugs extending from each bridge portion toward respective preselected contact tongues, the contact tongues being resiliently deformable from positions engaging the shunt means in an unmated condition of the connector to positions spaced from the shunt means in a mated condition of the connector by mating engagement with a complementary hermaphroditic connector.

Claim 3

An electrical connector according to claim 1 in which the contact tongues are reversely bent with rearwardly extending free ends aligned with the respective contact lugs.

Claim 4

An electrical connector as in claim 1 wherein the contact lugs of each shunt bar extend toward alternate contact tongues.

Claim 5

An electrical connector as in claim 1 wherein the shunt bars are substantially identical, each shunt bar being oriented 180° from the other.

Claim 6

An electrical connector according to claim 1 wherein the contact lugs on each shunt bar are asymmetrically located along the bridge portion.

Claim 7

An electrical connector according to claim 5 in which the bridge portions have coding lugs at their ends and the housing is formed with axially spaced coding slots on respective opposite side walls for receiving the respective lugs.

Claim 8

A hermaphroditic electrical connector for mating with a complementary hermaphroditic electrical connector comprising: an insulating terminal housing having a front, mating face, a rear wire connecting face, and a terminal supporting platform extending between said faces, a plurality of terminals mounted in the housing with contact portions toward the mating face and wire connecting portions toward the wire connecting face, each contact portion being reversely bent at the mating face to form a resilient contact tongue spaced from said platform and having a free end remote from the mating face, each contact tongue being matable against the contact tongue of the complementary connector to urge the contact tongues in each connector toward respective platforms, electrical shunt means fixedly mounted in said housing transversely of all said contact portions and disposed adjacent to said contact tongues toward the free ends thereof, said shunt means engaging preselected contact tongues when said connector is in an unmated condition, said shunt means being spaced from said preselected contact portions when said connector is in a mated condition, conductive electrical shield means assembled to said housing, said shield means having contact portions toward the mating face, said contact portions being matable with complementary contact portions of the electrical shield means in a complementary connector, and insulating cover means assembled to said housing externally of said shield means.

Claim 9

A hermaphroditic electrical connector for mating with a complementary hermaphroditic electrical connector comprising: an insulating terminal housing having a front, mating face, a rear wire connecting face, and a terminal supporting platform extending between said faces, a plurality of terminals mounted in the housing with contact portions toward the mating face and wire connecting portions toward the wire connecting face, each contact portion being reversely bent at the mating face to form a resilient contact tongue spaced from said platform and having a free end remote from the mating face, each contact tongue being matable against the contact tongue of the complementary connector to urge the contact tongues in each connector toward respective platforms, electrical shunt means fixedly mounted in said housing transversely of all said contact portions and disposed adjacent to said contact tongues toward the free ends thereof, said shunt means engaging preselected contact tongues when said connector is in an unmated condition, said shunt means being spaced from said preselected contact portions when said connector is in a mated condition, conductive electrical shield means assembled to said housing, said shield means having contact portions toward the mating face, said contact portions being matable with complementary contact portions of the electrical shield means in a complementary connector, and insulating cover means assembled to said housing externally of said shield means.

Claim 10

An electrical connector as in claim 7 wherein said preselected contact tongues are alternate contact tongues.

Claim 11

An electrical connector as in claim 7 wherein all of said contact tongues are engaged by said shunt means when said connector is in an unmated condition.

Claim 12

An electrical connector as in claim 7 wherein the free end of each contact tongue is formed toward the platform to form a step which engages the electrical shunt means.

Claim 13

An electrical connector as in claim 7 wherein each said wire connecting portion comprises a slotted wire receiving barrel portion upstanding from said platform, said connector further comprising a wire stuffer profiled to insert wires into respective barrels, said shield means being assembled to said housing externally of said wire stuffer.

Claim 14

An electrical connector as in claim 7 wherein said shunt means comprises a first one-piece shunt bar having a bridge portion extending transversely of the tongues, said bar having a pair of spaced contact lugs extending toward a first pair of alternate contact tongues, said lugs being in contact with said alternate contact tongues when said connector is in an unmated condition.

Claim 15

An electrical connector as in claim 12 wherein said housing comprises a pair of opposed sidewalls upstanding from opposite side edges of said platform, said sidewalls having a pair of respective opposed slots therein which receive said shunt bar.

Claim 16

An electrical connector as in claim 12 wherein said shunt means comprises a second similar shunt bar located in tandem relation to the first shunt bar, said contact lugs on said second shunt bar being in contact with a second pair of alternate contact tongues.

Claim 17

An electrical connector as in claim 14 wherein said housing comprises a pair of opposed sidewalls upstanding from opposite side edges of said platform, said sidewalls having two pairs of respective opposed slots therein which receive said shunt bars.

Claim 18

An electrical connector as in claim 15 wherein the bridge portions have coding lugs at their ends and each pair of opposed slots is coded to receive the respective shunt bar oriented at 180° from the other shunt bar.

Claim 19

An electrical connector of the type comprising an insulating housing having a front mating face for mating with a complementary connector and a plurality of terminals mounted thereon, each terminal having a resilient contact tongue extending from proximate the mating face to a free end remote from the mating face, and electrical shunt means fixed in said housing aligned with the free ends of preselected contact tongues, the contact tongues being resiliently deformable from positions engaging the shunt means in an unmated condition of the connector to positions spaced from the shunt means in a mated position of the connector by mating engagement with the complementary connector, characterized in that, the connector is a shielded connector for mating with a complementary hermaphroditic connector, the housing having a rear wire connecting face opposite said front mating face and a terminal supporting platform extending between said faces, each contact tongue being matable against the contact tongue of the complementary connector whereby the contact tongues in each connector are urged toward respective platforms, said shunt means comprising two one-piece shunt bars located in tandem relation, each having a bridge portion extending transversely of all the contact tongues, and disposed above the free ends thereof, and a pair of spaced contact lugs extending from each bridge portion toward respective preselected contact tongues, each shunt bar engaging a pair of preselected contact tongues when said connector is in an unmated condition, each of said shunt bars being spaced from said preselected contact portions when said connector is in a mated condition.

Claim 20

An electrical connector of the type comprising an insulating housing having a front mating face for mating with a complementary connector and a plurality of terminals mounted thereon, each terminal having a resilient contact tongue extending from proximate the mating face to a free end remote from the mating face, and electrical shunt means fixed in said housing aligned with the free ends of preselected contact tongues, the contact tongues being resiliently deformable from positions engaging the shunt means in an unmated condition of the connector to positions spaced from the shunt means in a mated position of the connector by mating engagement with the complementary connector, characterized in that, the connector is a shielded connector for mating with a complementary hermaphroditic connector, the housing having a rear wire connecting face opposite said front mating face and a terminal supporting platform extending between said faces, each contact tongue being matable against the contact tongue of the complementary connector whereby the contact tongues in each connector are urged toward respective platforms, said shunt means comprising two one-piece shunt bars located in tandem relation, each having a bridge portion extending transversely of all the contact tongues, and disposed above the free ends thereof, and a pair of spaced contact lugs extending from each bridge portion toward respective preselected contact tongues, each shunt bar engaging a pair of preselected contact tongues when said connector is in an unmated condition, each of said shunt bars being spaced from said preselected contact portions when said connector is in a mated condition.

Claim 21

The electrical connector of claim 17 wherein the contact lugs of each shunt bar extend toward alternate contact tongues.

Claim 22

The electrical connector according to claim 17 wherein the contact lugs on each shunt bar are asymmetrically located along the bridge portion.

Claim 23

An electrical connector as in claim 19 wherein the shunt bars are substantially identical, each shunt bar being oriented 180° from the other.