US4508407A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Self-locking connector
Assignee: ITT Inc
•
Filing: 1982-12-02
•
Granted: 1985-04-02
•
Expires: 2002-12-02
Abstract
Abstract A self-locking connector in which balls carried by a connector shell are spring biased toward a locking ring which is rotatable with the coupling nut of the connector. The ring is formed with a circular array of detent recesses with which the balls engage when the coupling nut is rotated. The balls and recesses are arranged so that only one ball engages a recess at any instant so that there are a large number of locking positions for the coupling nut.
Inventors
- 👤 David J. Ball
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 09:59
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01R; H01R13/00; H01R13/62; H01R13/622; H01R13/627
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
132 words
A plug connector member adapted to mate with a receptacle connector member comprising: a barrel having a coupling ring rotatable thereon; locking means operative between said coupling ring and said barrel to prevent relative rotation thereof; said locking means comprising an annular element having a plurality of circumferentially spaced detent recesses therein and a locking element having a plurality of detent projections thereon facing said recesses; one of said elements being fixed against rotation on said barrel and the other element being rotatable with said coupling ring; means biasing said projections and recesses toward each other; and said recesses and projections being arranged whereby only one projection may engage a recess at any given relative position of said annular and locking elements so that a large number of locking positions is provided.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
132 words
A plug connector member adapted to mate with a receptacle connector member comprising: a barrel having a coupling ring rotatable thereon; locking means operative between said coupling ring and said barrel to prevent relative rotation thereof; said locking means comprising an annular element having a plurality of circumferentially spaced detent recesses therein and a locking element having a plurality of detent projections thereon facing said recesses; one of said elements being fixed against rotation on said barrel and the other element being rotatable with said coupling ring; means biasing said projections and recesses toward each other; and said recesses and projections being arranged whereby only one projection may engage a recess at any given relative position of said annular and locking elements so that a large number of locking positions is provided.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
A plug connector member as set forth in claim 1 wherein: the number of said recesses exceeds the number of said projections and is indivisible by said number of projections.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
A plug connector member as set forth in claim 2 wherein: said recesses are equally spaced around said annular element; and said projections are equally spaced around said locking element.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
A plug connector member as set forth in claim 1 wherein: said coupling ring embodies coupling means capable of fully mating said connector members with no more than about 360° of rotation of the ring.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
142 words
A self-locking connector comprising: a plug connector member and a mating receptable connector member each having a connector shell; a coupling ring rotatable on one of said shells; locking means operative between said coupling ring and one of said shells to prevent relative rotation thereof; said locking means comprising an annular element having a plurality of circumferentially spaced detent recesses therein and a locking element having a plurality of detent projections thereon facing said recesses; one of said elements being fixed against rotation relative to said shells and the other element being rotatable with said coupling ring; means biasing said projections and recesses toward each other; and said recesses and projections being arranged whereby only one projection may engage a recess at any given relative position of said annular and locking elements so that a large number of locking positions are provided.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
142 words
A self-locking connector comprising: a plug connector member and a mating receptable connector member each having a connector shell; a coupling ring rotatable on one of said shells; locking means operative between said coupling ring and one of said shells to prevent relative rotation thereof; said locking means comprising an annular element having a plurality of circumferentially spaced detent recesses therein and a locking element having a plurality of detent projections thereon facing said recesses; one of said elements being fixed against rotation relative to said shells and the other element being rotatable with said coupling ring; means biasing said projections and recesses toward each other; and said recesses and projections being arranged whereby only one projection may engage a recess at any given relative position of said annular and locking elements so that a large number of locking positions are provided.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
A connector as set forth in claim 5 wherein: the number of said recesses exceeds the number of said projections and is indivisible by said number of projections.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
119 words
A plug connector member adapted to mate with a receptable connector member comprising: a barrel element having a coupling ring element rotatable thereon; locking means operative between said coupling ring element and said barrel element to prevent relative rotation thereof; said locking means comprising a coaxial array of circumferentially spaced detent recesses carried by one of said elements and a plurality of detent projections carried by the other of said elements and extending toward said recesses; means biasing said projections towards said recesses; and said recesses and projections being arranged whereby only one projection may engage a recess at any given relative position of said annular and locking elements so that a large number of locking positions is provided.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
119 words
A plug connector member adapted to mate with a receptable connector member comprising: a barrel element having a coupling ring element rotatable thereon; locking means operative between said coupling ring element and said barrel element to prevent relative rotation thereof; said locking means comprising a coaxial array of circumferentially spaced detent recesses carried by one of said elements and a plurality of detent projections carried by the other of said elements and extending toward said recesses; means biasing said projections towards said recesses; and said recesses and projections being arranged whereby only one projection may engage a recess at any given relative position of said annular and locking elements so that a large number of locking positions is provided.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
30 words
A plug connector member as set forth in claim 7 wherein: the number of said recesses exceeds the number of said projections and is indivisible by said number of projections.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3611260A
Cited
US3669472A
Cited
US3808580A
Cited
US3964771A
Cited
US4183605A
Cited
US4165910A
Cited
US4290662A
Cited
US4291933A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1988-04-01 | 1988-10-01 | 1989-04-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1992-04-01 | 1992-10-01 | 1993-04-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1996-04-01 | 1996-10-01 | 1997-04-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |