Releasable position-locking connector assembly

Claim 1

A connector assembly comprising a male pin connector and a matable female receptacle connector, said male connector having a shank having an axis, and lock means supported by said shank including a plurality of compressible tongues extending generally radially outwardly of said shank, said tongues having an upper surface and a lower sloped surface, said female connector comprising a body having a surface, and axial bore in said body for receiving said shank, said bore forming a lip at said surface, a recess in said bore remote from said surface for receiving said tongues and forming a shoulder and a flange in said recess, whereby said pin connector may be assembled to said receptacle connector by relatively rotating said connectors causing said lower sloped surface of said tongues to react against said lip causing said tongues to compress to fit within said bore and relative axial movement of said connectors permits said tongues to be received in said recess so that said tongues expand and said upper surface of said tongues react against said shoulder to lock the connectors together, and whereby said pin connector may be disassembled from said receptacle connector by relatively rotating said connectors causing said tongues to react against said flange to thereby compress said tongues to fit within said bore.