Patent ID: 8007319
Filing Date: 2011-08-30
Classification: H01R,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A multi-component electrical connector, comprising: a rear insert having an interior longitudinally bounded by front and rear surfaces, the rear insert including multiple first contact-receiving apertures through which mutually parallel, spaced-apart first central axes extend and which pass through the interior and the front and rear surfaces, the first contact-receiving apertures being sized to receive, by insertion from the front surface, first ends of elongate contacts characterized by a lengthwise nonuniform cross-sectional area and being configured in complementary relation to the nonuniform cross-sectional area to prevent the inserted elongate contacts from passing completely through the first contact-receiving apertures; a front insert having an interior longitudinally bounded by front and rear surfaces and positioned relative to the rear insert so that the rear surface of the front insert and the front surface of the rear insert are adjacent to each other, the front insert including multiple second contact-receiving apertures through which mutually parallel, spaced-apart second central axes extend and which pass through the interior and the front and rear surfaces, the second contact-receiving apertures sized to receive, by insertion from the rear surface of the front insert, second ends of the elongate contacts and configured in complementary relation to the nonuniform cross-sectional area to prevent the inserted elongate contacts from passing completely through the second contact-receiving apertures, wherein the first and second central axes of corresponding ones of the first and second contact-receiving apertures are aligned to hold an associated one of the elongate contacts; front and rear tubular shells releasably securable to each other to, when secured together, contain and prevent separation of the rear and front inserts; and shell alignment features operatively coupling at least one of the rear and front inserts with at least one of the front and rear tubular shells to establish alignment of the rear and front inserts with respect to the front and rear tubular shells.