Abstract:
An electrical connector assembly including a female connector assembly and a male connector assembly configured for quick push-pull connect and for squeeze-to-release disconnect. The female and male connector assemblies are each molded of a plastics material.

Description:
STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST 
     The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by and for the Government of the United States of America for Governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor. 
    
    
     CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS 
     Not applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to electrical connector assemblies and is directed more particularly to a quick connect and disconnect assembly. 
     (2) Description of the Prior Art 
     It is common to provide electrical connectors which require a relatively long time to connect and disconnect. Some connectors are threaded. The threads typically are of fine pitch and become jammed or cross-threaded in harsh or dirty environments. Mis-threaded connectors become useless and must be replaced with newly wired connectors. Many connectors separate when subjected to sustained periods of vibration. Many connectors are subject to corrosion and must frequently be replaced in salt water environments. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for an electrical connector assembly of a quick connect-disconnect type, which is not threaded, which will not separate under sustained vibration, and will not corrode, even in salt water environments. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the invention is, therefore, to provide an electrical connector assembly wherein one connector is simply snapped into another connector without the use of threads and is easily released from the other connector. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide such a connector assembly which is unaffected by sustained vibrations. 
     A still further object of the invention is to provide such a connector assembly of a molded, non-corrodable, light-weight plastics material, to eliminate machining and the use of screws, seals and end caps, as is common with metal connectors. 
     A still further object of the invention is to provide such a connector assembly requiring no tools for connection or disconnection. 
     With the above and other objects inview, as will hereinafter appear, a feature of the invention is the provision of an electrical connector assembly including a female connector assembly comprising a base portion and a cylindrically-configured housing portion extending from the base portion and comprising a wall defining a chamber. An electrically conductive pin is disposed centrally of the base portion and the housing portion and extends axially therethrough. An annular wall extends from the chamber wall inwardly and normal to the chamber wall to define a central opening, and opposed claws extend from the chamber wall and are provided with inwardly extending opposed fingers, the claws being pivotally movable about their respective junctures with the annular wall. The electrical connector assembly further includes a male connector assembly comprising a base portion and a body portion comprising an enlarged continuation of the male connector assembly base portion. An annular retention ring is fixed on the male connector assembly body portion. A barrel portion extends from the body portion. An electrically conductive wire extends axially through the base portion, the body portion, and the barrel portion. A sleeve portion, open at one end, is retained in the barrel portion for receiving the pin. Upon urging of the male connector assembly into the female connector assembly, a leading edge of the retention ring engages the claw fingers forcing the claws in directions away from each other permitting the retention ring to slide past the claw fingers, permitting said male connector assembly barrel portion to pass through the female connector assembly annular wall central opening, and permitting entry of the pin into the sleeve portion open end. Upon an operator&#39;s squeezing of the housing portion of the female connector assembly, the claws pivot from the junctures of the claws and the female connector assembly annular wall, moving in directions away from each other, permitting the claw fingers to disengage from the retention ring, permitting the male connector assembly to be withdrawn from the female connector assembly, disconnecting the pin from the sleeve. 
     The above and other features of the invention, including various novel details of construction and combinations of parts, will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims. It will be understood that the particular device embodying the invention is shown by way of illustration only and not as a limitation of the invention. The principles and features of this invention may be employed in various and numerous embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which is shown an illustrative embodiment of the invention, from which its novel features and advantages will be apparent, wherein corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a female connector assembly portion of an electrical connector assembly; 
     FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the female connector assembly portion of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a centerline sectional view of the female connector assembly portion of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a male connector assembly portion of the electrical connector assembly; 
     FIG. 5 is a centerline sectional view of the male connector assembly portion of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6 is an end view of the electrical connector assembly; 
     FIG. 7 is a sectional view along line VII—VII of FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of the electrical connector assembly preparatory to separating the male and female connector assembly portions; and 
     FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the assembly of FIG. 8 with the male and female connector assembly portions separated. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIGS. 1-3, it will be seen that an illustrative female connector assembly  20  includes a base portion  22  and a cylindrically-configured housing portion  24  extending from the base portion  22  and comprising, in part, a wall  26  defining a chamber  28  (FIG.  3 ). 
     An electrically conductive pin  30  is disposed centrally within the base portion  22  and the housing portion  24 , and extends axially therethrough. An annular wall  32  extends from the chamber wall  26  inwardly and substantially normal to the chamber wall  26  to define a central opening  34 . The pin  30  extends through the opening  34  and axially thereof. 
     Opposed claw members  36 ,  38  extend from the chamber wall  26  and are each provided with inwardly extending opposed fingers  40 ,  42 . The claw members  36 ,  38  are arc-shaped (FIG. 6) and pivotally movable about their respective junctures  44 ,  46  with the annular wall  32 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, it will be seen that an illustrative male connector assembly  50  includes a base portion  52  and a body portion  54  comprising an enlarged continuation of the male connector assembly base portion  52 . An annular retention ring  56  is fixed on the male connector assembly body portion  54 . A barrel portion  58  extends from the body portion  54 . 
     An electrically conductive wire  60  extends axially through the base portion  52 , body portion  54 , and barrel portion  58 . The wire  60  is provided with a sleeve portion  62  open at one end  64  (FIG. 5) to receive and make contact with the pin  30 . 
     In operation, upon urging of the male connector assembly  50  into female connector assembly  20 , a leading edge  70  of retention ring  56  engages claw fingers  40 ,  42  to force claw members  36 ,  38  in directions away from each other to permit retention ring  56  to slide past the claw fingers. The male connector assembly barrel portion  58  is permitted to pass through the female connector assembly annular wall central opening  34 , to permit entry of pin  30  into sleeve portion  62  to complete electrical connection. 
     By manually pulling the connector assemblies  20 ,  50  away from each other, an operator can test whether the connector assemblies are attached to each other. If securely attached, the connector assemblies remain connected in spite of axial forces in directions tending to pull them apart. 
     To disconnect the connector assemblies  20 ,  50  an operator applies squeezing pressure on the wall  26  of the housing portion  24  of female connector assembly  20 . The squeezing pressure applied to wall  26  in areas proximate the bases of the claws  36 ,  38 , causes the wall  26  to compress inwardly (FIG. 8) and claws  36   38  to pivot outwardly from annular wall  32  at junctures  44 ,  46 . The fingers  40 ,  42  of claws  36 ,  38  are thus moved outwardly from retention ring  56 , permitting the connectors  20 ,  50  to be axially pulled apart (FIG.  9 ). 
     There is thus provided a connector assembly which may be easily and quickly connected and disconnected, without threaded connections and without tools, and which is not loosened by vibrations. Preferably, the connectors  20 ,  50  are each integral, unitary molded plastic members (other than pin  30  and wire  60 ) and are not subject to corrosion. 
     It will be understood that many additional changes in the details, materials, steps and arrangement of parts, which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principles and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.