Patent ID: 8357000

Claim:
An electrical make-break connection for an apparatus having a recoiling portion and a non-recoiling portion, the connection comprising: (A) a non-recoiling assembly fixed to the non-recoiling portion, the non-recoiling assembly including (i) a mounting bracket (ii) a contact assembly removably disposed in the mounting bracket, the contact assembly including (a) a housing with a generally conically-shaped female portion on a mating side thereof, a radially extending flange on an outer surface of the housing, and a tapered slot formed in the generally conically-shaped female portion; (b) at least one wave spring disposed between the mounting bracket and the radially extending flange; (c) at least one electrical contact pin disposed in the housing and biased outwardly by a spring; (iii) a pair of circumferentially spaced-apart pins fixed to the radially extending flange and partially disposed in the mounting bracket, the pair of pins having radial and axial clearance in the mounting bracket such that the contact assembly is radially and axially movable with respect to the mounting bracket; and (B) a recoiling assembly fixed to the recoiling portion, the recoiling assembly including (i) a mounting bracket; (ii) a contact assembly removably disposed in the mounting bracket, the contact assembly including (a) a housing with a generally conically-shaped male portion on a mating side thereof for engaging and disengaging with the generally conically-shaped female portion of the housing of the non-recoiling assembly, and a boss formed on the generally conically-shaped male portion for mating with the tapered slot; (b) at least one electrical contact disposed in the housing and operable to mate with the at least one electrical contact pin of the non-recoiling assembly.