Patent ID: 7001222

Claim:
An installation coupler for connecting a first cable to a second cable, said first cable having a female installation socket attached thereto and said second cable having a male installation plug attached thereto, said male installation plug comprising a set of male plug pins which include means for enabling the cores of said second cable to be attached thereto and said female installation socket comprising a casing, a set of socket contacts, the contacts being in said casing, said contacts including means for attaching the cores of said first cable thereto and having plug pin entrances, a shutter within the casing, said shutter being displaceable between operative and inoperative positions and said shutter extending across said entrances when in an operative position, an opening in the shutter and openings in the walling of the casing for permitting said male plug pins of said male installation plug to pass through said walling and enter the socket contacts, said opening in the shutter being partially aligned with one of the openings in the walling whereby an entering male plug pin displaces the shutter to its inoperative position so that a set of male plug pins can enter the socket contacts, said male installation plug and female installation socket each comprising an elongate casing having a bore at one end through which the respective cable enters the installation plug or installation socket, said openings being at the other end of the casing of the female installation socket and said plug pins being at the other end of the casing of the male installation plug, the male installation plug including a sleeve which is open at both ends and into one end of which the elongate casing of the male installation plug fits, there being means for interlocking the sleeve and casing, said plug pins protruding from the casing and being within the sleeve.