Patent ID: 8366458

Claim:
An electrical power connector system comprising: a first electrical connector including a connector housing that supports a first electrical power contact and a second electrical power contact that is disposed adjacent the first electrical power contact; a second electrical connector including a connector housing that defines a plurality of receptacles, and further including a plurality of electrical contacts supported by the connector housing, such that a common electrical contact of one of the plurality of electrical contacts is operatively associated with at least a select one of the plurality of receptacles, wherein the common electrical contact electrically couples to both of the first and second electrical power contacts of the first electrical connector when the first electrical connector is mated with the second electrical connector, a first dedicated electrical contact of the plurality of electrical contacts and a second dedicated electrical contact of the plurality of electrical contacts, wherein the first and second dedicated electrical contacts are disposed on opposite sides of the common electrical contact, such that the first dedicated electrical contact and the common electrical contact are both configured to connect to the first electrical power contact, and the second dedicated electrical contact and the common electrical contact are both configured to connect to the second electrical power contact, wherein the first and second power contacts each include a plurality of angularly offset contact beams, wherein at least one of the angularly offset contact beams of the first and second power contacts is configured to contact the common electrical contact, and at least another of the angularly offset contact beams of the first and second power contacts is configured to contact the associated first or second dedicated electrical contacts.