GB2109174A - Electrical connector assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

An electrical plug/socket assembly includes a contact insert assembly (1) characterised by a central pin conductor (10), an intermediate conductor (20) surrounding the central pin conductor (10), and an outer conductor (30) surrounding the intermediate conductor (20): insulating elements (40,50,60) separating the conductors. The contact insert assembly (1) mates with a corresponding assembly (2). Contact insert assemblies (1,2) are held by respective resilient fingers in a bore of a plug/socket assembly (Figure 2, not shown) which is provided with a further bore for housing a further different plug/socket assembly. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION An electrical connector assembly This invention relates to an electrical connector assembly and more particularly to an electrical connector assembly having two different types of contacts.

An electrical connector assembly is generally comprised of two separate housings connected together by a coupling member mounted on one of the housings. Mounted in each housing is a dielectric insert containing a plurality of electrical contacts adapted to mate with a plurality of electrical contacts mounted in the insert in the other connector housing. Wires to be connected together are attached to the opposite end of the contacts in each insert so that when the connector assembly housings are connected together proper interconnection of the wires is accomplished. Generally, all of the contacts within a connector assembly are of the same complimentary type, e.g., pin and socket type contacts each adapted to receive a single wire in their nonmating end. In many electronic applications more than one connector is required where different types of contacts are used.For instance, contacts requiring one, two or three wires are not uncommon. Contacts receiving multiple wires necessarily require a different type connector assembly, such as a plug and jack type connector, than contacts receiving a single wire. In some applications where a Lanyard release connector is required it is desirable to have all the electrical contacts connected together by a single electrical connector assembly. An example of a Lanyard release connector may be found in U.S. patent 3,063,032 issued November 6, 1962 and entitled "Separable Connector".

Disclosure of the invention This invention provides an electrical connector assembly having two different types of contacts.

The invention is an electrical connector assembly of the type having mateable contacts wherein each mateable contact is characterized by three separate conductors mateable with three separate conductors of a complimentary contact mounted in the other half of the connector assembly. Each mateable contact is characterized by a center conductor, an intermediate conductor, and an outer conductor telescopically arranged together and electrically isolated one from the other. The center conductor may have either a pin shaped mating portion or a socket shaped mating portion.

One advantage of the invention is that the connector assembly eliminates the need for two types of electrical connectors because of the two different types of contacts.

Another advantage of the invention is that it provides an electrical connector assembly with single wire contacts and two wire contacts.

Another advantage of this invention is that it reduces the weight in an aircraft by reducing the number of connector housings.

Detailed description of the drawings Figure 1 illustrates a mated pair of electrical contact assemblies incorporating the principles of the invention.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view of an electrical connector assembly incorporating the principles of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates a first contact assembly 1 in mated relationship with a second contact assembly 2. The first contact assembly 1 includes a center conductor 10; and intermediate conductor 20; an outer conductor 30; and dielectric insulators 40, 50 and 60 for electrically isolating the conductors 10, 20 and 30 from each other and for telescopically mounting the conductors together. The center conductor 10 includes a pin shaped forward mating portion 11 and a rearwire receiving portion 12. The intermediate conductor 20 includes a socket shaped forward mating portion 21 and a rear wire receiving portion 22. The outer conductor 30 includes a tubular shaped forward portion 31, a rear portion 32 and an annular shoulder 33 extending around the outside thereof.

The second contact assembly 2 includes a center conductor 15; an intermediate conductor 25; an outer conductor 35; and a plurality of dielectric insulators 45,55 and 65 electrically isolating the conductors 15, 25 and 35 from each other and telescopically mounting them together. The center conductor 15 includes a socket shaped forward mating portion 16 and a rear wire receiving portion 17 to which a wire (not shown) is connected to the center conductor 15. The socket shaped forward portion 16 is shown mated with the pin shaped forward portion 11 of the center conductor 10 of the first contact assembly 1. The intermediate conductor 25 includes a tubular shaped forward portion 26 and a rear wire receiving portion 27. The tubular shaped forward portion 26 is shown mated with the socket shaped forward portion 21 of the intermediate conductor 20 of the first contact assembly 1.

The outer conductor 35 includes a socket shaped forward mating portion 36, a rear portion 37 and an annular shoulder 38 around the outside thereof. it is the function of the annular shoulder 33 to engage the retention members in a connector insert as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2 illustrates the socket contact assembly shown in Figure 1 mounted in an electrical connector assembly having pin and socket type contacts also.

The electrical connector assembly has mateable housings 3 and 4 and an insert 5 and 6 mounted in each of the housings 3 and 4. The inserts 5 and 6 have a plurality of axial passages 7 and 8 adapted to receive respective mateable contacts such as the pin type contact 19 and socket type contact 29 shown along with the contact assemblies 1 and 2 shown in Figure 1. Each insert 5 and 6 includes means for removable mounting the contacts within the insert passage such as radially and resiliently deflectable fingers 9 that engage an enlarged portion or annular shoulder 33, 38 of a contact assembly. The retention fingers 9 retain the contacts in the inserts 5 and 6 until they are deflected outwardly by a suitable tool to release the contact for removal from the connec tor.In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 2 it should be noted that the axial passages 7 and 8 in the inserts 5 and 6 have been enlarged to show the details of the contacts but they are, in fact, the same size for the pin and socket type contacts as they are for the contact assemblies 1 and 2. Accordingly, it is not necessary to complicate nor modify a connector insert adapted to receive pin and socket type contacts of the same size as the contact assemblies shown in Figure 1.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made to the invention as set forth in the appendant claims and, in some instances, certain features of the invention may be used to advantage without corresponding use of other features. For instance, the real size of the contact assemblies 1 and 2 could be different than the size of the pin and socket type contacts 19 and 29. Accordingly, it is intended that the illustrative and descriptive materials herein be used to limit the principles of the invention and not to limit the scope thereof.

Claims (7)

1. An electrical connector assembly of the type having first and second mateable housings (3, 4); an insert (5, 6) mounted in each of said housings (3,4), said inserts (5,6) having a plurality of axial passages (7, 8) adapted to receive respective mateable contacts; and means (9) for removably mounting said mateable contacts within said insert passages, characterized in that one of said mateable contacts comprises: a first contact assembly (1) mounted in one of the passages (7) in one of said inserts (5), said first contact assembly comprising: a center conductor (10) having a pin shaped forward mating portion (11) and a rear wire receiving portion (12); an intermediate conductor (20) have a socket shaped forward mating portion (21) and a rearwire receiving portion (22); an outer conductor (30) having a tubular shaped forward mating portion (31) and a rear portion (32); and means (40, 50, 60) for electrically isolating said conductors (10, 20,30) from each other and for mounting said conductors so that said mating portion (31) of said outer conductor (30) surrounds the mating portion (21) of the intermediate conductor (20) which surrounds the mating portion (11) of said inner conductor (10).

2. The electrical connector assembly recited in Claim 1 wherein said outer conductor (30) includes an annular shoulder (33) adapted to engage the removable mounting means (9) in said insert (5) passage (7) whereby said first contact assembly (1) is removably mounted in said insert passage (7).

3. The electrical connector assembly recited in Claim 1 including a pin type contact (19) mounted in a passage (7) in one of said inserts (5) and a socket type contact (29), adapted to mate with the pin type contact (19), mounted in a passage (8) in the other of said inserts (6).

4. The electrical connector assembly recited in Claim 2 including a pin type contact (19) mounted in a passage (7) in one of said inserts (5) and a socket type contact (29), adapted to mate with the pin type contact (19), mounted in a passage (8) in the other of said inserts (6).

5. The electrical connector assembly as recited in Claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 characterized in that the other of said mateable contacts, mounted in a passage (8) in the other insert (6) and adapted to mate with said first contact assembly (1), is a second contact assembly (2) comprising:: a center conductor (15) having a socket shaped forward mating portion (16) and a rear wire receiving portion (17), said pocket shaped forward portion (16) adapted to mate with the pin shaped forward portion (11) of said center conductor (10) of said first contact assembly (1); an intermediate conductor (25) having a tubular shaped forward mating portion (26) and a rear wire receiving portion (27), said tubular shaped forward portion (26) adapted to mate with the socket shaped forward portion (21) of said intermediate conductor (20) of said first contact assembly (1); an outer conductor (35) having a socket shaped forward mating portion (36) and a rear portion (37), said socket shaped forward portion (36) adapted to a mate with the tubular shaped forward portion (31) of the outer conductor (30) of said first contact assembly (1); and means (45, 55,65) for electrically isolating said conductors (15, 25,35) from each other and for mounting said conductors so that the mating portion (36) of said outer conductor (35) surrounds the mating portion (26) of said intermedate conductor (25) which surrounds the mating portion (16) of said inner conductor (15).

6. The electrical connector assembly as recited in Claim 5 wherein the outer conductor (35) of said second contact assembly (2) includes an annular shoulder (38) adapted to engage the means (9) for removably mounting said contacts within a passage (8) in said other insert (6) whereby said second contact assembly (2) is removably mounted in said other insert (6) passage (8).

7. An electrical connector assembly substantially as described and as shown in the accompanying drawings.