GB1466643A - Electrical connector comprising means preventing inadvertent uncoupling - Google Patents

Abstract

1466643 Locking nuts and bolts TRW Inc 17 Feb 1975 6654/75 Heading F2H [Also in Division H2] Connector parts 12, 14 are coupled together by a nut 66 which is rotated by a drive ring 90 carrying shoes 98 and wedges 110 acting on the ring, the wedges resisting rotation of the nut in the direction for uncoupling and the shoes abutting the wedges to render them ineffectual when the ring is rotated in the uncoupling direction. The part 12 comprises a mountable shell 16 with screw threads 32 and a keyway 30, while the part 14 comprises a shell 34, cable clamp 52, key 56 and carries the nut 66 and ring 90 between a flange 58 and a split ring 64. The ring 90 is rotatably mounted on the nut 66 and a flange 96 supports, and carries with it on rotation of the ring, the shoes 98 and wedges 110. The ring 90 includes angularly spaced recesses 72 each comprising shoulders 82, 86, 88 and a cam surface (84); within each cavity are a shoe 98 and a wedge 110 carried by the drive ring 90 and resiliently bearing against the shoulders 88, 82 by springs 108, 118 or rubber pads (118a). In use, rotation of the drive ring 90 (clockwise, Fig. 2) causes the shoes 98 to act against shoulders 100 tightening the nut 66 on the threads 32 and drawing the key 56 along the keyway 30 and the plug 14 into the socket 12. Any tendancy for the nut to work loose is prevented by a wedging effect as the cam surfaces (84) engage a complementary surface 112 on the wedges when the nut starts to move counterclockwise. Intentional uncoupling is effected by turning the drive ring counterclockwise causing the shoes to move against the springs 108 and their notched ends 106 to engage notched ends 114 of the wedges and separate the camming surfaces, torque being transmitted to the nut by the wedges and shoes.