John Ward Hacker

US Patent:

41381815, Feb 6, 1979

Filed:

Apr 25, 1978

Appl. No.:

5/899945

Inventors:

John R. Hacker - Indianapolis IN
Chris W. Krohne - Indianapolis IN
William H. Miller - Indianapolis IN

Assignee:

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy - Washington DC

International Classification:

H01R 1362

US Classification:

339 45R

Abstract:

A releasable electrical connector having a receptacle component and a plug omponent which can be mated and disconnected by relative rotation between components and can be separated by a straight breakaway force. The receptacle component is provided with bayonet pins that engage semicircular holes in a spring-biased sleeve positioned in the plug component. One end of the spring-biased sleeve is divided into sections and two opposed sections are permanently bent outwardly at an angle sufficiently large so as to clear the bayonet pins on the receptacle component. The semi-circular holes used for locking the bayonet pins are provided in the bent sections and a boss on the interior surface of the plug component compresses the bent sections to lock the bayonet pins in the semi-circular holes. A breakaway force moves the sleeve outwardly from the boss and, when the bent sections clear the boss, the resilient bent sections spring outwardly to release the bayonet pins.