[54] CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY WITH VISUAL, TACTILE AND AUDIBLE INDICATION
[75] Inventor: Joseph A. Storcel, North Riverside, 111.
[73] Assignee: Bunker Ramo Corporation, Oak Brook, 111.
[21] Appl. No.: 56,663
[22] Filed: Jul. 11, 1979
[51] Int. C1.3 H01R4/30
[52] U.S. CI 339/89 M; 339/113 R;
339/DIG. 2
[58] Field of Search 339/113 R, 89 R, 89 M,
339/90 R, 91 R, DIG. 2; 151/13; 285/81, 82, 87, 88, 93; 248/315; 292/256.6; 70/456, 450
[56] References Cited
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
1,024,274 9/1912 Miller 151/13
1,338,181 4/1920 Kalkbrenner 70/458
3,008,116 11/1961 Blanchenot 339/90
3,191,972 6/1965 Collar 285/93
3,281,757 10/1966 Bonhomme 339/91
3,343,852 9/1967 Blight et al 285/82
3,552,777 1/1971 Heinrich et al 285/81
3,555,490 1/1971 Williams 339/91 R
3,587,032 6/1971 Normann 339/89
3,594,694 7/1971 Clark 339/45 M
3,594,700 7/1971 Nava et al 339/89 R
3,646,495 2/1972 '. Cowmeadow 339/DIG. 2
3,669,472 6/1972 Nadsady 285/87
3,750,087 7/1973 Vetter 339/90 R
3,777,523 12/1973 Holland 70/456 R
3,786,396 1/1974 Kemmer et al 339/89 R
3,801,954 4/1974 Dorrell 339/90 R
3,805,216 4/1974 Gaspar et al 339/90 R
3,808,580 4/1974 Johnson 339/89 R
3,892,458 7/1975 Clark 339/90 R
3,960,428 6/1976 Naus et al 339/90 R
3,971,614 7/1976 Paoli et al 339/89 R
4,030,798 6/1977 Paoli 339/89 R
4,056,298 11/1977 Cooper et al 339/90 R
4,059,324 11/1977 Snyder et al 339/89 M
4,066,315 1/1978 Arneson 339/89 M
4,074,927 2/1978 Ball 339/89 M
4,076,361 2/1978 Campbell 339/75 M
FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
1665644 3/1971 Fed. Rep. of Germany .
2712836 9/1977 Fed. Rep. of Germany .
2726333 12/1978 Fed. Rep. of Germany .
2248460 5/1975 France .
2344148 10/1977 France .
468909 7/1937 United Kingdom .
825579 12/1959 United Kingdom .
1411067 10/1975 United Kingdom .
OTHER PUBLICATIONS
IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin-vol. 1 No. 4 Dec. 1958, Clicking Connector-M. C. Panaro.
Primary Examiner—John McQuade
Attorney, Agent, or Firm—F. M. Arbuckle; J. R.
Hoffman; N. A. Camasto
[57] ABSTRACT
A connector assembly is disclosed which includes first and second mating connector members, and a coupling ring carried by one of the connector members for moving the other connector member axially into mating relation therewith. A visual and tactile indicating assembly is operatively associated with the connector members and the coupling ring and includes a radially inwardly self-biased split indicating ring carried by the coupling ring. The indicating ring is movable radially relative to the coupling ring from a retracted position to an outwardly projecting indicating position in response to a predetermined positioning of the other connector member in relation to the one connector member and the coupling ring. The ring provides an omni-directional visual and tactile indication of the relative positioning of the mating connector members. The connector assembly also includes an audible indicating mechanism which provides a self-locking feature for the connector assembly.
35 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures
