Electrical connectors having positive gripping action

Claim 1

AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: (A) A HOUSING DEFINING A CAVITY WHICH IS IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE REGION OUTSIDE SAID HOUSING; (B) AT LEAST ONE SOCKET COMPOSED OF A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING ELASTICALLY DEFORMABLE STRIP DISPOSED IN SAID HOUSING CAVITY FOR RECEIVING A PLUG TO BE INSERTED IN A LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION, SAID SOCKET BEING MOVABLE IN LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION AND A SECOND POSITION, SAID SOCKET FURTHER BEING ELASTICALLY DEFORMABLE IN A TRANSVERSE DIRECTION AND, WHEN IN ITS FIRST POSITION, OFFERING SUBSTANTIALLY NO FRICTION RESISTANCE TO THE INSERTION OF THE PLUG; (C) ELASTIC RESTORING MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED WITH SAID SOCKET FOR MAINTAINING IT IN SAID FIRST POSITION; (D) SOCKET DEFORMING MEANS COMPOSED OF A ROTATABLE ELEMENT HAVING TWO STABLE POSITIONS AND HELD UNDER PRESSURE BETWEEN A POINT OF ATTACHMENT ON SAID STRIP AND A PIVOT POINT ON A WALL OF SAID CAVITY FOR DEFORMING SAID SOCKET IN SAID TRANVERSE DIRECTION, INTO PLUG-GRIPPING CONDITION, WHEN SAID SOCKET IS IN ITS SAID SECOND POSITION; AND (E) AT LEAST ONE CONTROL MEANS DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CAVITY AND OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID SOCKET, SAID CONTROL MEANS BEING DISPOSED IN THE PATH OVER WHICH THE PLUG WILL TRAVEL DURING INSERTION FOR MOVEMENT IN A LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION DURING AT LEAST THE LAST PORTION OF INSERTION TRAVEL OF THE PLUG FOR DRIVING SAID SOCKET FROM ITS SAID FIRST POSITION TO ITS SAID SECOND POSITION WHEN SAID CONTROL MEANS IS MOVED LONGITUDINALLY BY THE PLUG.