| CPC H01R 13/453 (2013.01) [H01R 13/631 (2013.01); H01R 24/84 (2013.01)] | 22 Claims |
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1. An electrical connector comprising:
a housing having a housing mating end at a front of the housing, the housing mating end including a hermaphroditic mating interface configured to be mated with a mating electrical connector having an identical mating interface, the housing having a contact cavity, the housing having a contact shroud at the housing mating end, the contact shroud including openings at the front;
a contact assembly received in the contact cavity, the contact assembly including a contact holder holding contacts, the contacts including mating ends aligned with corresponding openings of the contact shroud, the mating ends defining a hermaphroditic contact interface for mating with mating contacts of the mating electrical connector having an identical contact interface;
a retractable cover coupled to the housing, the retractable cover located at the contact shroud to close the openings, the retractable cover being movable relative to the housing between a closed position and an open position; and
a cover actuator coupled to the housing, the cover actuator including a pusher at the housing mating end for interfacing with the mating electrical connector and an actuation element at the housing mating end for interfacing with the mating electrical connector, the actuation element being operably coupled to the retractable cover to move the retractable cover from the closed position to the open position, the pusher configured to interface with a complimentary actuation element of the mating electrical connector to actuate a retractable cover of the mating electrical connector.
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22. An electrical connector system comprising:
a first electrical connector having a first housing, a first contact assembly, a first retractable cover, a first cover actuator, and a first contact assembly actuator, the first housing including a first hermaphroditic mating interface at a front of the first housing, the first housing having a first contact cavity and a first contact shroud at the front with first openings providing access to the first contact cavity, the first housing including a first guide socket and a first guide pin at the front of the first housing, the first contact assembly being received in the first contact cavity and movable relative to the first housing from a retracted position to an advanced position, the first contact assembly including a first contact holder holding first contacts including first mating ends defining a first hermaphroditic contact interface, the first retractable cover being coupled to the first housing at the first contact shroud to close the first openings, the first retractable cover being movable relative to the first housing between a closed position and an open position, the first cover actuator including a first pusher at the front of the first housing and a first actuation element at the front of the first housing operably coupled to the first retractable cover to move the first retractable cover from the closed position to the open position, the first contact assembly actuator including a first contact assembly actuation element operably coupled to the first contact assembly to move the first contact assembly from the retracted position to the advanced position; and
a second electrical connector having a second housing, a second contact assembly, a second retractable cover, a second cover actuator, and a second contact assembly actuator, the second housing including a second hermaphroditic mating interface at a front of the second housing identical to the first hermaphroditic mating interface, the second housing having a second contact cavity and a second contact shroud at the front with second openings providing access to the second contact cavity, the second housing including a second guide socket and a second guide pin at the front of the second housing, the second contact assembly being received in the second contact cavity and movable relative to the second housing from a retracted position to an advanced position, the second contact assembly including a second contact holder holding second contacts including second mating ends defining a second hermaphroditic contact interface identical to the first hermaphroditic contact interface, the second retractable cover being coupled to the second housing at the second contact shroud to close the second openings, the second retractable cover being movable relative to the second housing between a closed position and an open position, the second cover actuator including a second pusher at the front of the second housing and a second actuation element at the front of the second housing operably coupled to the second retractable cover to move the second retractable cover from the closed position to the open position, the second contact assembly actuator including a second contact assembly actuation element operably coupled to the second contact assembly to move the second contact assembly from the retracted position to the advanced position;
wherein the first pusher actuates the second actuation element when the first and second electrical connectors are mated to open the second retractable cover and wherein the second pusher actuates the first actuation element when the first and second electrical connectors are mated to open the first retractable cover; and
wherein the first guide pin actuates the second contact assembly actuation element when the first and second electrical connectors are mated to move the second contact assembly toward the first contact assembly to the advanced position and wherein the second guide pin actuates the first contact assembly actuation element when the first and second electrical connectors are mated to move the first contact assembly toward the second contact assembly to the advanced position, the first and second contacts being mated when the first and second contact assemblies are moved to the advanced positions.
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