SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention there is provided a connector arrangement comprising: -a first connector part including a first electrical contact; -a first conductor connected to the first connector part and terminating in the first electrical contact; -a second connector part including a second electrical contact; -a second conductor connected to the second connector part and terminating in the second electrical contact; -the first and second connector parts comprising formations for arresting the first and second electrical contacts in contact with one another; and -the formations being configured such that a straight line axial force required to remove the first and second contacts from one another is greater than a force required to bring the first and second contacts into contact with one another, but is less than a force required to

sever or remove any one of the conductors from its respective connector part.

The first electrical contact arrangement may be provided on a spigot forming part of the first connector part and the second electrical contact arrangement may be provided in a sleeve forming part of the second connector part.

The first connector part may include a body including the spigot and a handle region formed integrally therewith from a suitable polymer material.

The second connector part may include a body including the sleeve and a handle region formed integrally therewith from a suitable polymer material.

The first and second connector parts may be of elongate configuration, the handle of the first connector part and the spigot may be axially aligne.

Similarly, the handle of the second connector part and the sleeve may also be axially aligned.

The arresting formations may include a first thread on the spigot and a cooperating second thread in the sleeve. The threads may be mutually cooperating interrupted threads.

However, in a preferred embodiment, the threads are continuous screw threads. The threads may be configured to aliow rotation or twisting of the first and second parts relative to one another for between 90° and 360° (preferably between about 100°-110°) to bring the first and second contacts into contact with one another.

A cross sectional profile of the first thread may include first and second faces extending transversely from the spigot and meeting in a ridge, the first face facing towards a free end of the spigot and slanting towards the ridge in a direction away from the free end of the spigot, and the second face extending substantially perpendicularly to a centre axis of the spigot.

A cross sectional profile of the second thread may include first and second faces meeting in a ridge, the first face facing towards an open end of the sleeve and slanting in a direction away from the open end to the ridge, and the second face extending substantially perpendicularly to a centre axis of the sleeve.

In other embodiments, a cross-sectional profile of each thread includes first and second faces extending symmetrically on either side of a ridge.

In yet other embodiments, the arresting formations may include first and second sets of parallel ribs on the spigot and in the sleeve respectively.

A cross sectional profile of a rib in the first set of ribs may include first and second faces extending transversely from the spigot and meeting in a ridge, the first face facing towards a free end of the spigot and slanting towards the ridge in a direction away from the free end of the spigot, and the second face extending substantially perpendicularly to a centre axis of the spigot.

A cross sectional profile of a rib in the second set of ribs may include first and second faces meeting in a ridge, the first face facing towards an open end of the sleeve and slanting in a direction away from the open end of the sleeve to the ridge, and the second face extending substantially perpendicularly to a central axis of the sleeve.

Also included within the scope of the invention is a connector part for a connector arrangement, the connector part including: -a body including a first contact arrangement, a first conductor being connectable to the first contact arrangement to extend from the body; -formations on the body for cooperating with formations on a body of a second connector part, for arresting the first contact arrangement in contact with a second contact arrangement forming party of the second connector part;

-the formations being configured such that a straight line axial force required to remove the first and second contacts from one another is greater than a force required to bring the first and second contacts into contact with one another, but is less than a force required to sever or remove the first conductor from the first contact arrangement.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DIAGRAMS The invention will now further be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrams wherein: figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a connector arrange- ment according to the invention including first and second connector parts in a configuration wherein an electrical contact is made; figure 2 is a similar view of the arrangement, but in a configuration wherein the contact is broken; and figure 3 is a side view of the arrangement in figure 1, partially in section, to illustrate means for arresting first and second contact arrangements in contact with one another.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION A connector arrangement according to the invention is generally designated by the reference numeral 10 in figures 1 to 3.

As best shown in figure 2, the connector arrangement 10 comprises a first connector part 12 including an elongate body 14 including a handle portion 16 and a spigot formation 18 formed integrally with the handle portion from a suitable polymer material. A first electrical contact arrangement 20 is provided on the spigot 18. The contact arrangement includes a hollow conductive sleeve 26 mounted coaxially with a longitudinal axis of the spigot formation and which sleeve is insulated by an annular part 28 of the spigot formation from a coaxially mounted conductive outer sleeve 32.

Wires or conductors 22 and 24 are connected to sleeves 26 and 32 respectively.

The connector arrangement 10 further comprises a second connector part 34. The second connector part 34 includes a body 36 made of the aforementioned material and including a second contact arrangement 38, shown in figure 3. The body 36 includes a resiliently flexible sleeve 40 formed integrally with a solid handle region 42. The sleeve 40 is dimensioned removably to receive the spigot 18. The second contact arrangement 38 includes a conductive spigot 44 removably recevable in sleeve 26 and a hollow conductive sleeve 46 for removably receiving outer sleeve 32 of the first connector part. The second contact arrangement is connected to wires 48 and 49 extending from body 36.

As best shown in figure 3, the connector arrangement 10 comprises an arrangement 50 for arresting the spigot 18 in the sleeve 40 and the first contact arrangement 20 and second contact arrangement 38 in mating contact relationship with one another. More particularly, the arrangement 50 is configured to enable relatively easy insertion of the spigot 18 into the sleeve 40 to make contact, thereby to facilitate ease of use of the connector arrangement, but to provide substantially more resistance to removal of the spigot 18 from the sleeve with a straight line axial force F, to prevent accidental separation of the aforementioned contact arrangements.

In a first embodiment, the arrangement 50 comprises a screw thread 56 (shown in figures 2 and 3) towards the free end of spigot 18 and a co- operating screw thread 58 in sleeve 40, shown in figure 3 only.

In one form, the profile of the threads is such that the faces 56.1 of the thread 56 facing towards the free or distal end of the spigot slant towards a ridge 56.2 of the thread in a direction towards the handle. The faces 56.3 of the thread 56 facing towards the handle 16 are substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the spigot. The faces 58.1 of the thread 58 in the sleeve 40 facing the open end of the sleeve slant towards a ridge 58.2 in a direction towards the handle 42. The faces 58.3 of the thread 58 facing towards the handle 42 are substantially perpendicular to a

longitudinal axis of the body 36. In other forms, both threads, when viewed in transverse cross-section may have symmetrical face profiles on either side of a ridge. In other embodiments parallel ribs with cross- sectional profiles as shown in figure 3 may be utilized.

Referring again to the embodiment shown in figure 3, upon insertion of spigot 18 into sleeve 40, the slanting faces of threads 56 and 58 cooperate with one another to facilitate insertion of the spigot into the sleeve.

Alternatively, by twisting the parts 12 and 34 relative to one another and using the threads 56,58, the contact arrangements 20,38 are brought into mating contact with one another and rib 52 slips into groove 54. In the configuration shown in figures 2 and 3, the electrical contact arrangements 20 and 38 co-operate with one another to make an electrical contact between the wires 22,24 on the one hand and the wires 48,49 on the other.

In this position, the perpendicular faces 56.3,58.3 of the threads 56 and 58 abut against one another. With these faces abutting against one another, a substantially larger axial straight line force F is required to separate the first and second connector parts 12,34 from one another compared to the aforementioned forces required to insert the spigot 18 into the sleeve 40. However, the straight line axial force required to separate the two connector parts 12,34 is still smaller than a force required to sever

any one or more of the wires 24,26,48 and 49 or to separate them from their connections to the connector parts.

In order conveniently to remove the spigot 18 from the sleeve 40 and to break the contact, the two connector parts 12 and 34 are rotated through about 100'relative to one another about their longitudinal axes to utilize the threads 56 and 58, to overcome the aforementioned abutting perpendicular faces.

It will be appreciated that there are many variations in detail on the connector arrangement according to the invention without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.