EP1383205B1

EP1383205B1 - Swiveling cable connector

Info

Publication number: EP1383205B1
Application number: EP03356102A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Sharon Shulstein
Original assignee: Maytronics Ltd
Current assignee: Maytronics Ltd
Priority date: 2002-07-16
Filing date: 2003-07-03
Publication date: 2006-09-06
Anticipated expiration: 2023-07-03
Also published as: IL150762A; EP1383205A1; IL150762A0; ES2271510T3; DE60308103D1; DE60308103T2; ATE339025T1

Abstract

The invention provides a water-immersible, swiveling cable connector, having a first housing member in which is tightly embedded one end portion of a first multi-lead cable, of two such cables to be connected; a second housing member fixedly and sealingly attachable to the first housing member; a plurality of spring-loaded contact plungers, at least indirectly mounted in one of the housing members, each plunger being conductively connected to one each of the leads of the embedded first multi-lead cable; a rotor member rotatably accommodated in the other one of the housing members, in which member is tightly embedded one end portion of a second multi-lead cable; a plurality of contact surfaces substantially concentrically arranged and at least indirectly mounted in the rotor member, each of the surfaces being conductively connected to one each of the leads of the second multi-lead cable. Upon the first and the second housing members being mutually connected, the contact plungers are brought into contact with the contact surfaces, whereby the cable connector enables the first and the second multi-lead cables to carry out a rotary movement relative to each other about an axis substantially co-linear with the respective axes of their end portions of the first and second multi-lead cables, while their respective leads remain in continuous, conductive connection. <IMAGE>

Description

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a swiveling cable connector. More specifically, the invention relates to a device for connecting two multi-lead cables that are adapted to carry out a rotary movement relative to each other about an axis substantially coinciding with the axes of the terminal portions of these cables.

Background of the Invention

The swiveling cable connector of the invention is envisaged for use with per se known swimming pool cleaners or robots that travel over the bottom and wall surfaces of a pool following pre-established paths, in either a spiraling, zigzagging or otherwise meandering pattern, according to which the maximum probability of full coverage is ensured. Whatever the pattern used, it always involves some turning to the left or the right, or even a turn-about movement within the pool. Since these cleaning devices are supplied with power, as well as control signals, via a water-immersed cable, the movements of the device produce twists in the cable. Depending upon the sweeping pattern selected, such twists sometimes mutually cancel out, but at other times, they accumulate and are liable to produce forces that will not only act upon the entire device and interfere with its pre-planned course, but also can cause electrical shorts and other damage. Furthermore, in any case, the cable twists require manual untwisting, which is a serious nuisance to the operator of the device.
European Patent Application EP-A-1022411 which is considered to represent the closest prior art discloses a water-immersible swivelling connector composed of a socket and plug connectors having matching electrical contacts along their longitudinal walls.

Disclosure of the Invention

It is thus one of the objects of the present invention to provide an immersible cable connector that will prevent the formation of cable twists that interfere with the programmed course of a swimming pool cleaning device.
The present invention achieves the above objective by providing a water- immersible, swiveling cable connector, comprising: a first housing member in which is tightly embedded one end portion of a first multi-lead cable, of two such cables to be connected; a second housing member accommodating one end portion of a second multi-lead cable; characterized in that said housing members are fixedly and sealingly attachable to each other; and in that said water- immersible, swiveling cable connector further comprises: a plurality of spring-loaded contact plungers, at least indirectly mounted in one of said housing members, each plunger being conductively connected to one each of the leads of said embedded first multi-lead cable; a rotor member rotatably accommodated in the other one of said housing members, in which member is tightly embedded one end portion of a second multi-lead cable; a plurality of contact surfaces substantially concentrically arranged and at least indirectly mounted in said rotor member, each of said surfaces being conductively connected to one each of the leads of said second multi-lead cable; wherein, upon said first and said second housing members being mutually connected, said contact plungers are brought into contact with said contact surfaces, whereby said cable connector enables said first and said second multi-lead cables to carry out a rotary movement relative to each other about an axis substantially co-linear with the respective axes of their end portions of said first and second multi-lead cables, while their respective leads remain in continuous, conductive connection.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The invention will now be described in connection with certain preferred embodiments with reference to the following illustrative figures, so that it may be more fully understood.
With specific reference now to the figures in detail, it is stressed that the particulars shown are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of the preferred embodiments of the present invention only, and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the invention. In this regard, no attempt is made to show structural details of the invention in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the invention, the description taken with the drawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the invention may be embodied in practice.
In the drawings:

Fig. 1 represents the assembly of the connector according to the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the sleeve member of the connector;
Fig. 3 is a side view of the sleeve, as seen in direction A of Fig. 2;
Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the body member of the connector, including the molded-over contact plunger carrier;
Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the contact plunger carrier along the plane represented in Fig. 4;
Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view along plane VI-VI of Fig. 5;
Figs. 7 and 8 are perspective views of the contact plunger carrier as seen from both sides;
Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a contact plunger;
Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the rotor member of the connector, including the molded-over head element and the tail ring;
Figs. 11 and 12 are perspective views of the head element, as seen from both sides;
Fig. 13 is a perspective view of the tail ring;
Fig. 14 is a top view of the printed circuit board;
Fig. 15 shows the rear side of the printed circuit board with the cable leads attached, and
Fig. 16 illustrates the front side of the printed circuit board with the cable leads attached.

Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in Fig. 1 a preferred embodiment of the swiveling cable connector according to the present invention, which connects the cable from the power supply and control system located at poolside with the cable leading to the submerged pool cleaner. Seen in assembly are a first plastic housing member made in the form of a sleeve 2, attachable by means of a threaded joint to a second plastic housing or body member 4, and a contact plunger carrier 6 which, in the injection-molding stage, is embedded within body member 4. In the embodiment shown, contact plunger carrier 6 carries three spring-loaded contact plungers 8, equal in number to the number of leads 9 in multi-lead cable 10, which is also embedded within body member 4. A more detailed description of components 2, 4, 6 and 8 will be given further below.
In the space defined by sleeve member 2 and extending between the surface of contact plunger carrier 6 and the shouldered end of sleeve member 2, there is accommodated a rotor member 14, which, in this embodiment, is comprised of five different parts: a rotor core 16; a head element 18; a tail ring 20; a printed circuit board 22 and a stainless steel bushing 23. The purpose and structure of the PC-board will be explained further below in conjunction with the enlarged drawings of Figs. 14 to 16. Rotor core 16, made, e.g., of ABS, is over-molded with head element 18 and tail ring 20, which are advantageously made of a plastic compound containing one of the low-friction plastics such as Acetal. The Acetal component is required in the structure to reduce the friction which is liable to result from the relative rotation apt to be produced between sleeve member 2 and O-ring 24. Stainless steel bushing 23 is needed to provide a smooth and accurate surface on which a rubber seal 25 can rotate freely.
While the above over-molding procedure is the preferred manufacturing method, a possible alternative is also adhesive bonding.
It will be appreciated that the term "rotor" should be understood as being applicable in a nominal sense only, as the often complex configuration of the pool cleaner's path is liable to produce situations in which it is members 2 and 4 that rotate, while rotor member 14 appears to be stationary.
Cable 10' is embedded in rotor core 16 during the injection-molding stage, similar to the embedding of cable 10. Before being embedded, cables 10, 10' are provided with clasps 17, 17' (Fig. 1) that are crimped onto the cables and, after embedding, secure the cables against being inadvertently pulled out. Both cables are provided with sheaths 19, 19', made of foamed styrene or the like, which produce sufficient buoyancy to keep them afloat. Further seen is a first O-ring 24 for sealing the device against sleeve member 2, and a second O-ring 26 for sealing the device at the joint between members 2 and 4. Also seen is rubber seal 25 positioned around stainless steel bushing 23 which, while allowing rotor 14 to rotate freely, provides adequate sealing against water penetration. Further shown is a spacer washer 27 interposed between tail ring 20 and seal 25.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of sleeve member 2. While the interior walls of member 2 are mostly provided with the standard draft of 1-2° required to facilitate the extraction of the mold core, there are three regions that are purely cylindrical: region I, into which the neck portion of body member 4 fits; region II, relative to which the head element 18 of rotor member 14 rotates, region III, relative to which tail ring 20 rotates and region IV where rubber seal 25 is seated. Also seen is a relatively coarse internal thread 28, which matches external thread 30 of body member 4 (Fig. 4). A bore 32 at end allows cable 10' to pass (Fig. 1).
A safety feature for locking the connector joint after assembly is provided along rim 34 of sleeve member 2, in the form of a series of saw-toothed projections 36 (Fig. 2) engaging two pawl-like projections 38 (Fig. 4) on shoulder 40 of body member 4. During the final locking together of sleeve member 2 and body member 4, the pawls can be forced over projections 36 in the locking direction, but they firmly resist movement in the unlocking direction.
While a threaded joint is a preferable means of joining sleeve member 2 and body member 4, these two members could also be joined by bonding, using one of the water-resistant industrial adhesives.
Body member 4 is illustrated in greater detail in Fig. 4. Member 4 is an injection-molded component, advantageously made of polypropylene, which is molded over cable 10 after its leads 9 have been connected to contact plungers 8, as well as over contact plunger carrier in which plungers 8 have been inserted.
Contact plunger carrier 6, shown in Fig. 4 rotated by 90° with respect to Fig. 1, is shown to better effect in Figs. 5-8. There is seen a stepped, cylindrical body 42 having an integral, flat tongue-like projection 44. Further shown are three holes 46 passing through contact plunger carrier 6, each hole comprising three sections: a first, relieved section 48; a second, relieved section 50, and a parallel section 52. Contact plungers 8, shown in Fig. 9, are easily introduced into sections 48 and are firmly seated in sections 52. Also shown are two spaces 54, each having a relatively narrow access opening 56. During the over-molding stage, these spaces are filled with the polypropylene of body member 4 (Fig. 4), thus serving for the intimate bonding of components 4 and 6. The perspective views of Figs. 7 and 8 show carrier 6 from both sides.
Contact plunger carrier 6 could, however, also be joined to body member 4 by adhesive bonding.
Fig. 9 illustrates one of the three contact plungers 8. Shown is outer sleeve 60, ending in a pin 62, to which one of the leads 9 of cable 10 is soldered. Inside sleeve 60 is disposed another sleeve 64, which accommodates plunger 66 and a helical spring 68. Spring 68 exerts a biasing force on plunger 66, in the direction of its head 70. Further seen is the short portion 72 of sleeve 60, which is of a slightly larger diameter than the general diameter of the sleeve. Portion 72 of each contact plunger serves as a stop for the insertion of plunger 8 into section 52 of holes 46 in plunger carrier 6 (Fig. 6)
Rotor member 14 is shown, to an enlarged scale, in Fig. 10, and includes rotor core 16, head element 18, tail ring 20, and stainless steel bushing 23. Also shown are cable leads 9', schematically shown to be connected to printed circuit board 22. Further shown are the conductive surfaces of circuit board 22, which are in continuous contact with plunger heads 70: central disk 82, an intermediate ring 84, and an outer ring 86, all represented to better effect in Figs. 14-16.
Figs. 11 and 12 are perspective views of head element 18, as seen from both sides. Fig. 11 also shows recess 74, in which printed circuit board 22 is seated, and three lugs 76, whereby board 22 is immobilized, as can be seen in Figs. 14-16. Teeth 78 (Fig. 12) serve to anchor head element 18 within rotor core 14, while grooves 79 merely reduce the cross-section of the Teflon® molding.
Fig. 13 represents tail ring 20, which includes teeth 21 for anchoring.
Printed circuit board 22 is depicted in Fig. 14, showing the base 80 and the three conductive surfaces of the front side of the board: a central disc 82, an intermediate ring 84, and an outer ring 86. Also seen are three circumferential notches 88, serving, in conjunction with lugs 76 (Fig. 11) to define the location of printed circuit board 22. Small holes 90 are routinely used in printed circuit technology to provide a conductive connection between the front and rear surfaces of the board, the connection in this particular case comprising the three leads 9'.
Fig. 15 shows the rear side of printed circuit board 22. Seen are thin metal leads 92, connecting the rear side of the board with the conductive surfaces of its front side via holes 90. Conductively connected to these metal leads 92 are cable shoes 94, to which are soldered the ends of leads 9' of cable 10' (Fig. 1).
Fig. 16 shows the front side of the printed circuit board 22, with leads 9' attached.
It will be appreciated that conductive surfaces 82, 84 and 86 need not necessarily be parts of a printed circuit board, but may be fabricated by other commercial methods.
It will be evident to those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the details of the foregoing illustrated embodiments and that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

A water-immersible, swiveling cable connector, comprising:
a first housing member (2) in which is tightly embedded one end portion of a first multi-lead cable (10), of two such cables to be connected;

a second housing member (4) accommodating one end portion of a second multi-lead cable;

characterized in that said housing embers are fixedly and sealingly attachable to each other;

and in that said water-immersible, swiveling cable connector further comprises:
■ a plurality of spring-loaded contact plungers (8), at least indirectly mounted in one of said housing members, each plunger (8) being conductively < connected to one each of the leads of said embedded first multi-lead cable (10);

■ a rotor member (14) rotatably accommodated in the other one of said housing members, in which member is tightly embedded one end portion of a second multi-lead cable;

■ a plurality of contact surfaces (82, 84, 86) substantially concentrically arranged and at least indirectly mounted in said rotor member (14), each of said surfaces(82, 84, 86) being conductively connected to one each of the leads of said second multi-lead cable;
wherein, upon said first and said second housing members being mutually connected, said contact plungers (8) are brought into contact with said contact surfaces (82, 84, 86), whereby said cable connector enables said first and said second multi-lead cables to carry out a rotary movement relative to each other about an axis substantially co-linear with the respective axes of their end portions of said first and second multi-lead cables, while their respective leads remain in continuous, conductive connection.
The connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said contact surfaces (82, 84, 86) are mounted on a head element (18) attached to, or integral with a core 16 of said rotor member (14).
The connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said contact surfaces (82, 84, 86) are a central disc, an intermediate ring and an outer ring of a printed circuit board (22).
The connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said contact plungers (8) are mounted in a contact plunger carrier (6) attached to, or integral with, said one housing member.
The connector as claimed in claim 2, wherein said rotor member (14) further comprises a tail ring (20) attached to, or integral with, said core (16).
The connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and second housing members (2, 4) are joinable by means of a threaded joint.
The connector as claimed in claims 2 and 5, wherein said head element (18) and said tail ring (20) are joined to said rotor core (16) by over-molding.
The connector as claimed in claim 4, wherein said contact plunger carrier (6) is joined to said housing member by over-molding.