GB1100005A - Releasable electrical connector - Google Patents

Abstract

1,100,005. Quickly releasable connector. F. G. BAC. 23 April, 1965 [24 April 1964; 7 April, 1965], No. 17243/65. Heading H2E. Part B of an electrical connector is locked to part A in such manner as to be quickly releasable therefrom when the rocket or similar device to which the part A is rigidly secured, is fired. Contacts 136 are connected over double, ended contacts 124 carried by a dead face 121 movable against a spring 118, with contacts 113. The dead face 121 provides a seal between the outer atmosphere and the contacts 113 and the outer surface may carry a plate or grid (27) of heat-resistant insulating material. Rotation of ring element 145 causes part B to mate and lock to part A through balls 161 riding in helical grooves provided in a sleeve 137, held against the end of the part A, thereby moving ring 145 and body shell 128 of part B, via co-operating flanges 151 and 152, forwardly. This causes the forward part 130 of the shell 128 to push balls 140 into a groove 141 in the part A, i.e. to the position shown in the righthand half of Fig. 3, and so to lock the two parts together. In the releasing mechanism shown in the left-hand side of Fig. 3, a flanged ring 156 is pushed downwardly against the action of a spring 159, thus allowing the balls 161 to slip into the recess 163 and allowing the rings 144 and 145 to be moved downwardly under the action of the spring 149, the ring 145 pushing the shell 128 down with it. In the alternative release mechanism shown in the right-hand side, a fork 166 is removed so that the ring 1551 moves upwardly under the action of a spring 159, thus allowing the balls 161 to drop into the aperture 164. In an alternative embodiment (Fig. 4, not shown), a ring similar to the ring 155<SP>1</SP> is lifted upwardly either by explosive caps or by a blast of compressed-air. The rings 155 or 155<SP>1</SP> may be controlled by electromagnets, Figs. 5 and 6 (not shown), and in this case an inserted fork may be used as a safety lock. Moreover, the ring may have two inwardly-directed projecting lugs (209a), Fig. 7 (not shown), to hold the balls 161 in the grooves 160, and be maintained in the angular position in which the lugs contact the balls 161 by means of a pin (211). Release may then be effected either electromagnetically or by pulling a cable (217) to shear the pin and rotate the ring so as to free the balls 161.