GB2178603A

GB2178603A - Electrical connector for underwater mating

Info

Publication number: GB2178603A
Application number: GB08519132A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Eric Franklin Birns
Original assignee: BIRNS OCEANOGRAPHICS
Current assignee: BIRNS OCEANOGRAPHICS
Priority date: 1985-07-30
Filing date: 1985-07-30
Publication date: 1987-02-11
Also published as: GB8519132D0

Abstract

A male connector comprises a single pin (2) of resilient insulating material having axially spaced circumferential contacts (4) and is mateable underwater with a female connector comprising a block (8) of resilient insulating material defining a pin-receiving bore (10) with contacts (12). The block (8) contains drainage channels (20) communicating with the bore (10) to allow water to be expelled from the bore (10) as the pin (2) is inserted. Interengaging locking screw sleeves (24,26) are provided. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Electrical connector The present invention relates to an electrical connector which is mateable underwater. It may also be used in other hostile environments such as mines or in any situation where a fast, secure connection is required.

There are a number of disadvantages associated with underwater mateable connectors currently in use. In general, these comprise multi-pin plugs and sockets which rely on the tightness of the fit of the pins to make them watertight and to maintain the connection.

Consequently, they are difficult to use since the pins must be correctly aligned and polarised, and the extremely tight fit requires considerable effort to make the connection. These problems are exacerbated by the conditions in which the connectors are often used; e.g. in poor light underwater.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate the aforesaid disadvantages.

Accordingly, the invention provides a male and female electrical connector combination wherein said male connector comprises a single non-conducting pin having a plurality of circumferential conducting contacts axially spaced along the length thereof; and said female connector comprises a non-conducting block having a bore therein with a plurality of circumferential conducting contacts axially spaced along the length thereof and is provided with at least one channel interconnecting the inner end of said bore and the exterior of said block whereby any liquid contained within said bore may be expelled upon insertion of said pin.

Preferably, locking means are provided for securing said male and female connectors together when said pin is inserted in said bore.

Preferably also, said pin is provided with an annular flange at its rearward end and a frustoconical portion at its forward end, said flange abutting the forward surface of said block and said frustoconical portion engaging a corresponding frusto-conical section of said bore when the pin is inserted in said bore and said locking means are engaged.

Preferably also, said locking means comprises first and second screw-threaded locking sleeve portions associated with said male and female connectors.

Preferably also, said non-conducting pin and block are of a resilient material such as neoprene or polyurethane.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of a male connector embodying the invention, Figure 2 is an elevation, again partly in section, of a female bulkhead-type connector for use with the male connector of Fig. 1, and Figure 3 is an elevation of an assembled connector.

Referring now to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a male connector comprising a single substantially cylindrical pin 2 of resilient insulating material having a plurality of circumferential contacts 4 axially spaced along its length. An annular flange 6 is provided at the rearward end of the pin 2.

As shown in Fig. 2 a female connector for use with the male connector described above comprises a block 8 of resilient insulating material having a substantially cylindrical bore 10 therein. Circumferential contacts 12 are axially spaced along the length of the bore 10 at positions corresponding to those of the contacts 4 of the male pin 2.

The male pin 2 is tapered at its forward end to form a frusto-conical portion 14 and the bore 10 of the female connector is provided with a corresponding frusto-conical section 16. Thus, when the pin 2 is inserted into the bore 10, the flange 6, abuts the forward surface 18 of the block 8 and the frustoconical portion 14 of the pin 2 engages the corresponding section 16 of the bore 8. To enable the connector to be mateable underwater, drainage channels 20 are provided in the block 8 which communicate with the bore 10 via an extension 22 of the bore 10 to the rear of the frusto-conical section 16 so that water contained in the bore 10 may be expelled as the pin 2 is inserted.

Means are provided for drawing together and locking the male and female connectors in the form of first and second locking sleeve portions 24 and 26 which are slidably and rotatably mounted on the cables or conduits 28 and 30 extending from the rear of the male and female connectors. In the example illustrated, the first locking sleeve portion 24 is provided with a multi-start externally threaded section 32 and the second locking sleeve portion 26 with a corresponding internally threaded section 34. When the locking sleeve portions 24 and 26 are engaged, they create a substantially cylindrical chamber 36 (shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3) enclosing the assembled connector.

The chamber 36 includes first and second end walls 38 and 40 (each having a central aperture 42 and 44 for the passage of the cable or conduit) so that upon assembly of the connector and tightening of the sleeve, the end wall 38 of the first locking sleeve portion 24 abuts the flange 6 and the end wall 40 of the second locking sleeve portion 26 abuts the rearward surface 46 of the block 8 and further tightening of the sleeve forces the male and female connectors together, securing the connection and enhancing the water-tight seal between the flange 6 and the forward surface 18 of the block 8 and the frusto-conical portions of the pin 2 and the bore 10.

Thus, the locking sleeve portions 24 and 26 serve both to effect the mating of the male and female connectors and to secure the connection. it is therefore unnecessary to handle the connectors themselves when making the connection so that the connector is easy to use in low-tactile response situations; e.g.

when wearing gloves. In addition, the assembled locking sleeve provides mechanical protection for the connector.

The second locking sleeve portion 26 may also be provided with drainage channels 48 communicating with the interior of the chamber 36.

The example illustrated shows a four-contact connector, but obviously the number of contacts may be varied for different applications. The specifications of the connector may also be adapted to suit voltage/current requirements.

Preferred materials are neoprene or polyurethane for the connectors and aluminium or acetyl resin for the locking sleeve. In the case of the bulkhead connector, the female connector may be of glass filled epoxy. The invention is, of course, equally applicable to cable connectors etc.

The invention thus provides a fast, secure underwater mateable connector. The single pin eliminates the difficulty of aligning a plurality of pins and, since the connection is secured by use of a locking sleeve rather than by relying on friction between the male and female connectors, it is only necessary for the pin to be a close enough fit to ensure adequate expulsion of water from the bore. The use of a steep multi-start thread on the locking sleeves aliows the connection to be secured by 1 21 turns or less of the sleeve.

Claims

1. A male and female electrical connector combination wherein said male connector comprises a single non-conducting pin having a plurality of circumferential conducting contacts axially spaced along the length thereof; and said female connector comprises a nonconducting block having a bore therein with a plurality of circumferential conducting contacts axially spaced along the length thereof and is provided with at least one channel interconnecting the inner end of said bore and the exterior of said block whereby any liquid contained within said bore may be expelled upon insertion of said pin.

2. The combination of claim 1, including locking means for securing said male and female connectors together when said pin is inserted in said bore.

3. The combination of claim 2, in which said pin is provided with an annular flange at its rearward end and a frusto-conical portion at its forward end, said flange abutting the forward surface of said block and said frustoconical portion engaging a corresponding frusto-conical section of said bore when the pin is inserted in said bore and said locking means are engaged.

4. The combination of claim 2 or claim 3, in which said locking means comprises first and second screw-threaded locking sleeve portions associated with said male and female connectors.

5. The combination of any preceding claim, in which said non-conducting pin and block are of a resilient material such as neoprene or polyurethane.

6. A male and female electrical connector combination substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the drawings.

7. A female connector for use in the combination of any preceding claim, which comprises a non-conducting block having a bore threin with a plurality of circumferential conducting contacts axially spaced along the length thereof and is provided with at least one channel interconnecting the inner end of said bore and the exterior of said block whereby any liquid contained within said bore may be expelled upon insertion of said pin.