JPH0142304Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Field of Application] This invention relates to an electrical cable connector, particularly a connector that can be connected underwater.

[Conventional technology]

When connecting connectors underwater, water is trapped between the male and female connectors, so unless this water is drained or absorbed in some way, the force required to connect will increase, making it difficult to meet the requirements for practical use. No contact pressure is obtained, resulting in poor interfacial sealing and poor electrical properties of the interface.

In recent years, with the development of marine development, there has been a need for connectors that can be connected underwater and that provide sufficient interface sealing and electrical characteristics.

Therefore, as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application No. 49-32191, a bellows-shaped cap is attached to one end of the through hole of a socket (female connector), a female electrode is provided on the inner periphery of the through hole, and Fill the hole and cap with insulating compound, provide a male electrode in the middle of the plug (male connector), and insert this into the through hole to push the insulating compound into the cap and connect the electrodes to each other. A method has been proposed that allows this to occur.

[Problem that the invention attempts to solve]

In the underwater connector described in the above publication, the contact pressure is insufficient because the female electrode provided on the inner periphery of the through hole of the socket and the male electrode exposed on the outer periphery of the socket are simply brought into contact. Reliable continuity cannot be expected.

Furthermore, since the bellows cap is formed at one end of the through hole of the socket, there is also the disadvantage that the entire connector becomes long.

Therefore, this idea solves the above problems and
To provide an underwater connector that can secure a sufficiently large contact pressure, shorten the length of the entire connector, and have good workability.

[Means for solving problems]

As a means to solve the above problems, this invention supports a conical elastic insulator so that it can move forward and backward with an elastic holding device provided inside the case of a male connector, and also fills a fluid insulator around the elastic holding device. A male electrode protrudes from the tip of the elastic insulator, and the female connector case has a tapered opening that matches the conical insulator, and at least the opening is covered with a hard insulator. The formed insulator for covering the female electrode is attached, the fitting hole of the female electrode covered with the insulator is connected to the deepest part of the opening, and the bottom part of the fitting hole of the female electrode is
A cavity formed by winding an elastic tube around the outer periphery of the female electrode covering insulator, or a cavity formed in an annular shape around the female electrode inside the female electrode covering insulator made of an elastic material. The fitting hole of the opening female electrode and the cavity are filled with a fluid insulator.

[Effect]

In the connector with the above configuration, when the male connector and the female connector are connected, the pressure of the fluid insulator increases.
The resulting increase in the volume of the cavity allows fluid insulation to be absorbed therein. Also, the conical elastic insulator of the male connector is inserted into the insulator with the tapered opening of the female connector, and is pressed against the contact surfaces of both insulators and the contact surfaces of both electrodes by an elastic holding device provided on the male connector. Pressure is applied.

〔Example〕

1 to 4 show a first embodiment. 1st
The figure shows a male connector 1, and FIG. 2 shows a female connector 2.

In the male connector 1, a cable 4 is inserted into the case 3, a male electrode 5 is connected to the conductor part at the tip,
The outer periphery of the connecting portion is covered with a cone-shaped elastic insulator 6, and the insulator 6 protrudes conically from the case 3, and a male electrode 5 protrudes from its tip. Further, an elastic holding device 7 is provided inside the case 3, thereby elastically supporting the insulator 6 from the back side. The holding device 7 includes a tapered open holding plate 8, a guide pin 9 fixed to the holding plate 8, a bracket 10 through which the guide pin 9 is inserted, and a structure surrounding the guide pin 9 between the bracket 10 and the flange of the holding plate 8. The insulator 6 is fixed to the holding plate 8. A fluid insulator such as silicone grease is filled around the elastic holding device 7 to protect the spring 11 and the like from corrosion.

Next, the female connector 2 shown in FIG.
A cable 13 is inserted into the cable, a female electrode 14 is connected to the conductor part at the tip, and the outer periphery of the connected part is covered with an insulator 15.
One end thereof is expanded into a tapered shape, extends to the connecting end surface of the case 12, and is fixed to the case 12 at that end surface. The taper of this opening 16 is formed to be equal to the taper of the protrusion of the elastic insulator 6 in the male connector 1 described above. The above insulator 15, including the opening 16, may be entirely formed of a hard insulator, but only the opening 16 may be formed of a hard insulator, and the other portions may be formed of a non-hard insulator.

The female electrode 14 is located at the deepest part of the opening 16, and a radial hole 18 is provided at the back of the connection fitting hole 17, and one end of a tube 19 formed of an elastic insulator is provided in this hole 18. is connected.
The tube 19 is spirally wound around the insulator 15 and its end is closed. Therefore, the tube 19 expands when pressure above a certain level is applied, and the volume of the cavity 20 increases.

As shown in FIG. 3, two holes 18, 18' are provided in the inner part of the fitting hole 17 of the female electrode 14, one end of the tube 19 is folded back, and both ends are connected to each hole 18, 18'. 18'.

In both of the female connectors 2 shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. The body is filled.

Next, the function of the above connector will be explained.

Since the female connector 2 is filled with the fluid insulator as described above, water does not enter into the opening 16, electrode fitting hole 17, and tube 19 of the female connector 2 during connection work underwater. Therefore, when the male connector 1 is connected to this (see Fig. 4),
The fluid insulator is pushed away and the interfaces of both connectors 1 and 2 come into contact, and the fluid insulator, which has no place to escape, expands the tube 19 due to the increase in pressure and is absorbed into the cavity 20 whose volume has increased. Ru.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described in FIGS. 5 to 8.
This will be explained based on the diagram.

The male connector 1 in this embodiment is similar to that described above. The opening 16 of the female connector 2 is formed of a hard insulator in the same manner as described above, but other parts, such as the shape of the case 12 and the insulator covering the outer periphery of the connection between the cable 13 and the electrode 14. 21 and the absorption structure of the fluid insulator are different.

That is, the case 12 consists of a flange 22 and a relatively short cylindrical part 23, and the insulator 21 is integrated into the end of the cylindrical part 23. This insulator 21 has elasticity,
An annular cavity 24 is formed inside. This cavity 24 is connected by a passage 25 to a hole 18 provided in the fitting hole 17 of the male electrode 14 .

The above opening 16, electrode fitting hole 17, passage 25
The filling of the cavity 24 with a fluid insulator in advance is the same as in the above case.

Therefore, in this case as well, the volume of the cavity 24 increases due to the connection with the male connector 1, and a portion of the fluid insulator can be absorbed.

〔effect〕

Since this invention is as described above, it has the following effects.

(1) The protrusion of the insulator of the male connector is formed into a conical shape and made of a resilient insulator, and the opening of the female connector is formed into a tapered shape that matches the protrusion and is made of a hard insulator. Furthermore, since the insulator of the male connector is pressed by an elastic holding device, the contact pressure between the insulators and the electrodes is sufficiently high and stable.

(2) Since the male electrode protrudes from the conical insulator and the female electrode is formed at the deepest part of the tapered opening, during connection work, the male electrode is guided by the tapered opening and connects to the female electrode. Because it is inserted inside,
This has the effect of making it easier to connect underwater, which is difficult to do.

(3) The female electrode's fitting hole communicates with the deepest part of the tapered opening of the insulator, and the insulator is coated around the female electrode, so both the male and female electrode parts are surrounded by the insulator. Can be insulated.

(4) Since the cavity formed by the elastic body is formed on the outer periphery of the female electrode covering insulator, the length of the connector can be shortened, and the cable conductors connected to both connectors can be connected in a straight line. can do.

(5) Since the cavity is connected to the bottom of the female electrode fitting hole, the fluid insulator inside the female electrode fitting hole can be reliably discharged from the fitting hole into the cavity.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 4 show a first embodiment, FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a male connector, FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a female connector, FIG. 3 is a sectional view of another example of a female connector, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the combined state. Figures 5 to 8
The figures show the second embodiment, Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the male connector, Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the female connector, Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line X-X in Fig. 6, and Fig. 8 is the combined It is a sectional view of a state. 1...male connector, 2...female connector, 5
... Male electrode, 6 ... Insulator, 7 ... Elastic holding device, 14 ... Female electrode, 16 ... Opening, 17 ...
Female electrode fitting hole, 18... hole, 19... tube, 20... cavity, 21... insulator, 24...
Cavity, 25... passage.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] In an underwater connector for electric cables consisting of a combination of a male connector and a female connector, a conical elastic insulator is supported movably back and forth by an elastic holding device provided in the case of the male connector, and the elastic holding device is supported around the elastic holding device. is filled with a fluid insulator, has a male electrode protruding from the tip of the elastic insulator, and has a tapered opening in the case of the female connector that matches the conical insulator, and at least A female electrode covering insulator made of a hard insulator is attached to the part, and the female electrode's fitting hole covered with the insulator is made to communicate with the deepest part of the opening, and the female electrode's fitting hole is connected to the deepest part of the opening. In the bottom part, a cavity is formed by winding an elastic tube around the outer periphery of the female electrode covering insulator, or the female electrode covering insulator is made of an elastic material, and an annular tube is formed around the female electrode inside the cavity. An underwater connector for an electric cable, characterized in that the formed cavities are connected, and the opening, the female electrode fitting hole, and the cavity are filled with a fluid insulator.