WO2021175656A1

WO2021175656A1 - Connector for use under water

Info

Publication number: WO2021175656A1
Application number: PCT/EP2021/054417
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alexander EWERT; Kilian HELFMEIER; Torben PARDUN
Original assignee: Atlas Elektronik Gmbh; Thyssenkrupp Ag
Priority date: 2020-03-04
Filing date: 2021-02-23
Publication date: 2021-09-10
Also published as: EP4115476A1; DE102020202778A1

Abstract

Disclosed is a connector (20) for use under water. The connector comprises a housing (22) with a first opening and a second opening, and an electrical conductor (24) passing through the first opening (30) into the housing (22). The connector (20) also comprises a seal (26) which seals the second opening (32) from the infiltration of water, wherein an electrical contact (34) passes through the seal (26), and the electrical contact (34) contacts the electrical conductor (24) inside the housing. A sealing element (28) fills the first opening (30), said sealing element (28) being located such that an edge region (36) of the housing is enclosed on both sides by the sealing element (28).

Description

Plugs for use underwater

description

The invention relates to plugs that are used underwater and therefore have to have special requirements for waterproofness.

Typical plugs are not designed for use underwater. In particular, water can penetrate at contact points between different materials, which can damage the connector and / or cause undesired connections (e.g. short circuits).

The object of the present invention is therefore to create an improved concept for plugs for use under water.

The object is achieved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Further advantageous embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims.

Embodiments show a plug for use underwater. The plug comprises a housing, an electrical line, a closure and a seal. The housing has a first opening and a second opening. The first opening and the second opening can be arranged opposite one another. The electrical line is led into the housing through the first opening. The electrical line is, for example, a cable that has one or more wires that can (each) carry electrical current. Furthermore, the electrical line (or the cable) is protected against the ingress of water, so that the current-carrying wires do not come into contact with water. This can be achieved with a suitable (cable) sheath.

The closure closes the second opening to prevent water from entering the housing. An electrical contact is passed through the closure, the electrical contact making contact with the electrical line within the housing. The electrical contact is led through the closure in such a way that no water can get into the housing of the plug through the lead-through.

In exemplary embodiments, this can be achieved by means of a circuit board. On the upper side, that is to say the side pointing into the interior of the housing, the electrical line can be in contact with the circuit board. The contact is made, for example, by soldering the electrical line or its current-carrying wire (s) to the board, so that contact is made with a conductor track on the board. The conductor track is passed through a base material of the circuit board, for example glass fiber reinforced plastic (GRP). The conductor track can then be contacted on the underside, that is to say through the second opening. The conductor track is then viewed as an electrical contact that is passed through the closure.

The seal fills the first opening, the seal being arranged in such a way that an edge region of the housing is enclosed by the seal on both sides, advantageously circumferentially. In the area in which the housing is enclosed by the seal on both sides, the seal is also referred to as a sleeve. The seal comprises a material that prevents water from entering the housing through the first opening. Silicone or polyurethane, for example, can be used as the material. To produce the plug, the material can be encapsulated after the electrical contact has made contact with the electrical line. The seal is, for example, a potting. The fact that the edge region of the housing is enclosed on both sides by the seal means that at least some of the opposite sides of the housing wall (in particular all around) are covered by the seal. The seal is made in one piece, ie it also covers a third side of the housing wall, which is arranged between the two opposite sides of the housing wall and connects the two opposite sides of the housing wall to one another. The third side can therefore also be referred to as the front side. The opposite sides of the housing wall advantageously run essentially parallel to a direction in which the plug is inserted into a plug receiving device. Furthermore, the third side advantageously shorter than the part of the seal which covers the outside of the housing.

The idea is to make the housing self-sealing in the area of the first opening. It is problematic if water creeps into the housing between the housing and the seal. Use is now made of the fact that the plug is inserted under water, so that water pressure acts on the plug. This compresses the seal in the area in which the housing is enclosed on both sides by the seal and thus prevents the ingress of water. The plug therefore seals itself from the water pressure acting on it.

It is advantageous to use the circuit board to provide the electrical contact to the outside by means of a conductor track. This enables a smaller design of the connector. In contrast to the typical rigid contacts (pins) that require space in the connector, only a flat circuit board is incorporated into the connector. There is no space required for the pens.

In exemplary embodiments, the board has a thickness of at least 4 mm, for example between 4 mm and 10 mm. This ensures that the board can withstand the water pressure acting on the first opening. In other words, with the thickness mentioned, the board does not bend excessively or does not break when it is exposed to water pressure. The dimension between the second opening in the direction of the interior of the housing is understood as the thickness of the circuit board.

Further exemplary embodiments show that a circumferential seal, in particular an O-ring, is arranged on an outer wall of the housing. The circumferential seal prevents water from penetrating between the plug receiving device and the plug and the electrical contacts outside the plug from being short-circuited.

Embodiments also show that the housing has a material that has a modulus of elasticity of at least 40 GPa, in particular at least 70 GPa. For example, a material of the housing comprises a metal, in particular aluminum or steel. This gives the plug its necessary robustness to withstand the water pressure over the long term. The housing advantageously has a material that has material properties similar to those of the plug receiving device. The relevant material properties are, for example, thermal expansion and swelling.

Further exemplary embodiments show that the housing has an edge on the outside, the edge defining an end of the edge region of the housing. The edge can also be referred to as a circumferential edge. The edge simplifies the manufacture of the connector, since the housing has a support surface on which the seal can “support” itself. Furthermore, an opposite side of the edge can rest on an edge of a corresponding connector receiving device. The plug receiving device is, for example, a socket.

Thus, in exemplary embodiments, a contact system with the plug and the plug receiving device is also shown. The plug receiving device receives the housing of the plug precisely so that the seal of the plug closes the plug receiving device when the plug is inserted from the ingress of water. The seal is arranged circumferentially on an outside of the housing. In exemplary embodiments, the plug receiving device (for each contact of the plug) has a spring contact which is designed to make (electrical) contact with the contact of the plug. This is particularly advantageous if the plug has the circuit board as a closure so that the spring contact can contact the conductor track of the circuit board. The spring contact can be arranged on a further circuit board, so that the electrical signals provided by the plug or the electrical energy provided can be distributed on the circuit board by means of conductor tracks.

Analogously, a method for producing a plug for use under water is disclosed, comprising the following steps: providing a housing with a first opening and a second opening; Passing an electrical lead through the first opening in the housing; Close the second opening with a Closure, wherein an electrical contact is passed through the closure; Contacting the electrical contact within the housing with the electrical line; Filling the first opening with a seal in such a way that an edge region of the housing is enclosed on both sides by the seal. The first opening is advantageously filled after the electrical contact within the housing has come into contact with the electrical line.

Preferred exemplary embodiments of the present invention are explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Show it:

1: a schematic sectional illustration of a plug in a side view;

FIG. 2: exemplary embodiments of the plug from FIG. 1 in a schematic sectional illustration in a side view; FIG.

3: a schematic sectional illustration of a contact system.

Before exemplary embodiments of the present invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings, it is pointed out that identical, functionally identical or identically acting elements, objects and / or structures in the different figures are provided with the same reference numerals, so that those shown in different exemplary embodiments Description of these elements is interchangeable or can be applied to one another.

1 shows a schematic sectional illustration of a plug 20 in a side view. The plug 20 has a housing 22, an electrical line 24, a closure 26 and a seal 28. The electrical line 24 has a conductor 24a, also referred to as a wire or core, and electrical insulation 24b. The electrical insulation 24b also protects the conductor 24a from penetrating water. The electrical line 24 is, for example, an electrical cable. The housing 22 has a first opening 30 and a second opening 32. The electrical line 24 is guided into the housing 22 through the first opening 30. The second opening 32 is closed against ingress of water by means of the closure 26. An electrical contact 34 is passed through the closure 26. The electrical contact 34 makes contact with the electrical line 24, in particular the conductor 24a. Thus, an electrical signal or electrical energy present on the electrical line 24 can be provided via the contact 34 at the second opening 32 of the plug 20.

The shutter 26 comprises, for example, a circuit board. The board is arranged flat over the second opening 32 and closes it. The circuit board can have a conductor track as an electrical contact in order to guide the electrical contact through the circuit board. The conductor track makes contact with the electrical line within the housing. The circuit board can thus be used to provide the electrical signal provided by the electrical line 24 at the second opening 32 of the plug 20.

The seal 28 fills the first opening 30. The seal 28 encloses an edge region 36 of the housing 22 on both sides. Water would now first have to penetrate from the outside between the housing 22 and the seal 28 into the edge area in order to get into the interior of the housing. Due to the water pressure, however, the seal 28 is pressed against the housing 22 in the edge region 36, so that a greater contact pressure arises than, for example, in the air. However, this greater contact pressure makes it more difficult for water to penetrate and the plug 20 seals itself against the ingress of water.

The plug can be designed to be radially symmetrical around the electrical line 24. Alternatively, a corresponding angular (square or rectangular) configuration is also possible. The radially symmetrical design, however, has a higher degree of tightness. In any case, the connector 20 has a symmetry in the sectional view, so that, for example, the legs that are visible on both sides of the housing 22 are connected to form a common component outside the plane of the drawing. FIG. 2 shows exemplary embodiments of the plug from FIG. 1, which can be used both individually and in any combination with one another.

Thus, in one embodiment, FIG. 2 shows a seal 38 which is arranged circumferentially on an outer wall of the housing 22. The seal 38 is, for example, an O-ring. The seal 38 prevents the penetration of water along the outside of the plug into a corresponding plug receiving device (cf. FIG. 3). For better sealing, further seals, in particular O-rings, can be arranged adjacent to the seal 38 on the outside of the housing 22.

In a further exemplary embodiment, the plug has an edge 40 on the outside of the housing 22. The edge defines one end of the rim portion 36 of the housing.

In a further exemplary embodiment, the housing 22 has a groove 42 in the edge region 36. The seal 28 fills the groove 42 and thus makes it more difficult for the seal 28 to slip out of the housing 22. Thus, external forces, for example pulling on the electrical line 24, can cause the seal 28 to experience a force that causes the seal 28 to act the housing 22 pulls out. By means of the groove 42, the seal 28 then experiences a counterforce which makes it difficult to pull it out.

Another component for making it more difficult to pull the seal 28 out of the housing 22 is the clamp 44 according to an exemplary embodiment. The clamp 44 is arranged circumferentially around the seal 28 in the edge region of the housing 22, so that the clamp 44 mechanically presses the seal 28 onto the housing 22. As a result of the pinching that occurs, a counterforce to the pulling out is in turn exerted on the seal 28, which makes it difficult to pull the seal 28 out of the housing 22.

In a further exemplary embodiment, the electrical line 24 has a further conductor 24c in addition to the conductor 24a. The use of an electrical line 24 with further electrical conductors is possible. So can for energy transfer For example, an electrical line with typically two, three or five conductors can be used. An electrical line with any number of conductors can be used for signal transmission. It is advantageous to use one conductor 24a, 24c for each electrical signal to be transmitted.

3 shows a schematic sectional illustration of a contact system 44 in a side view. The contact system likes the plug 20. Fig. 1 and a connector receiving device 46. The connector receiving device 46 receives the connector 20 with an accurate fit. The plug 20 additionally comprises the exemplary embodiment of the seal 38 from FIG. 2 running around the outside of the housing 22. Further exemplary embodiments from FIG. 2 can be added as desired. The plug receiving device is protected against the ingress of water by the circumferential seal 38. Arrow 50a indicates that the plug 20 can be inserted into the plug receiving device 46 and pulled out again.

In order to make contact with the electrical contact 34 of the plug, the plug receiving device 46 can have a spring contact 48. The spring contact 48 can be pressed into the plug receiving device 46 when the plug 20 is inserted into the plug receiving device 46. The spring contact 48, however, has a permanent counterforce against being pushed in, so that the contact 34 is reliably contacted. The electrical signals provided at the second opening 32 or the electrical energy provided can thus be tapped via the spring contact 48 and, for example, forwarded to a computing unit for further signal processing or to an electrical consumer for power supply. Arrow 50b indicates that the spring contact can be pressed into the plug receiving device 46 and comes out again by means of a spring force when the plug no longer presses the spring contact into the plug receiving device 46.

The connector disclosed can establish an (electrical) connection between a water-borne sound converter and electronics for signal processing of water-borne sound signals. The (water) sound transducers are designed for use underwater, especially in the sea. The transducers are designed To convert water-borne sound into an electrical signal (e.g. voltage or current) corresponding to the sound pressure, the water-borne sound signal. In addition, the sound transducers are designed to convert an applied electrical voltage into water-borne sound. The sound transducers can accordingly be used as water-borne sound converters and / or as water-borne sound transmitters. The sound transducers have a piezoelectric material, for example a piezoceramic, as the sensor material. The transducers can be used for (active and / or passive) sonar (sound navigation and ranging). The sound transducers are not suitable for medical applications.

Although some aspects have been described in connection with a device, it goes without saying that these aspects also represent a description of the corresponding method, so that a block or a component of a device is also to be understood as a corresponding method step or as a feature of a method step. Analogously to this, aspects that have been described in connection with or as a method step also represent a description of a corresponding block or details or features of a corresponding device.

The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of the principles of the present invention. It is to be understood that modifications and variations of the arrangements and details described herein will be apparent to other skilled persons. It is therefore intended that the invention be limited only by the scope of protection of the following patent claims and not by the specific details presented herein with reference to the description and explanation of the exemplary embodiments. List of reference symbols:

20 plug 22 housing 24 electrical line

26 closure 28 seal 30 first opening 32 second opening 34 electrical contact

36 Edge area 38 Seal 40 Edge 42 Groove 44 Contact system

46 Plug receptacle 48 spring contact 50 arrow

Claims

A plug (20) for use underwater, comprising: a housing (22) having a first opening and a second opening; an electrical line (24) which is guided through the first opening (30) into the housing (22); a closure (26) which closes the second opening (32) against ingress of water, an electrical contact (34) being passed through the closure (26), the electrical contact (34) being the electrical line (24) within the housing contacted; a seal (28) which fills the first opening (30), the seal (28) being arranged such that an edge region (36) of the housing is enclosed on both sides by the seal (28).

2. Plug (20) according to claim 1, wherein the seal (28) comprises an epoxy resin.

3. Plug (20) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the closure (26) comprises a circuit board, wherein the circuit board is connected to the housing (22) in a watertight manner.

4. Plug (20) according to claim 3, wherein the circuit board has a conductor track as an electrical contact (34), wherein the conductor track contacts the electrical line (24) within the housing and wherein the conductor track is passed through the board.

5. plug (20) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein an outer wall of the housing has a circumferential seal, in particular an O-ring.

6. plug (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a material of the housing comprises a metal, in particular aluminum or steel.

7. Plug (20) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing (22) comprises a material having a modulus of elasticity of at least 40GPa, in particular at least 70GPa.

8. Plug (20) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing (22) has an edge (40) on the outside, the edge (40) defining one end of the edge region of the housing.

9. Contact system (44) comprising the plug (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, a plug receiving device (46), wherein the plug receiving device (46) the housing (22) of the plug receives a precise fit, so that a seal (38) of the plug When the plug (20) is inserted, the plug receiving device (46) closes against the ingress of water, the seal (38) being arranged circumferentially on an outer side of the housing.

10. Contact system (44) according to claim 9, wherein the plug receiving device (46) has a spring contact (48) which is designed to contact the contact (34) of the plug.

11. A method of manufacturing a connector for use under water with the following steps:

Providing a housing having a first opening and a second opening;

Leading an electrical line (24) through the first opening (30) into the housing;

Closing the second opening against ingress of water with a closure (26), an electrical contact (34) being passed through the closure (26);

Contacting the electrical contact within the housing with the electrical line; Filling the first opening with a seal in such a way that an edge region (36) of the housing is enclosed on both sides by the seal (28).