U.S. patent number 3,904,264 [Application Number 05/448,142] was granted by the patent office on 1975-09-09 for electrical connector.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Continental Oil Company. Invention is credited to Donald H. Oertle.
United States Patent |
3,904,264 |
Oertle |
September 9, 1975 |
Electrical connector
Abstract
An improved electrical connector for achieving high voltage
connections in aqueous environments, the connector comprising: a
tubular housing, a cylindrical insulator positioned inside the
tubular housing; a cap positioned on one end of the tubular
housing; a cylindrical insulating portion positioned inside the cap
and between the cap and the cylindrical insulator; and apparatus
for connecting the tubular housing to a utilization apparatus,
wherein, the improvement comprises positioning a plurality of
wedge-shaped ring seals in the connector to seal the connector
against the entry of contaminants.
Inventors: |
Oertle; Donald H. (Ponca City,
OK) |
Assignee: |
Continental Oil Company (Ponca
City, OK)
|
Family
ID: |
23779166 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/448,142 |
Filed: |
March 4, 1974 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
439/273; 439/281;
439/587; 174/77R; 439/581 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01R
13/53 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H01R
13/53 (20060101); H01R 007/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;339/89R,89C,89M,9R,9C,94R,94A,94C,94M,13R,13B,13M,177R,177E
;174/77R,91,93 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: McGlynn; Joseph H.
Assistant Examiner: Goldberg; Howard N.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Scott; F. Lindsey
Claims
Having thus described the invention, I claim:
1. An improved connector for sealing both the assembled components
of an electrical connector and the assembled connector with a
utilization apparatus wherein said connector includes;
a. a tubular housing;
b. a cylindrical insulation means axially positioned inside said
tubular housing;
c. a conduction means positioned through said cylindrical
insulation means;
d. a cap means releasably attached to a first end of said tubular
housing;
e. means for positioning an insulated conductor through said cap
means and in electrical contact with said conduction means;
f. means for retaining said conductor in said cap means; and,
g. attaching means for attaching a second end of said tubular
housing to said utilization apparatus, said attaching means
including a passageway between said attaching means and said second
end; the improvement comprising:
h. a first wedge-shaped ring seal means positioned in said
passageway between said second end of said tubular housing and said
means for attaching said second end of said tubular housing to said
utilization apparatus;
i. a second wedge-shaped ring seal means positioned around said
insulated conductor; and,
j. said means for positioning a conductor means through said cap
means and in electrical contact with said insulated conductor
comprising a cylindrical insulating portion having a tapered
section on one end which wedgingly seals said tubular housing.
2. The improved connector of claim 1 wherein; said means for
retaining said insulated conductor in said cap means comprises a
washer positioned between said cap means and said cylindrical
insulating portion and wherein said second seal means comprises two
wedge-shaped ring seals positioned on opposite sides of said
washer, one of said wedge-shaped ring seals being positioned in
said cylindrical insulating portion and the other wedge-shaped ring
seal being positioned in said cap means, said wedge-shaped ring
seals having their apexes directed away from said washer.
3. The improved connector of claim 2 wherein said insulated
conductor comprises a coaxial cable having a central conductor
separated from a peripheral conductor positioned peripherally
around an insulation means separating said central conductor means
and said peripheral conductor and wherein said insulated conductor
means is retained in position by clamping said peripheral conductor
means between said washer and said clamp means.
4. The improved connector of claim 2 wherein a cover means is
positioned on a first end of said cylindrical insulation means to
sealingly enclose said first end of said cylindrical insulation
means and wherein an insulating sheath is positioned inside said
tubular housing.
5. The improved connector of claim 2 wherein said means for
positioning an insulated conductor through said cap means and in
electrical contact with said conduction means includes a spring
contact means positioned between said insulated conductor and said
conduction means.
6. The improved connector of claim 2 wherein said means for
attaching said second end of said tubular housing to said
utilization apparatus comprises a threaded collar means positioned
on said apparatus, a peripheral protrusion on the outside of said
tubular housing, and a nut means having threads to matingly engage
said threaded collar means and a lip means to engage said
peripheral protrusion thus attaching said tubular housing to said
utilization apparatus.
7. The improved connector of claim 2 wherein said means for
attaching said second end of said tubular housing to said
utilization apparatus comprises a threaded tubular member
positioned on said apparatus and around said tubular housing, a
peripheral projection on said cap means and a nut means having
threads to matingly engage said threaded tubular member and a lip
means to engage said peripheral projection and wherein the
positioning of said washer results in a cavity between said cap
means and said cylindrical insulating portion and a fourth
wedge-shaped ring seal means is positioned in said cavity at the
outer perimeter of said cavity and at the end of said outer
perimeter farthest from said first end of said tubular housing.
8. The improved connector of claim 7 wherein said fourth seal means
comprises a wedge-shaped portion of said cap means.
9. The improved connector of claim 2 wherein said insulated
conductor comprises a coaxial cable having a central conductor
separated from a peripheral conductor positioned peripherally
around an insulation means separating said central conductor means
and said peripheral conductor and wherein said insulated conductor
means is retained in position by clamping said peripheral conductor
means between said washer and said cylindrical insulating portion.
Description
Heretofore numerous high voltage connector assemblies have been
available; however, most such assemblies are rather large and in
many instances have relied on large ceramic insulators and wide
separations to achieve effective high voltage connections. In
recent years it has been increasingly desirable that small high
voltage connector assemblies be available for use in analytical
equipment and miniaturized equipment of various sorts. In many
instances it has been necessary to use such equipment in aqueous
environments and high humidity environments. While the high voltage
connectors known to the art have been effective in establishing
high voltage connections to such equipment in dry environments, it
has been found that the connectors heretofore known to the art
almost invariably fail within short periods of time in aqueous
environments and high humidity environments. The failure is
promoted by the high susceptibility to arcing with high voltage
connectors when small water leaks, for example, occur. Accordingly,
much time and effort has been devoted to the development of an
improved high voltage connector assembly which is adapted to
achieving high voltage connections to equipment in aqueous
environments and high humidity environments.
It has now been found that such connections are readily achieved by
the use of an improved connector for sealing both the assembled
components of the electrical connector and the assembled connector
with a utilization apparatus. The improved connector includes a
tubular housing; a cylindrical insulation means axially positioned
inside the tubular housing; a conduction means positioned through
the cylindrical insulation means and a cap means releasably
attached to one end of the tubular housing. A means for positioning
an insulated conductor through the cap means and in electrical
contact with the conduction means is positioned between the cap
means and the cylindrical insulation means and includes means for
retaining the insulated conductor in the cap means. An attaching
means for attaching the tubular housing to the utilization
apparatus is also included. The improvement comprises positioning a
first wedge-shaped ring seal means in a passageway between the
attaching means and the tubular housing; positioning a second
wedge-shaped ring seal means around the insulated conductor and
sealingly joining the cylindrical insulating portion which has a
tapered section on one end with the tubular housing to form a third
seal.
FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of the improved connector of the
present invention;
FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the connector attached to a
utilization apparatus having a pressurized environment or a vacuum
environment; and
FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of a portion of FIG. 2.
Similar numbers will be used throughout the specification for
similar elements.
Referring to FIG. 1, connector 10 which is attached to a
utilization apparatus 12 comprises a tubular housing 14 having a
cylindrical insulation means 16 axially positioned therein. Tubular
housing 14 is of a conductive material and includes a threaded
portion 18 positioned on a first end 20 of tubular housing 14.
Tubular housing 14 also includes a peripheral protrusion 22
positioned near its second end 24. Second end 24 may be tapered to
matingly join a first wedgeshaped ring seal 26 which is more
completely described hereinafter.
Cylindrical insulation means 16 has positioned therethrough a
conduction means 28 and includes a cavity 30 which contains an
electrical contact means 32. Electrical contact means 32 includes a
contact plate 34 which is joined to conduction means 28 by a
flexible conductor 36. Contact plate 34 is urged into electrical
contact with contact button 38 which is electrically fastened to a
conductor 40.
A cap means 42 is releasably attached to first end 20 of tubular
housing 14 by threads 18. Conductor 40 having insulation 44 is
positioned through cap means 42 and in electrical contact with
conduction means 28. Cap means 42 also optionally includes threads
46 for connection to other equipment.
A cylindrical insulating portion 48 is positioned inside cap means
42 and between a first end 50 of cap means 42 and cylindrical
insulation means 16. Cylindrical insulating portion 48 includes a
tapered portion 52 which forms a wedging sealing junction 54 with
the inner diameter 55 of tubular housing 14 thus preventing the
entry of contaminants into connector 10 through threads 18.
Conductor 40, including insulation 44, is positioned through
cylindrical insulating portion 48 and terminates at contact button
38.
A washer 56 is positioned between cap means 42 and cylindrical
insulating portion 48. Washer 56 retains a second conductor 60 in
position. In a desired embodiment conductor 40 is one conductor of
a coaxial cable 58 which includes conductor 40, insulation 44,
second conductor 60 and an outer insulation 62. Second conductor 60
comprises a peripheral arrangement of metallic foil or small metal
wires 64 threaded or wrapped periphally around insulation 44, the
ends of which are positioned between washer 56 and cap means
42.
Tubular housing 14 is attached to utilization apparatus 12 by means
of attaching means 66. Attaching means 66 includes peripheral
protrusion 22 and a collar means 68 positioned on utilization
apparatus 12. Collar means 68 includes threads 70 to matingly join
with threads 72 of a nut means 74. Nut means 74 also includes a lip
76 which engages peripheral protrusion 22 and joins tubular housing
14 to utilization apparatus 12.
First wedge-shaped ring seal means 26 is positioned in a passageway
78 between first end 20 of tubular housing 14 and attaching means
66. Seal means 26 obviously may be positioned in various positions
in passageway 78. The position shown is preferred since in this
position seal means 26 forms a seal between first end 20 of tubular
housing 14 and the junction of threads 70 on collar means 68 and
threads 72 on nut means 74. Seal means 26 also sealingly joins a
portion 80 of utilization apparatus 12 thus forming a further
seal.
A second sealing means 82 is included and comprises a pair of
wedge-shaped ring seal means 84 and 86 positioned around conductor
40. Seal 84 is positioned in cylindrical insulating portion 48 and
seal 86 is positioned in cap means 42 and around cable 58. The
apexes of seal means 84 and 86 are directed in opposite directions
and away from washer 56. Upon assembly of the apparatus it is
clearly seen that seal 86 prevents the entry of moisture through
insulation 62 of coaxial cable 58 into connector 10 and seal 84
prevents the entry of moisture through conductor 60 into contact
with electrical conductors 40 and 28.
It is thus seen that connector 10 is completely protected against
the entry of water or other contaminating material.
FIG. 2 shows a similar connector for use with pressurized or
evacuated utilization apparatus. Electrical contact means 32
comprises a flexible electrically conductive spring 88 joined to
first end 89 of conduction means 28 and contact button 38.
Attaching means 66 comprises a tubular member 90 which includes
threads 92. Tubular member 90 is sealingly positioned on
utilization apparatus 12 and around tubular housing 14. A
peripheral projection 93 is positioned on cap means 42. A nut means
94 including threads 96 is used to attach utilization apparatus 12
to tubular housing 14. A wedge-shaped ring seal means 98 is
positioned in passageway 78 between attaching means 66 and second
end 24 of tubular housing 14. A wedge-shaped ring surface 100 is
formed as a part of cap 42 and is positioned in a cavity 102 formed
by positioning washer 56 between cap means 42 and cylindrical
insulating portion 48. Surface 100 is positioned at the outer
perimeter 104 of cavity 102 and at the end 106 of outer perimeter
104 farthest from cylindrical insulation means 16. It is thus seen
that conductors 28 and 40 are sealingly protected from the entry of
water and outside contaminants after assembly. FIG. 3 shows surface
100 as a wedge-shaped ring seal means 114 positioned at the outer
perimeter 104 of cavity 102 and at the end 106 of outer perimeter
104 farthest from cylindrical insulation means 16. The use of seal
means 114 is also a preferred embodiment.
In the embodiments shown in FIG. 2 a cover 108 is positioned on one
end 110 of cylindrical insulation means 16. First end 89 of
conduction means 28 is sealingly joined to cover 108 thus
maintaining the vacuum or pressure in utilization apparatus 12.
Cover 108 is normally of a conductive material and as a result it
is necessary to provide an insulating sheath 112 inside tubular
housing 14. The attaching means shown in FIG. 2 is preferred for
general use since the tubular housing provides protection to the
electrical components during handling and assembly and results in a
stronger connection.
Tubular housing 14, attaching means 66 and cap means 42 are all
conductive materials so that the ground portion of the circuit is
completed.
Cylindrical insulation means 16 is of any suitable insulating
material such as polyvinylchloride, high-density polyethylene,
alumina, ceramics and the like. When utilization apparatus 12 is
evacuated, it is desirable that an insulating material which does
not outgas be used. High grade refractory alumina has been found
particularly desirable in such applications. The wedge-shaped ring
seal means and cylindrical insulating portion 48 are fabricated
from any suitable resilient insulating material such as Teflon,
polyvinylchloride, high-density polyethylene, rubbers and the like.
Particularly desirable results have been obtained wherein Teflon
was used.
Having thus described the invention, it is pointed out that the
foregoing description of preferred embodiments is illustrative
rather than limiting and that many variations and modifications are
possible within the scope of the present invention.
* * * * *