US3850495A - Multi-pin shielded high voltage connector - Google Patents

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a multi-pin high voltage connector which is shielded and field installable and which can be assembled, disassembled and repaired in the field. The connector includes mating plug and receptacle portions, each having a boot which is placed over the wire and contact and fitted into a plastic insert and against a washer wherein the boot makes a seal with the washer under pressure at its rear portion and makes a seal at its forward portion with the plastic insert and boot of the mating member to provide an effectively continuous insulation across the connector members and within the connector around the connection. The connector also includes a continuous metal shield.

Description

United States Patent 91 Glover Nov. 26, I974 [75] Inventor: Douglas Wade Glover, Harrisburg,

[73] Assignee: AMP Incorporated, Harrisburg, Pa.

[22] Filed: June 6, 1973 21 Appl. NO..' 367,665

[52] US. Cl 339/60 M, 339/94 M, 339/103 M Primary Examiner-Joseph l-l. McGlynn Attorney, Agent, or FirmGerald K. Kita [5 7] ABSTRACT The disclosure relates to a multi-pin high voltage connector which is shielded and field installable and which can be assembled, disassembled and repaired in the field. The connector includes mating plug and receptacle portions, each having a boot which is placed over the wire and contact and fitted into a plastic insert and against a washer wherein the boot makes a seal with the washer under pressure at its rear portion and makes a seal at its forward portion with the plastic insert and boot of the mating member to provide an effectively continuous insulation across the connector members and within the connector around the connection. The connector also includes a continuous metal shield.

4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures g I, I

MULTll-PIN SHIELDED HIGH VOLTAGE CONNECTOR This invention relates to a shielded multi-pin high voltage connector and, more specifically to a multi-pin high voltage shielded connector which is field installable and which can be assembled, disassembled and repaired in the field.

Prior art high voltage shielded multi-pin connectors are normally potted, this potting requiring the use of apparatus not found in the field or readily usable in the field. It has therefore been necessary that connection to such connectors be performed away from the situs of the end use of the connector, this requiring a great deal of time as well as the special potting equipment. Such prior art high voltage electrical connectors, due to the potting, are also not readily assembled, disassembled or repaired in the field. All of this requires that high voltage connections made in the field or repaired in the field be costly and time consuming.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a shielded high voltage multi-pin shielded electrical connector which is relatively compact, field installable and capable of assembly, disassembly and repair in the field. This is accomplished by providing a shielded connector which does not require potting. Briefly, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a multi-pin high voltage connector which is shielded and field installable and which can be assembled and disassembled and repaired in the field. The connector includes mating plug and receptacle portions, each having a boot which is placed over-the wire and contact and fitted into a plastic insert and against a washer wherein the boot makes a seal with the washer under pressure at its rear portion and makes a seal at its forward portion with the plastic insert and boot of the mating member to provide an effectively continuous insulation across the connector member and within the connector around the connection. The connector also includes a continuous metal shield.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a multi-pin high voltage connector which is installable, assemblable, disassemblable and repairable in the field without special tooling.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a multi-pin high voltage connector composed of plural interfitting and unconnected parts.

It is a yet further object of this invention to provide a multi-pin high voltage connector having a substantially continuous body of insulation formed by plural interfitting and unconnected components.

The above objects and still further objects of the invention will become immediately apparent to those skilled in the art after consideration of the following preferred embodiments thereof, which are provided by way of example and not by way of limitation, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the assembled multi-pin high voltage electrical cOnnector of the present invention with half of the mated connector pair mounted in a bulkhead held therein by a lock nut;

FIG. 2 is a view taken along theline 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view taken along theline 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-section view of the electrical connector in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the socket portion of the electrical connector of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of a second embodiment of the present invention.

Referring first to FIG. ll, there is shown an isometric view of the shielded, multi-pin high voltage connector in accordance with the present invention. Thereceptacle 2 is secured in a bulkhead l by means of alock nut 5 threaded ontothreads 4 .of ametal shell 3.Rubber boots 11 having contacts 13 (shown in FIG. 4) therein are secured withinshell 3 as will be explained in detail hereinbelow. A portion offerrule 19 withleads 15 extending therefrom is also shown.

Thesocket connector portion 6 also includes wire 15', a ferrule 19', a back cap 21' threaded onto a metal shell 3' onto which is mounted ametal cap 27 which threads onto thethreads 4 ofreceptacle 2 in a manner to be described in detail hereinbelow. Also shown is the forward portion of aplastic insert 9.

Thereceptacle 2 andsocket 6 front ends are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, thereceptacle 2 including a recess in which one of theboots 11 withcontact element 13 therein is shown. Thereceptacle 2 also includesflanges 12 therein which mate withdepressions 14 ofsocket 6 to provide proper polarization. Thesocket 6 also includes boots 11' through whichpins 29 extend from mating withcontacts 11..

Referring now to FIG. 41, there is shown a crosssection of the connector in accordance with the present invention in greater detail. Thereceptacle 2 is shown mounted in a bulkhead l by means of electrically conductingmetal shell 3 and locknut 5 threaded ontothreads 4 ofshell 3. Shell 3also includes an O-ring groove containing and O-ring 8 whereby application of pressure vialock nut 5 accomplishes a seal between the O-ring 8 and thebulkhead 1. Within theshell 3 is aplastic insert 9 having seven apertures therethrough to accommodate the seven incoming wires. Theshell 9 is tapered to accommodate tapered boot ill. Positioned within each of the seven apertures is arubber boot 11 into which anelectrical contact 13 is positioned, thecontact 13 being attached to lead orwire 15. Thelead 15 is electrically connected to contact 113 externally and then inserted into boot ill, the boot with lead and contact therein then being inserted into the aperture ininsert 9, this being done for each of the seven wires. A plastic washer 1'7 with seven apertures therein through which leads 15 pass is positioned at the rear end of the boots ill between the boots and the metal, electrically conductingferrule 19. Theferrule 19 applies pressure against thewasher 17 by force applied thereto bymetal back cap 21 which is threaded ontothreads 22 ofshell 3.

Theferrule 19 and back cap 211 apply pressure to washer 117 which squeezes the molded shoulder at the rear portion of boot Ill and provides a seal atinterface 23. Theboot 11 is made with its internal cavity smaller thancontact 13 andwire 15 so that the boot is squeezed outwardly and causes evacuation of air to form the seal atinterface 23, thereby closing off the outside of the system at the rear of the connector and carrying the insulation back in a continuous manner through theinterface point 23. I

Theplug portion 6 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 has many of the same or similar elements as thereceptacle 2 and such elements are provided with the same primed character reference. Theplug 6 includes a metallic electrically conducting shell 3' within which is aplastic insert 11 which mates withplastic insert 9. The shell 3' includes a threadedshoulder 33 and a rear threadedportion 35 of smaller cross-section thanportion 35 with aflat land portion 37 therebetween of the same cross section asportion 35. Theplug 6 also includes aback cap 21 threaded ontothreads 35 and forcingferrule 19 againstwasher 17 which makes a seal atinterface 23 with the rear portion of boot 11'. The wire 15' extends through the apertures in washer 17' and is connected topin 25 in the manner previously described. Thecap 27 includes threads 39, a raisedportion 41 and aflange portion 43. Thecap 27 is threaded over thethreads 33 and continues to move to the right until the threads no longer mate and thecap 27 is freely rotatable and held in the position shown in FIG. 4 by theflange 43 which extends to theland 37, theraised portion 41 being longer than thethreads 33. This construction ofcap 27 with a partial thread provides for space saving.

Theconnector portions 2 and 6 are interconnected by threading the threads 39 ontothreads 4 to pull theplug 6 andreceptacle 2 together and form a second interface between theboots 11 and 11' at theinterface 29 with concomitant air evacuation to form an area seal at theinterface 29 as well as between theboot 9 or 9' and insert 11 or 11.

Referring now to FIG. 6, there is shown a second embodiment of the invention wherein aplug 6" is shown though it should be understood that this embodiment can also apply to the receptacle portion. Here it is desired to provide an angular bend to the wire at the rear of the plug. This is accomplished by providing aferrule 19" having an angular bend therein. The remaining elements are the same as those shown in FIG. 1.

It can be seen that there has been provided a high voltage electrical connector which is readily installed, assembled, disassembled or repaired and which includes electrical shielding as provided by the continuouselectrically conducting elements 19, 21, 3 and 27 of theplug 6 and 3, 19 and 21 of thereceptacle 2.

Though the invention has been described with respect to specific preferred embodiments'thereof, many variations and modifications will immediately become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is therefore the intention that the appended claims be interpreted as broadly as possible in view of the prior art to include all such variations and modifications.

What is claimed is:

l. A multi-pin high voltage electrical connector, which comprises:

a. an electrically conductive shell,

b. an electrically insulating insert positioned within said shell and mating with said shell, said insert having plural tapered apertures extending therethrough and a washer positioned at the rear of said insert,

c. a tapered boot of electrically insulating material positioned in each of said apertures and in intimate contact with said insert, said boot having forward and rearward ends,

d. means applying a force against said rearward end of said boot to form a seal therewith,

e. a mating member forming a pressure seal at the forward end of said boot, leads extending through said means applying a force and terminating within each said boot and in intimate contact with each said boot, wherein said means applying a force further includes a ferrule positioned between said washer and said pressure applying means, said leads extending outwardly through said ferrule.

2. A multi-pin high voltage connector as set forth inclaim 1 wherein said insert, said boot and said means applying a force form a substantially continuous insulator.

3. A multi-pin high voltage connector as set forth in claim I wherein the axis of said ferrule has a bend therein,

4. A multi-pin high voltage connector as set forth inclaim 1 wherein the axis of said ferrule has a bend therein.

Claims (4)

1. A multi-pin high voltage electrical connector, which comprises: a. an electrically conductive shell, b. an electrically insulating insert positioned within said shell and mating with said shell, said insert having plural tapered apertures extending therethrough and a washer positioned at the rear of said insert, c. a tapered boot of electrically insulating material positioned in each of said apertures and in intimate contact with said insert, said boot having forward and rearward ends, d. means applying a force against said rearward end of said boot to form a seal therewith, e. a mating member forming a pressure seal at the forward end of said boot, leads extending through said means applying a force and terminating within each said boot and in intimate contact with each said boot, wherein said means applying a force further includes a ferrule positioned between said washer and said pressure applying means, said leads extending outwardly through said ferrule.

2. A multi-pin high voltage connector as set forth in claim 1 wherein said insert, said boot and said means applying a force form a substantially continuous insulator.

3. A multi-pin high voltage connector as set forth in claim 1 wherein the axis of said ferrule has a bend therein,

4. A multi-pin high voltage connector as set forth in claim 1 wherein the axis of said ferrule has a bend therein.

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