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US 2014/0273571 A1Published application
High voltage power connector
AssigneeBAE Systems Land & Armaments L.P.
InventorsHari Iyer, Robert Michael Barlow, Patrick J. Dolan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A high-voltage power connector comprising mating plug and socket assemblies. The socket assembly can include a hollow core surrounded by a bellows assembly filled with an inert liquid that eliminates arcing when an electrical connection is formed or broken. Embodiments of the plug and socket assemblies can include multiple contacts that first couple in air before an electrical circuit is formed and as the plug and socket are mated additional contacts inside the socket assembly mate while surrounded by an inert arc-suppressing fluid.
Claims17
An electrical connector system comprising:
- a plug assembly and
- a socket assembly;
- wherein the plug assembly includes:
- at least one contact post configured to receive a conductor;
- a housing enclosing the contact post and having an aperture to receive the conductor within the housing;
- a plug insulator located opposite the aperture, the plug insulator sized to extend beyond the housing in an unmated configuration and retract into the housing in a mated configuration, and having at least one opening where the contact post is seated;
- and
- a spring disposed between an interior surface of the housing and the plug insulator, wherein the plug insulator is biased to the unmated configuration by the spring;
- and
- wherein the socket assembly includes:
- at least one coupler having a contact receptacle sized to mate with the contact post and having an internal-contact post opposite the coupler;
- a socket insulator having at least one via sized to house the contact receptacle;
- a bellows assembly attached to the socket insulator having an internal-coupler configured to mate with the internal-contact post when the bellows is compressed, the internal-coupler extending through the bellows assembly and configured to receive a second conductor;
- an inert fluid contained in the bellows assembly such that the internal-contact post and the internal-coupler are both submerged in the inert fluid;
- a spring surrounding the bellows assembly and biased to expand the bellows assembly;
- and
- an exterior socket housing that contains the spring, the bellows assembly, the socket insulator, the at least one coupler, and having a latch mechanism to secure the housing of the plug assembly to the socket assembly;
- wherein when the plug assembly and the socket assembly are configured such that the plug insulator and the socket insulator abut prior to contact between the at least one contact post and the electrical contact receptacle, and such that an electrical connection between the first conductor and the second conductor is formed when the internal-contact post and the contact receptacle mate while submerged in the inert fluid.
15 more elements
A plug assembly comprising:
- a plurality of male electrical contact posts configured to each receive a wire;
- a housing enclosing the plurality of electrical contact posts and providing an aperture to receive the wire within the housing;
- and
- an insulating face located opposite the aperture, and disposed within the housing, wherein the insulator is mounted on a spring disposed on an interior surface of the housing, and having a plurality of openings where the contact posts are located such that the contact posts are exposed when the insulating face moves into the housing, thereby compressing the spring.
1 more element
A socket assembly comprising:
- an outer housing;
- a socket insulator disposed on an end of the outer housing;
- a bellows assembly attached to the socket insulator
- a plurality of female electrical receptacles, each disposed within a plurality of via in the face of the insulator, the receptacles having an inner contact post opposite the portion of the receptacle disposed within the opening;
- a plurality of electrical contacts disposed within an interior cavity in the outer housing configured to receive the inner contact post;
- and
- a fluid container disposed within the interior cavity and attached to the socket insulator;
- and
- a spring biased to push the socket insulator towards one end of the outer housing;
- wherein the electrical receptacles and the electrical contacts are exposed when the insulator is forced into the outer housing thereby compressing the bellows assembly.
7 more elements
A method of preventing electrical arcing comprising:
- providing a baffled socket assembly including a first external socket having a contact post configured to mate with a second internal socket, the first external socket being disposed at one end of the baffled socket in an insulating face, the second internal socket having an external connection point configured to receive a conductor;
- providing a spring-loaded plug assembly including a contact post disposed in an plug insulator housed within the plug assembly, the contact post being configured to mate with the first external socket;
- aligning the plug assembly and the socket assembly such that the insulating face and the plug insulator are in contact with each other;
- and
- mating the plug assembly and the socket assembly such that the plug insulator forces the insulating face into the socket assembly creating an electrical connection between the contact post and the internal socket.
2 more elements
An electrical connector contact comprising:
- an exterior conductive cylinder having an interior cavity;
- a heat-wicking graphite material disposed within the interior cavity;
- and
- a solder pot coupled to the exterior conductive cylinder.
1 more element
An electrical adapter assembly comprising:
- a socket housing including threads disposed on an exterior surface;
- an insulator disposed on an end of the socket housing opposite the threads;
- a plurality of female electrical receptacles, each disposed within a plurality of via in the face of the insulator, the receptacles having an inner contact post opposite the portion of the receptacle disposed within the opening;
- a plurality of electrical contacts disposed within an interior cavity in the socket housing configured to receive the inner contact post;
- wherein the electrical receptacles and the electrical contacts are exposed when the insulator is forced into the outer housing thereby exposing the electrical contacts;
- a bellows assembly attached to the socket insulator having a spring surrounding a metal baffle biased to expand the bellows assembly;
- a plug housing including threads disposed on an exterior surface;
- a plug insulator disposed on an end of the plug housing opposite the threads;
- a plurality of male electrical contacts, each disposed within a plurality of via in the face of the socket insulator, the receptacles having an inner contact post opposite the portion of the receptacle disposed with the opening;
- a plurality of electrical contacts disposed within an interior cavity in the socket housing configured to receive the inner contact post;
- wherein the electrical receptacles and the electrical contacts are exposed when the insulator is forced into the outer housing thereby exposing the electrical contacts;
- a turn ring including a central stop ring and a threaded interior configured to surround the bellows assembly and couple with the threads disposed on an exterior surface of the socket housing and the threads disposed on an exterior surface of the plug housing;
- and
- wherein the rotation of the turn ring in a first direction moves the socket housing and the plug housing towards the central stop ring.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.