Coaxial underwater electro-optical connector

An underwater electro-optical connector comprising:

• a male unit including an insulating alignment insert, said insert including a forward opening and a recess tapered inwardly from said opening;
• an electrically conductive probe device seated in said tapered recess and having a forward tip adjacent said opening;
• a first optically transmissive interface seated in said forward tip and including a collimating means for conducting light signals;
• a female unit including an insulating alignment probe with a tapered outer surface for fitting into and forming a water-tight enclosure with said tapered recess;
• an electrically conductive receptacle device held in said alignment probe and including a receiving recess for receiving said forward tip when said alignment probe is fitted into said tapered recess;
• and
• a second optically transmissive interface in said receptacle device and including a collimating means for conducting light signals.

An underwater electro-optical connector, comprising:

• a first connector unit;
• an alignment insert mounted in said first connector unit and having a forward portion with a tapered opening;
• an electrically conductive probe mounted in said alignment insert and having a probe tip extending into said tapered opening;
• first optical means housed in said probe tip for conducting an optical signal;
• a second connector unit adapted to be joined to said first connector unit;
• an alignment probe mounted in said second connector unit and having a tapered outer surface that engages said tapered opening to align said connector units and that forms a sealed enclosure with said tapered opening when said connector units are joined;
• an electrically conductive receptacle housed in said alignment probe that receives said probe tip in said sealed enclosure when said tapered outer surface engages said tapered opening;
• and
• second optical means housed in said receptacle for exchanging an optical signal with said first optical means when said probe tip is received in said receptacle.

An underwater electro-optical connector, comprising:

• a male unit with an open end;
• a first electrically-conductive member in the open end, including bore means for receiving an optical conductor and means for connecting to an electrical conductor;
• first optically-transmissive means adjacent said male unit bore means for conducting optical signals to and from said bore means;
• a female unit for detachably fitting to said male unit open end;
• a second electrically-conductive member in said female unit for connecting to said first conductive member when said female unit fits into said male unit and including bore means for receiving another optical conductor and means for connecting to another electrical conductor;
• second optically-transmissive means adjacent said female conductive member bore means for conducting optical signals to and from said bore means;
• and
• first and second alignment means in said male and female units, respectively, for aligning said first and second optically-transmissive means and for forming a watertight chamber when said male and female units are fitted together, said chamber containing said first and second conductive members and said first and second optically-transmissive means, said first alignment means including a substantially cylindrical alignment receptacle having a portion with an axially tapered opening and said second alignment means including a substantially cylindrical alignment probe having a conically-shaped outer surface for fitting into said axially tapered opening when said female unit fits into said male unit.