AU648137B2 - Electrical connector - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIRiCATION S F Ref: 201368 FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

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.555* 0 Name and Address of Applicant: Grouse Hi-nd: (Austral i a4Pty-I4eI- 391 Park Rla c(~~rdN~A 4 944e"-X 14oAp- -I 00o -c A, Regents Park New Scth a4 1 44 R H S. S S

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S S 0 SeS**S 0 Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Laurence David Macey Spruson Ferguson, Patent Attorneys Level 33 St Martins Tower, 31 Market Street Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia Electrical Connector Invention Title: The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- 5845/3 -2 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to electrical connectors and is more particularly concerned with such devices useful in three-phase electrical systems such as are used, for example, in mining operations and component parts thereof.

In mining operations, the primary power circuit to supply a colliery is typically of three-phase 11000 volts. An electrical connector system for such circuitry includes an adaptor which is connectable to a machine which receives or supplies three-phase A/C supply, a plug connected to the adaptor and usually a plurality of lengths of cable, each length of cable having its ends incorporated in respective plugs.

In mining operations cables are laid in regions of high humidity, mine gases may contain methane and other highly inflammable or explosive "gases and inadequate sealing of cable connectors can result in shorting of electricity in one or more phases with the possibility of resultant explosion of mine gases. Such explosions are obviously dangerous to human life and are to be avoided where possible.

20 Explosions resulting from short circuiting of electrical equipment are not uncommon and have been known to cause heavy loss of life.

Sealing of electrical connectors has been imperfect in conventional equipment and this failure to effectively seal such equipment at points of connection, particularly of plugs to adaptors and of plugs to plugs, 25 has contributed to the difficulties mentioned above.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It Is an object of this invention to provide componentry for an electrical connector system and an electrical connector system which utilizes such componentry, which at least substantially ameliorates the aforementioned problems of conventional such systems.

k z RLF/29681 -3 DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The basic unit of such componentry is a connector adapted to be incorporated in a plug or adaptor, the connector comprising a conductive socket and thimble in end-to-end contact contained within a shaped housing having open ends through which electrical contact is made with the socket and thimble, said housing being adapted to electrically isolate said socket and thimble, the socket and thimble being interconnected by way of a removable fastener, and said housing being moulded from a resilient dielectric material such as neoprene and including a ribbed surface to extend surface creepage distance over which any electrical leakage might travel when said system is operative. Each cable phase introduced to a plug or adaptor electrically connects with a socket of one of these sealed connector devices contained within the 5: particular plug or adaptor.

0 The invention provides in combination with the above described sealed connector, a shielded pin device which fits over one end of and electrically connects to the sealed connector, which sealed connector is adapted to be applied to and housed within an adaptor-plug or plug-to-plug connection, said shielded pin device comprising a pin housing having a central web portion thereacross and having an aperture therethrough locating a conductive pin, said pin housing being adapted to o" sealingly engage, at either end thereof the housing of the sealed connector.

It is also important that when individual adaptors and plugs are 25 disconnected from each other, steps are taken to ensure the prevention, to the extent possible, of internal componentry of the adaptors and plugs being fouled with moisture, dust or grit. To this end also disclosed is 0' x Ojs>' RLF/29681 -4 a cover member for an adaptor or plug, said cover member comprising a cast wall adapted for sealed connection to the open end of a plug or adaptor casing, said cover being provided with one housing member for each cable phase, each said housing member extending from said wall to locate around and sealingly engage the outer surface of the individual connector member of the adaptor or plug to which the cover might be connected.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS By way of example only certain componentry and embodiments of this invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:- Fig. 1 is a front view of an adaptor showing the portion thereof connectable to a plug; the corresponding front view of a plug according to this invention is a mirror image of Fig. 1; 15 Fig. 2 is a rear view of an adaptor s;howing that portion of the adaptor connectable to any machine which receives or supplies three-phase A/C supply of between, say, 6000 to 15000 volts; *e0O Fig. 3 is a section of the line A-A of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the adaptor component of this invention; Fig. 5 is an end view of the clamping plate or wall member of the adaptor of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a section on the line B-B of Fig. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section of unequal length guide pins 25 useful in the connection of the end (Fig. 1) of the adaptor to the corresponding end of the plug of Fig. 7, Fig. 8 is a section of a pilot pin and thimble member incorporated in the adaptor of Fig. 1; Fig. 9 is a section of a socket and thimble portion of the cable connector incorporated in the adaptor of Fig. 1 (an identical connector is incorporated in the plug of Fig. 11); Fig. 10 is a section of a moulded member adapted to house and insulate the socket and thimble of Fig. 9; Fig. 11 is a longitudinal section of a plug general assembly component of this invention showing gland grommet 40 suitable for TRS cable; A.59.8 Fig. 12 is a longitudinal section of the connection arrangement between a pliable wire armoured (PWA) cable and a plug component of this invention; Fig. 13 is a section of a steel washer and neoprene inner grommet assembly forming part of the gland of Fig. 11; Fig. 14 is a longitudinal section of a shielded pin assembly, to sealingly connect a combination of adaptor to plug or plug to plug combination in accordance with this invention; Fig. 15 is a section of a vertical centre line of an end cover showing one only (of three) shield members; Fig". 16 is a part section of an electrical connector according to this invention depicting a shielded pin in place showing C. interrelationship between seals.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 15 In the drawings, adaptor 1 is provided with cast body 2 having end wall 3 provided with apertures therethrough 4, through which connecting bolts (not shown) are located to effect sealing connection with a corresponding end wall of a plug (infra). Sealing betw-n these two walls is effected by provision of an O-ring 5 in end wall 3 and a corresponding O-ring in the complementary end wall of the plug (infra).

Stepped back a small distance from wall 3 are portions 6 of adaptor 1 e: cast body 2, these portions 6 each incorporating guide pin apertures 7 (unthreaded) and 70 (threaded) through which guide pins 8, 9 may be located to assist in the assembly of an adaptor and a plug.

25 Rear adaptor wall 10 is provided with wall section 11 through which is located a small aperture 12 for passage therethrough of pilot pin 13 and socket 14 assembly. This assembly is conventional and is provided Voo% such that a lead electrical safety line might be connected between the S6 various assemblies of a mining circuit. Phase barrier 15 is symmetrical and is cast integrally with adaptor body casting 2.

Further apertures 16 through end wall 10 locate and seal cable phase connector assemblies 16A.

Clamping plate 17 Is adapted for securement to wall portion 10 of cast adaptor body 2.

Socket 21 and thimble 22 are the inner portions of each sealed cable connector Incorporated in adaptor 1. Each such socket 21 and thimble 22 assembly is housed in a moulded dielectric circular section TMS/29681 -6 moulding 23 provided with ribbed section 24 to enable sealing engagement therewith of a partially surrounding shield. Ribbing (as shown) is provided in the surface of moulding 23 to extend the surface creepage distance over which any electrical leakage must extend.

Thimble 22 comprises a cable embracing open end 22A adapted to encompass and secure a cable end and to electrically connect a conducting cable section to socket 21. Thimble 22 and socket 21 are secured together by engagement of a removable fastener such as a coaxial screw 21A into threaded end 22B of thimble 22, Dielectric housing 23 (Fig. sealingly encompasses thimble 22 and socket 21 combination as shown in Fig. 4. As will be apparent from Fig. 10, housing 23 incorporates a reduced diameter end opening portion 23A (see also Fig. 4) adapted to sealingly engage a cable dielectric portion inserted therethrough.

Socket 21 is of conductive material such as cop, r or brass (as is thimble 22) to electrically connect thimble 22 through to connecting pin 35 (Fig. 14) of shielded pin assembly 32. Electrical connection is thence effected through shielded pin assembly 32 to a further socket 21, thimble 22 and cable 29A arrangement which is a mirror image of the cable 29A, thimble 22 and socket 21 arrangement of Fig. 4, as best shown in Fig. 16.

Plug member 25 (Fig. 11) is provided with cast outer body 26 which at one end incorporates wall portion 27 adapted to complement and to sealingly connect to wall portion 3 of adaptor 1 or to wall 27 of a corresponding plug. To this end, wall portion 27 of plug 25 is provided 25 with apertures 4A corresponding to apertures 4 in wall 3 of adaptor 1 and unthreaded and threaded guide pin apertures (not shown), to cooperate with guide pin apertures 70 and 7 (respectively) of adaptor 1.

At the other end of body 26 of plug 25 is provided end portion 28 adapted to receive three phase cable 29.

In Fig. 11 phase 29A Is depicted extending from cable 29 into electrical connection with plug connector assembly 21, 22, 23. A conventional sealing device (not shown) is located about the region where phase 29A enters moulding 23 to prevent entry of foreign matter to the interior of this assembly.

The plug 25 of this invention is adapted to receive and house all types of three-phase cable conventionally used In industry. Each type of cable requires a specialised gland 40 to cooperate with plug 25 end portion 28.

TMS/29681 Fig. 14 depicts shielded pin arrangement 32 which comprises unitary moulded member 33 having central web portion 34 through which is located electrical connecting pin of silver plated copper 35, and interior rib portions 36, 36A adjacent the outer ends of moulded member 33 and sealing ribs 37, 37A adjacent web 34. Electrical connection between an individual cable phase located within plug 25 and a corresponding cable phase portion located within adaptor 1 (see Fig. 4) is achieved by virtue of electrical connection between plug connector assembly 21, 22, 23 and cable phase 29 as described above, corresponding electrical connection between the corresponding adaptor connector assembly and the phase portion contained within adaptor 1, and electrical connection between the connector assemblies of adaptor 1 and plug 25 through shielded pin assembly 32.

Fig. 16 depicts a shielded pin (Fig. 14) sealed into engagement 15 with, at either end thereof, a sealed connector 16A.

When the facing walls of an adaptor and a plug or of two plugs are joined as by bolting through apertures 4 so that cooperating O-rings thereof come into pressured contact, internal ribs 36 and 36A of shielded pin moulded member 33 come into sealing contact, under pressure, with outer ribs of sealed connector rib portions 24. Inner sealing ribs 37, 37A of moulded member 33 exert sealing pressure adjacent the extremities of the ends of circular section moulding 23 and further sealing is effected, as indicated by circles, at locations where the curved ends of moulding sections 23 of each cable connector are physically contacted, under pressure by the cut out portions of the central web 34 of moulded member 34.

Depicted in Fig. 15 is a cover member 50 comprising a metal wall 52 s adapted for sealed connection to the open end of the plug or adaptor housing. The cover 50 Is provided with one sealing member 51 for each 30 cable phase, each sealing member 51 extending from the wall 52 to locate around and sealingly engage the outer surface of an individual connector member of the adaptor or plug to which the cover is connected.

TMS/29681

Claims (4)

1. 2. A connector as claimed In claim 1 wherein mutually contacting ends of the socket and thimble are conically formed to provide a conical interface therebetween.
2. 3. A connector as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the 15 removable fastener is a threaded fastener.
3. 4. A connector as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the removable fastener is coaxial with the socket and thimble. A connector of any one of the preceding claims being incorporated in a plug.
4. 6. A connector of any one of claims 1 to 4 being incorporated in an adaptor. DATED this EIGHTEENTH day of JANUARY 1994 co.: Cooper Industries, Inc. Patent Attorneys for the Applicant SPRUSON FERGUSON m i RLF/1971h Electrical Connector ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A sealed electrical connector comprises a conductive socket (12) and thimble (22) in end-to-end contact and contained within a shaped housing (23) having open ends through which electrical contact is made with the socket (21) and thimble The housing (23) is adapted to electrically isolate the socket and thimble which may be interconnected by way of a threaded fastener (21A). Also disclosed for use in combination with the sealed connector is a shielded pin device (32) which fits over one end of and electrically connects to the housing which sealed connector is adapted to be applied to and housed within an adaptor-plug or plug-to-plug connection, the shielded pin device (32) comprising a pin housing (33) having a central web portion thereacross and having an aperture therethrough locating a conductive pin The pin housing being adapted to sealingly engage at either end thereof the 15 housing (23) of the sealed connector. Also disclosed is a cover member (50) comprising a metal wall (52) adapted for sealed connection to the open end of a plug or adaptor housing, the cover being provided with one sealing member (51) for each cable phase of a three phase cable application, each sealing member (51) extending from the wall (52) to locate around and sealingly engage with an outer surface of an individual connector housing (23) of the adaptor or plug to which the cover is connected. Figs. 9, 10, 14 and TMS/29681