High-insulation wet-plugging pin type electric connector and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses an electric connector of a cable, and aims to provide a high-insulation wet-plugging pin type electric connector which has a good sealing effect and an insulation effect in a severe environment, is convenient to produce and process, is low in production cost, and can be used for a long time in a deep water environment, and a manufacturing method of the high-insulation wet-plugging pin type electric connector. According to the technical scheme, a three-stage sealing structure is formed by a sealing assembly, a sealing gasket at a groove of a locking section and an insulating sealing ring on a fixing sleeve, and a pouring sealant is filled in a pouring cavity of the sealing assembly and cured to form a three-dimensional protective layer, so that a permeation path of liquid can be effectively blocked; meanwhile, a dynamic compensation sealing interface composed of a contact pin sleeve, a cable sleeve and pouring sealant is axially formed at the contact pin assembly, pressure self-adaptive sealing is achieved in the radial direction through multiple layers of sealing rings, the requirements of complex and severe working conditions such as deep sea detection and oil and gas wells are met, and the cable electric connector is suitable for the technical field of cable electric connector machining.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrical connector for a cable, and more specifically, to a high-insulation wet-mateable pin-type electrical connector and a manufacturing method thereof. Background Art

[0002] There are mainly two structural forms of existing wet-mateable pin-type connectors. One is that the metal pin is vulcanized with rubber to achieve sealing, and the other is that the metal pin is combined with ceramic or other insulating materials as a whole. The structure of the rubber vulcanization form is disclosed in the Chinese patent with the application number CN201120304626.3, which includes a groove plug and a socket. The socket and the plug are respectively provided with an integrated rubber body. The pins and jacks are respectively cured in the socket rubber body and the plug rubber body. A conical sealing sleeve covering the middle metal body of the pin is integrally convex on the socket rubber body, and a conical sealing hole in interference fit with the sealing sleeve is provided at the front end of the jack on the plug rubber body. It effectively solves the problems that the sealing structure of the existing deep-sea watertight cable connector is easily damaged and has low reliability. The structure of the rubber vulcanization form is generally a combination of a neoprene rubber and a copper alloy pin as a whole, and at the same time, the rubber can also be vulcanized with the metal shell as a whole. The insulation resistance performance of the connector of this structure is poor, generally only reaching about 1 GΩ, and the insulation effect is not good;

[0003] Integrating the metal pin with ceramic or insulating material by injection molding requires a high level of technology and is a typical process for currently commonly used products. The typical structure is disclosed in the Chinese patent with the application number CN202211248544.3. It adopts two groups of radial seals and two groups of oil sacs to construct a cavity encapsulation structure with double oil-filled pressure balance. After multiple insertions and extractions in the deep-sea sediment environment, the first radial seal wears, and a small amount of seawater that seeps in enters the first oil sac for precipitation under its own gravity and will not directly seep into the second oil-filled cavity, causing the failure of electrode coupling. Moreover, since both the front and rear cavities of the second radial dynamic seal are oil-filled environments, an oil film lubrication can be formed between the second dynamic seal friction pairs, greatly reducing the axial friction force caused by the dynamic seal. The metal copper conductor pin and the polymer insulating material are combined into one by molding processes such as molding and injection molding. Due to the effect of cooling shrinkage, there may be gaps at the joint between the pin and the insulating material, which cannot ensure tight fit, and leakage may occur in the high-pressure seawater environment, reducing the insulation performance of the connector.

[0004] Furthermore, the above structures require matching molds during vulcanization, molding, and injection molding, resulting in high costs and poor overall effects. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Aiming at the deficiencies of the existing technology, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a highly insulated wet-pluggable pin-type electrical connector that can have good sealing and insulation effects in harsh environments, is convenient for production and processing, has low production costs, and can be used for a long time in deep-water environments, and a manufacturing method thereof.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a highly insulated wet-pluggable pin-type electrical connector, including a connection base and a connector housing disposed on the connection base. One end of the connector housing is provided with an opening. An insertion structure and a connection structure are provided inside the connector housing. A fixing sleeve is provided between the insertion structure and the connector housing. The insertion structure is relatively fixed inside the connector housing through the fixing sleeve. The connection structure includes an insulating base disposed on the connection base and a plurality of pin assemblies disposed on the insulating base. A sealing assembly is further provided between each pin assembly and the insulating base. The sealing assembly is configured to ensure the insulation and sealing of the connector during the connection process.

[0007] The present invention is further provided as follows: the pin assembly includes a front pin and a rear pin. A locking section is provided between the front pin and the rear pin. A plug-in member is provided at the tail of the front pin. A slot member matching the plug-in member is provided at the top of the rear pin. A pin sleeve is provided on the side of the rear pin away from the front pin. The pin sleeve is disposed inside the insulating base, and at least a part of the pin sleeve extends outside the insulating base.

[0008] Preferably, the sealing assembly includes a potting cavity provided between the pin assembly and the insulating base and a cable sleeve sleeved outside the pin sleeve. The potting cavity is filled with potting compound, and the potting compound is configured to form a seal between the pin assembly and the insulating base.

[0009] Preferably, the locking section includes a sealing surface and a plurality of grooves provided inside the sealing surface. Sealing washers are provided in each groove. One end of the cable sleeve is connected to the rear pin, and the other end abuts against the connection structure.

[0010] The present invention is further provided as follows: a guiding post is further provided on the side of the insertion structure close to the opening. The guiding post is configured to keep the connector fixed during the insertion process.

[0011] The present invention is further provided as follows: through holes are provided in the part of the housing where the insertion structure is not installed. An insulating sealing ring is provided between the fixing sleeve and the insulating base.

[0012] The present application also discloses an installation method for a high-insulation wet-pluggable pin-type electrical connector. The installation method includes the following steps: S1. Assemble the pin assembly: Lock the front pin and the rear pin through the locking section to form a pin assembly, and sleeved with a plurality of sealing washers in the groove on the outer sealing surface of the locking section of the pin assembly;

[0013] S2. Assemble the insertion structure: Insert the pin assembly installed in step S1 into the inside of the insulating base. At this time, there is a potting cavity between the pin assembly and the insulating assembly. Fill the potting cavity with potting glue and sleeved with a cable sleeve at the tail end of the rear pin, and wait for the potting glue to solidify after T time periods;

[0014] S3. Install the insertion structure: Install the assembled insertion structure inside the connection base so that the insertion structure is fixed inside the connection base;

[0015] S4. Install the connector housing: Sleeve the connector housing outside the insertion structure, and at least a part of the inner peripheral surface of the connector housing is closely attached to the outer peripheral surface of the connection base. At the same time, there is a cavity between the inner peripheral surface of the connector housing and the insertion structure for installing the connection structure and the fixing sleeve;

[0016] S5. Lock the connector housing and the connection base: Install a fastening nut at the connection between the connector housing and the connection base, and weld the bottom of the connection between the connector housing and the connection base;

[0017] S6. Assemble the installation structure and the fixing sleeve: Sleeve a plurality of insulating sealing rings outside the installation structure, and set the fixing sleeve outside the installation structure to form an installation body;

[0018] S7. Seal the housing: Install the installation body assembled in step S6 into the cavity between the connector housing and the insertion structure to ensure the insulating seal of the inserted part;

[0019] S8. After the connector is installed, put the whole connector into a full-depth high-pressure simulation device for insulating seal detection. If the detected seal of the device is good, it is judged that the overall insulating seal performance of the current device is good and the device is qualified. Otherwise, it is judged that the device is unqualified, and the staff will conduct further detection on the whole connector.

[0020] By adopting the above technical solutions, the beneficial effects are as follows: 1. In this application, a three-level sealing structure is formed by the sealing component, the sealing washer at the locking section groove, and the insulating sealing ring on the fixing sleeve. The potting cavity of the sealing component is filled with potting glue and cured to form a three-dimensional protective layer, which can effectively block the liquid penetration path. At the same time, a dynamic compensation sealing interface composed of the pin sleeve - cable sleeve - potting glue is formed axially at the pin assembly, and the pressure self-adaptive sealing is realized radially through multiple sealing rings. The above structure can withstand the impact of a water pressure of 20,000 meters, and at the same time can ensure the sealing performance and integrity within the range of -2°C to 150°C, which is sufficient to meet the requirements of complex and harsh working conditions such as deep-sea exploration and oil and gas wells.

[0021] 2. Further, the pin assembly adopts the modular plugging technology of the front pin plug-in part and the rear pin socket part, and through the sealing washer arranged at the groove of the locking section sealing surface, a progressive contact pressure can be formed during the plugging and unplugging process. At the same time, the top of the front pin can be configured as a round head structure as required, making the insertion of the front pin smooth, reducing the difficulty of the connector connection process. At the same time, the structure that the pin sleeve extends outside the insulating base can release the pressure, avoiding the contact impedance fluctuation caused by the cable bending, and can adapt to the scenario of frequent underwater plugging and unplugging.

[0022] 3. At the same time, through the collaborative design of the positioning of the guiding column, the pre-installed fixing sleeve, and the reserved cavity, a standardized assembly reference can be established during the production process. At the same time, the potting cavity is filled with potting glue, and the curing of the potting glue in the potting cavity is controlled through the T time period. And a fastening nut is installed between the connection base and the connector and the connection part is welded, which improves the strength of the overall structure. At the same time, the risk of bolt loosening during single-thread connection can be eliminated through welding. And after the installation is completed, the overall sealing and insulation performance is detected through the full-depth high-pressure simulation. The overall assembly efficiency is high and it is suitable for large-scale batch production.

[0023] 4. Moreover, the device combines physical locking, chemical bonding, and mechanical pressing seals. Specifically, the insulating base and the pin assembly are adhesively bonded through molecular penetration by adding potting glue to form an interfacial fusion fixation at the molecular level. At the same time, an interference fit is formed between the fixing sleeve and the insulating sealing ring, generating a continuous radial pressure. And the guiding column and the guiding and limiting design of the inner wall of the shell effectively eliminate the axial deflection of the structure inside the shell. Under the synergistic effect of the above structures, the overall structure of the device is strong, and it has great stability, sealing performance, and insulation effect in harsh environments such as high pressure, extending the overall service life of the device.

[0024] 5. Further, the insulating base, the mounting structure, and the fixing sleeve can be made of polymer insulating materials as required, such as PEEK, PPS, etc. The above materials and structures can all achieve good overall insulation effects through machining methods. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 is a sectional view of the overall structure of an embodiment of a highly insulating wet-mateable pin-type electrical connector and its manufacturing method according to the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the specific structure of the pin assembly of an embodiment of a highly insulating wet-mateable pin-type electrical connector and its manufacturing method according to the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 is a flowchart of the manufacturing method of an embodiment of a highly insulating wet-mateable pin-type electrical connector and its manufacturing method according to the present invention;

[0028] Reference numerals in the drawings: 1. Connection base; 2. Connector housing; 3. Opening; 4. Insertion structure; 5. Connection structure; 51. Insulating base; 52. Pin assembly; 521. Front pin; 522. Rear pin; 523. Locking section; 524. Plug-in member; 525. Slot member; 526. Pin sleeve; 527. Sealing surface; 528. Groove; 529. Sealing gasket; 53. Sealing assembly; 531. Potting cavity; 532. Cable sleeve; 533. Potting compound; 6. Fixing sleeve; 7. Guide post; 8. Through hole; 9. Insulating sealing ring. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0029] Refer to Figures 1 to 3 to further describe an embodiment of a highly insulating wet-mateable pin-type electrical connector and its manufacturing method according to the present invention.

[0030] For ease of description, spatial relative terms such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right", etc. are used in the embodiments to describe the relationship between one element or feature shown in the drawings and another. It should be understood that, in addition to the orientations shown in the drawings, the spatial terms are intended to include different orientations during the use or operation of the device. For example, if the device in the drawings is inverted, the element described as being "below" other elements or features will be positioned "above" other elements or features. Therefore, the exemplary term "lower" can include both upper and lower orientations. The device can be positioned in other ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptions used herein can be interpreted accordingly.

[0031] Moreover, relative relationship terms such as "first" and "second" are only used to distinguish one component with the same name from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these components.

[0032] A highly insulating wet pluggable pin-type electrical connector includes a connection base 1 and a connector housing 2 provided on the connection base 1. One end of the connector housing 2 is provided with an opening 3. An insertion structure 4 and a connection structure 5 are provided inside the connector housing 2. A fixing sleeve 6 is provided between the insertion structure 4 and the connector housing 2. The insertion structure 4 is relatively fixed inside the connector housing 2 through the fixing sleeve 6. The connection structure 5 includes an insulating base 51 provided on the connection base 1 and a plurality of pin assemblies 52 provided on the insulating base 51. A sealing assembly 53 is further provided between each pin assembly 52 and the insulating base 51. The sealing assembly 53 is used to ensure the insulating seal of the connector during the connection process.

[0033] The pin assembly 52 includes a front pin 521 and a rear pin 522. A locking section 523 is provided between the front pin 521 and the rear pin 522. A plug-in part 524 is provided at the tail of the front pin 521. A slot part 525 matching the plug-in part 524 is provided at the top of the rear pin 522. A pin sleeve 526 is provided on the side of the rear pin 522 away from the front pin 521. The pin sleeve 526 is arranged inside the insulating base 51, and at least a part of the pin sleeve 526 extends outside the insulating base 51.

[0034] Preferably, the sealing assembly 53 includes a potting cavity 531 provided between the pin assembly 52 and the insulating base 51 and a cable sleeve 532 sleeved outside the pin sleeve 526. The potting cavity 531 is filled with potting compound 533. The potting compound 533 is configured to form a seal between the pin assembly 52 and the insulating base 51.

[0035] Preferably, the locking section 523 includes a sealing surface 527 and a plurality of grooves 528 provided inside the sealing surface 527. A sealing washer 529 is provided in each groove 528. One end of the cable sleeve 532 is connected to the rear pin 522, and the other end abuts against the connection structure 5.

[0036] A guiding column 7 is further provided on the side of the insertion structure 4 close to the opening 3. The guiding column 7 is configured to keep the connector fixed during the insertion process.

[0037] A through hole 8 is provided in the part of the housing where the insertion structure 4 is not installed. An insulating sealing ring 9 is provided between the fixing sleeve 6 and the insulating base 51.

[0038] The present application also discloses an installation method for a high-insulation wet-pluggable pin-type electrical connector. The installation method includes the following steps: S1. Assemble the pin assembly: Lock the front pin and the rear pin through the locking section to form a pin assembly, and sleeved with a plurality of sealing washers in the groove of the sealing surface on the outer side of the locking section of the pin assembly;

[0039] S2. Assemble the insertion structure: Insert the pin assembly installed in step S1 into the interior of the insulating base. At this time, there is a potting cavity between the pin assembly and the insulating assembly. Fill the potting cavity with potting glue and sleeved with a cable sleeve at the tail end of the rear pin, and wait for the potting glue to solidify after T time periods;

[0040] S3. Install the insertion structure: Install the assembled insertion structure into the interior of the connection base so that the insertion structure remains fixed in the connection base;

[0041] S4. Install the connector housing: Sleeve the connector housing on the outside of the insertion structure, and at least a part of the inner peripheral surface of the connector housing is closely attached to the outer peripheral surface of the connection base. At the same time, there is a cavity between the inner peripheral surface of the connector housing and the insertion structure for installing the connection structure and the fixing sleeve;

[0042] S5. Lock the connector housing and the connection base: Install a fastening nut at the connection between the connector housing and the connection base, and weld the bottom of the connection between the connector housing and the connection base;

[0043] S6. Assemble the installation structure and the fixing sleeve: Sleeve a plurality of insulating sealing rings on the outside of the installation structure, and set the fixing sleeve on the outside of the installation structure to form an installation body;

[0044] S7. Seal the housing: Install the installation body assembled in step S6 into the cavity between the connector housing and the insertion structure to ensure the insulation seal of the inserted part;

[0045] After the connector is installed, put the whole connector into a full-depth high-pressure simulation device for insulation sealing detection. If the detected sealing performance of the device is good, it is judged that the overall insulation sealing performance of the current device is good and the device is qualified. Otherwise, it is judged that the device is unqualified, and the staff will conduct further detection on the whole connector.

[0046] This application forms a three - level sealing structure through the sealing component 53, the sealing washer 529 at the groove 528 of the locking section 523, and the insulating sealing ring 9 on the fixing sleeve 6. The potting cavity of the sealing component 53 is filled with potting glue 533 and cured to form a three - dimensional protective layer, which can effectively block the liquid penetration path. At the same time, a dynamic compensation sealing interface composed of the pin sleeve 526 - cable sleeve 532 - potting glue 533 is formed axially at the pin assembly 52, and pressure - adaptive sealing is realized radially through multiple sealing rings. The above - mentioned structure can withstand the impact of water pressure at a depth of 20,000 meters, and can ensure the sealing performance and integrity within the range of - 2°C to 150°C, which is sufficient to meet the requirements of complex and harsh working conditions such as deep - sea exploration and oil and gas wellbores.

[0047] Furthermore, the pin assembly 52 adopts the modular plug - in technology of the plug - in part 524 of the front pin 521 and the socket part 525 of the rear pin 522. And through the sealing washer 529 arranged at the groove 528 of the sealing surface 527 of the locking section 523, a progressive contact pressure can be formed during the plug - in and unplugging process. At the same time, the top of the front pin 521 can be configured as a round - head structure as required, making the insertion of the front pin 521 smooth, reducing the difficulty of the connector connection process. At the same time, the structure that the pin sleeve 526 extends outside the insulating base 51 can release pressure, avoiding the contact impedance fluctuation caused by cable bending, and can adapt to the scenario of frequent underwater plug - in and unplugging.

[0048] At the same time, through the collaborative design of the positioning of the guiding column 7, the pre - installed fixing sleeve 6 and the reserved cavity, a standardized assembly reference can be established during the production process. At the same time, the potting cavity 531 is filled with potting glue 533, and the curing of the potting glue 533 in the potting cavity 531 is controlled within a T time period. And a fastening nut is installed between the connecting base 1 and the connector and the connection part is welded, which improves the strength of the overall structure. At the same time, welding can eliminate the risk of bolt loosening during single - thread connection. And after the installation is completed, the overall sealing and insulating performance is detected through full - depth high - pressure simulation. The overall assembly efficiency is high and it is suitable for large - scale batch production.

[0049] Moreover, the device combines physical locking, chemical bonding and mechanical compression sealing. Specifically, between the insulating base 51 and the pin assembly 52, molecular penetration bonding is carried out by adding potting glue 533 to form an interface fusion fixation at the molecular level. At the same time, an interference fit is carried out between the fixing sleeve 6 and the insulating sealing ring 9, generating a continuous radial pressure. And the guiding - limit design between the guiding column 7 and the inner wall of the shell effectively eliminates the axial deflection of the structure inside the shell. Under the synergistic action of the above - mentioned structures, the overall structure of the device is strong, and it has great stability, sealing performance and insulation effect in harsh environments such as high - pressure, extending the overall service life of the device.

[0050] Furthermore, the insulating base 51, the mounting structure, and the fixing sleeve 6 can be made of polymer insulating materials as required, such as PEEK, PPS, etc. The above materials and structures can all achieve good overall insulation effects through machining methods.

[0051] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any ordinary changes and substitutions made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technical solution of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A high-insulation wet-pluggable pin-type electrical connector, comprising a connection base (1) and a connector housing (2) arranged on the connection base (1), wherein one end of the connector housing (2) is provided with an opening (3), characterized in that: An insertion structure (4) and a connection structure (5) are provided in the connector housing (2); a fixing sleeve (6) is provided between the insertion structure (4) and the connector housing (2); the insertion structure (4) is relatively fixed in the connector housing (2) by the fixing sleeve (6); the connection structure (5) comprises an insulating base (51) provided on the connection base (1) and a plurality of pin assemblies (52) provided on the insulating base (51); a sealing assembly (53) is further provided between each of the pin assemblies (52) and the insulating base (51); the sealing assembly (53) is used to ensure the insulation seal of the connector during the connection process.

2. A high-insulation wet-pluggable pin-type electrical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pin assembly (52) comprises a front pin (521) and a rear pin (522), a locking section (523) is provided between the front pin (521) and the rear pin (522), a plug connector (524) is provided at the tail of the front pin (521), a slot component (525) matching the plug connector (524) is provided at the top of the rear pin (522), a pin sleeve (526) is provided on the side of the rear pin (522) away from the front pin (521), the pin sleeve (526) is arranged in the insulating base (51), and at least a part of the pin sleeve (526) extends outside the insulating base (51).

3. A high-insulation wet-pluggable pin-type electrical connector according to claim 2, characterized in that: The sealing assembly (53) comprises a potting cavity (531) arranged between the pin assembly (52) and the insulating base (51) and a cable sleeve (532) sleeved on the outside of the pin sleeve (526); the potting cavity (531) is filled with potting glue (533); the potting glue (533) is configured to form a seal between the pin assembly (52) and the insulating base (51).

4. A high-insulation wet-pluggable pin-type electrical connector according to claim 3, characterized in that: The locking section (523) includes a sealing surface (527) and a plurality of grooves (528) arranged in the sealing surface (527), each of the grooves (528) is provided with a sealing gasket (529), one end of the cable sleeve (532) is connected to the rear pin (522), and the other end is in conflict with the connecting structure (5).

5. A high-insulation wet-pluggable pin-type electrical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: A guide column (7) is also provided on one side of the insertion structure (4) close to the opening (3), and the guide column (7) is configured to keep the connector fixed during the insertion process.

6. A high-insulation wet-pluggable pin-type electrical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: A through hole (8) is provided in the portion of the housing where the insertion structure (4) is not installed, and an insulating sealing ring (9) is provided between the fixing sleeve (6) and the insulating base (51).

7. A method for installing a high-insulation wet-pluggable pin-type electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The installation method comprises the following steps: S1, assembling the pin assembly: locking the front pin and the rear pin through the locking section to form the pin assembly, and sleeve a plurality of sealing gaskets in the groove of the sealing surface outside the locking section of the pin assembly; S2, assembling the insertion structure: inserting the pin assembly installed in step S1 into the insulating base, leaving a potting cavity between the pin assembly and the insulating assembly, filling the potting cavity with potting glue and setting a cable sleeve on the tail end of the rear pin, and waiting for a T period of time for the potting glue to solidify; S3, installing the insertion structure: installing the assembled insertion structure inside the connection base so that the insertion structure remains fixed inside the connection base; S4. Install the connector housing: sleeve the connector housing onto the outside of the insertion structure, and at least a portion of the inner circumference of the connector housing is tightly fitted with the outer circumference of the connection base, and a cavity for installing the connection structure and the fixing sleeve is reserved between the inner circumference of the connector housing and the insertion structure; S5. Lock the connector housing and the connection base: install a fastening nut at the connection between the connector housing and the connection base, and weld the bottom of the connection between the connector housing and the connection base; S6, assembling the mounting structure and the fixing sleeve: arranging a plurality of insulating sealing rings on the outer surface of the mounting structure, and arranging the fixing sleeve on the outer side of the mounting structure to form a mounting body; S7, housing sealing: installing the installation body assembled in step S6 into the cavity of the connector housing and the insertion structure to ensure insulation sealing of the insertion part; S8. After the connector is installed, place the entire connector into a full-sea-depth high-voltage simulation device for insulation and sealing testing. If the test shows that the device has good sealing performance, the overall insulation and sealing performance of the current device is considered good and the device is qualified. Otherwise, the device is considered unqualified and the staff conducts further testing on the connector as a whole.

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