Underwater connector

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of conductive connecting devices, and particularly discloses an underwater connector which comprises a plug with a conductive assembly and a socket with a conductive assembly, and the plug and / or the socket are / is provided with a pressure balance adjusting mechanism used for adjusting the pressure balance inside and outside the connector. The socket comprises a socket shell, and the plug comprises a plug shell assembly; and a detachable sealing and locking mechanism is arranged between the socket shell and the plug shell assembly. According to the novel mechanical locking mechanism designed by the invention, the design of the spring and the sliding block is combined, so that automatic locking can be ensured after plugging and unplugging are completed, and meanwhile, the mechanical locking mechanism can be easily released when separation is needed. According to the designed adjustable pressure balance system, a combined structure of the oil bag and the sleeve is adopted, so that the internal pressure can be effectively balanced in the plugging and unplugging process, and the risk of sealing failure is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of underwater conductive connection device technology, specifically to an underwater connector. Background Technology

[0002] Underwater connectors, as key components for signal and power transmission between underwater devices, play a vital role in marine resource development, underwater exploration, and marine scientific research. Traditionally, underwater connectors are mostly dry-plug type, meaning they need to be connected before the equipment is submerged; once the equipment is underwater, the connectors cannot be plugged or unplugged. This limitation not only increases operational complexity but also raises costs, as equipment maintenance and testing require removing the entire device to the surface.

[0003] In recent years, with the continuous advancement of underwater technology, wet-moldable underwater connectors have emerged. These connectors allow for mating and unmating operations underwater, greatly improving operational flexibility and convenience. However, existing wet-moldable underwater connectors still present some technical challenges. For example, in deep-sea environments, the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the connector gradually increases with depth, which may lead to seal failure and connector damage. Furthermore, the complex and variable nature of the deep-sea environment poses a severe challenge to the performance of underwater connectors, requiring them not only to possess excellent sealing performance but also to maintain a stable locking state after mating and unmating to ensure reliable signal and power transmission.

[0004] In the field of underwater connectors, common pressure balancing methods include piston-type pressure balancing and bladder-type pressure balancing. Bladder-type pressure balancing devices typically use easily deformable rubber materials; when a pressure difference exists, the bladder can deform very quickly. Currently, mainstream underwater connectors usually employ a dual-bladder pressure balancing system (publication number: 106877067A). This system theoretically has high sensitivity, and the dual-bladder design provides double protection. However, it also has some drawbacks: First, the smaller bladder is small and has a precise structure, placing high demands on manufacturing accuracy. Second, the thickness of the smaller bladder is difficult to control; too thick a bladder will affect its response sensitivity, while too thin a bladder will result in insufficient strength to withstand the internal and external pressure differences. Third, in actual seabed conditions, the probability of the smaller bladder rupturing is much higher than that of the larger bladder. This is because the internal and external pressure difference of the smaller bladder is greater, making it more susceptible to damage.

[0005] Currently, the locking and unlocking of electrical connectors mainly relies on threaded connections. This method cannot meet the operational requirements of underwater robots and is generally only applicable to dry-plug connectors. Some designers have devised locking and unlocking mechanisms that can be used underwater, such as ball bearing and annular groove mechanisms.

[0006] Both of these mechanical separation and unlocking mechanisms have drawbacks; they both suffer from insecure locking. The annular groove type has a curved locking surface and lacks a limiting structure after locking, making it easy for the plug and socket to separate when the cable is dragged. The ball bearing type's drive shaft is also prone to slippage, lacking a stop structure and easily detaching. Therefore, neither of these separation and locking structures can guarantee the reliability of the deep-sea pluggable connector. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This invention provides an underwater connector that, by introducing a pressure balance adjustment mechanism and a sealing locking mechanism, can automatically lock after insertion and removal while always ensuring pressure balance inside and outside the connector, thereby reducing the risk of seal failure.

[0008] An underwater connector includes a plug and a socket with conductive components, the plug and / or socket being provided with a pressure balance adjustment mechanism for adjusting the internal and external pressure balance of the connector; the socket includes a socket housing, and the plug includes a plug housing assembly; a removable sealing locking mechanism is provided between the socket housing and the plug housing assembly.

[0009] The pressure balancing mechanism maintains internal and external pressure balance in the plug and socket during insertion and removal, preventing seal damage caused by pressure differences. The sealing locking mechanism enables automatic locking and quick insertion / removal of the plug and socket.

[0010] Alternatively, the plug and socket may have an overall cylindrical shape. The plug and socket may contain corresponding conductive components to achieve electrical connection, and existing structures may be used.

[0011] Alternatively, a flange structure can be provided on the socket housing for connection to external devices. A sealing shell or similar element can also be provided on the socket housing to achieve a proper seal.

[0012] Furthermore, the socket housing is provided with a locking protrusion for engaging with the sealing and locking mechanism to achieve locking; the sealing and locking mechanism is a locking element disposed on the plug housing assembly. The locking protrusion is generally located near the end of the socket housing to facilitate locking with the plug. Preferably, the locking protrusion is located at the end of the socket housing for plug insertion, and is annular in shape, integrally formed with the socket housing during manufacturing, with its maximum outer diameter larger than a portion of the outer diameter of the socket housing. A socket end cap can also be provided at this end to seal and secure the internal components.

[0013] Furthermore, the plug housing assembly includes a plug inner shell and a plug outer shell coaxially arranged, with the plug outer shell slidably disposed on the outer wall of the plug inner shell; the plug inner shell has an inner sliding groove for positioning the locking member; the plug outer shell has an outer sliding groove that mates with the locking member; when the plug inner shell and the plug outer shell move axially relative to each other, the locking member has an initial state located within the inner sliding groove, and an expanded state that enters the outer sliding groove under radially outward force. Furthermore, the locking member includes one or more circumferentially arranged sliders and an annular elastic body sleeved on the outer wall of the sliders; both the inner wall of the plug outer shell and the outer wall of the plug inner shell have clearance grooves to avoid the elastic body.

[0014] Furthermore, the inner shell of the plug is provided with an inner groove for positioning the slider; the outer shell of the plug is provided with an outer groove that cooperates with the slider; when the inner shell and the outer shell of the plug move axially relative to each other, the slider has an initial state in which it is completely located in the inner groove, and an expanded state in which its outer end enters the outer groove under radial outward force.

[0015] In the initial state, the slider is completely located in the inner groove, and the inner shell and outer shell of the plug can move axially relative to each other. In the expanded state, the outer end of the slider is located in the outer groove, and the inner end is located in the inner groove, which plays a role in relative positioning of the inner shell and outer shell of the plug. At this time, the inner shell and outer shell of the plug cannot move axially relative to each other, and form a whole for axial movement.

[0016] Furthermore, the number of inner grooves corresponds to the number of sliders in the locking member; in the initial state, the sliders in the locking member are located in the inner grooves, the outer wall is flush with the outer wall of the plug inner shell, and the elastic body is located in the clearance groove of the plug inner shell; in the expanded state, the sliders in the locking member are located in the outer grooves, at this time, the elastic body is located in the clearance groove of the plug outer shell, and the elastic body has a stronger inward contraction force, at this time the slider needs more outward force to balance this part of the contraction force.

[0017] Furthermore, two sets of the outer sliding grooves are arranged along the axial direction of the plug housing, which are used to fix the inner shell of the plug and the outer shell of the plug when connecting or disconnecting the plug and the socket.

[0018] Furthermore, the slider has an arc-shaped segment structure with an inverted trapezoidal or similar cross-section. A slot for accommodating the elastic body is formed on the outer wall of the slider, and the slot structure matches the shape of the elastic body. There are two or more sliders, evenly distributed circumferentially on the outer wall of the plug's inner shell.

[0019] Furthermore, the locking boss has two symmetrically arranged inclined surface structures I on both sides; the inner end of the slider (i.e., the end of the trapezoid facing the central axis) is provided with an inclined surface structure II that matches the inclination angle of the inclined surface structure I; the sides of the slider and the inner wall of the inner slide groove are mutually cooperating inverted trapezoidal inclined surface structures. The inverted trapezoidal structure serves two purposes: firstly, it positions the slider; secondly, it prevents the slider from further sliding down the inner slide groove. In the initial state, under the combined action of the elastic body and the inverted trapezoidal inclined surface structure, the slider is positioned in the inner slide groove.

[0020] Furthermore, an elastic reset member I is provided between the inner shell and the outer shell of the plug; an axial limiting member is provided between the inner shell and the outer shell of the plug. One end of the elastic reset member I abuts against a first end face provided on the outer wall of the inner shell of the plug, and the other end abuts against a boss provided on the inner wall of the outer shell of the plug, thereby achieving elastic limiting of the relative position of the two: when the outer shell of the plug is pushed axially without any other external force, the inner shell and the outer shell of the plug can move axially synchronously under the action of the elastic reset member I; when the inner shell of the plug is subjected to axial resistance, when the outer shell of the plug is pushed, due to the elasticity of the elastic reset member I, the outer shell of the plug can move axially a certain distance relative to the inner shell of the plug. During the plug and socket insertion process, when one inclined structure II of the slider contacts one inclined structure I of the locking boss, the inclined structure I will give the slider an upward force, preventing the slider and the inner shell of the plug from moving axially, at which time the outer shell of the plug moves axially relative to the inner shell of the plug.

[0021] The elastic reset element I can be a spring.

[0022] Furthermore, the pressure balance adjustment mechanism includes:

[0023] A large oil bladder is installed inside the socket housing;

[0024] Positioning rings I and II are used to seal and fix both ends of the large oil bladder;

[0025] The socket housing is provided with a water inlet that connects the outside to the outer wall of the large oil bladder.

[0026] The large oil bladder is an elastic large oil bladder made of elastic material.

[0027] Furthermore, the conductive components within the socket include:

[0028] The syringe tail is fixed inside the socket housing;

[0029] A syringe that is coaxially and sealed to the tail of the syringe;

[0030] An elastic contact element located at the other end of the syringe;

[0031] The syringe is provided with an oil inlet that communicates with the inner cavity of the large oil bladder.

[0032] The number of conductive components can be determined according to actual needs, and the conductive components are coaxially arranged with the socket housing. The syringe tail, syringe, and elastic contact are all conductive components. The syringe tail is fixed inside the socket housing by the syringe base, with one end protruding from the syringe base and the other end passing through the positioning ring II and sealingly mating with one end of the syringe. The elastic contact is in close contact with the syringe, and the elastic contact can be a crown spring.

[0033] Furthermore, the elastic large oil bladder contains a sleeve and a guide rod coaxially arranged with the syringe. The syringe is sealed and fixed inside the sleeve, and the sleeve also has an oil inlet aligned with the syringe's oil inlet. The two ends of the large oil bladder are sealed and fixed to the two ends of the sleeve by positioning rings I and II, forming a sealed oil cavity. One end of the guide rod is inserted into the syringe and sleeve, allowing axial movement, while the outer wall of the guide rod dynamically seals against the inner wall of the sleeve. The syringe also contains an elastic reset element II, one end of which is fixed relative to the syringe, and the other end abuts against the guide rod. The elastic reset element II can be a spring.

[0034] One end of the sleeve is sealed and connected to the positioning ring II, and the other end passes through the positioning ring I and is sealed and connected to the socket end cover located at the end of the socket housing.

[0035] Furthermore, the end of the guide rod that abuts against the elastic reset element II has an oil passage gap with the inner wall of the syringe. The guide rod serves two purposes: firstly, it seals the internal space of the large oil bladder; secondly, it provides a dynamic seal during plug insertion. The oil gap prevents axial movement of the guide rod from affecting the pressure inside the large oil bladder.

[0036] Furthermore, the syringe is provided with a limiting ring to prevent the guide rod from detaching, and the inner end of the guide rod is provided with a limiting head. The limiting head and the limiting ring prevent the guide rod from axially detaching from the syringe.

[0037] Furthermore, a guide mechanism is provided between the socket and the plug, which can be a structure in which a guide protrusion and a guide groove cooperate.

[0038] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0039] Automatic locking is achieved: The novel mechanical locking mechanism designed in this invention, which combines spring and slider design, ensures automatic locking after insertion and removal, and can be easily released when separation is required.

[0040] Automatic pressure balance adjustment is achieved: The adjustable pressure balance system designed in this invention adopts a combination structure of oil bladder and sleeve, which can effectively balance the internal pressure during insertion and removal, reducing the risk of seal failure. Attached Figure Description

[0041] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the wet-plug underwater electrical connector provided in the embodiment;

[0042] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The diagram shows the structure of the socket.

[0043] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 The front view of the socket structure shown;

[0044] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of the socket in the AA direction;

[0045] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A partial view of the area shown by the socket in the image;

[0046] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the plug provided in the embodiment;

[0047] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 A front view of the plug structure shown;

[0048] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 A cross-sectional view of the socket in the BB direction;

[0049] Figure 9 yes Figure 7 A partial sectional disassembly view of the socket;

[0050] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the plug and socket being inserted and disconnected (initial state).

[0051] Figure 11 This is a diagram showing the plug and socket in the locked position.

[0052] Figure 12 This is a magnified view of the slider;

[0053] Figure 13 It is an assembly drawing of the elastic body and the slider. Detailed Implementation

[0054] like Figure 1 As shown, an underwater connector mainly consists of two parts: a plug 1 and a socket 2. See attached diagram. Figures 1-13 The technical solutions provided in the embodiments are further explained.

[0055] like Figures 2-5As shown, the socket 2 mainly includes: a socket end cap 16, a socket sealing shell 24, a socket outer shell 26, a syringe base 22, four sets of conductive components, and a large oil cavity 20, etc., which are disposed in the socket outer shell 26.

[0056] The socket housing 26 provides installation space and support for other components. One end of the socket housing 26 is sealed and fixed to the sealing shell 24 using screws or the like; the other end of the socket housing 26 is sealed and fixed to the socket end cover 16. The outer wall of the socket housing 26 is provided with a flange 25 for installation and fixing with external equipment. At the same time, the socket housing 26 is also provided with a water inlet a 30 for communicating with the outside. The outer wall of the end of the socket housing 26 where the sealing shell 24 is installed has a socket guide groove 11 along the axial direction for guiding and positioning with the plug 1.

[0057] The socket end cap 16 is installed on the front end of the socket housing 26 via an elastic washer 12. The socket end cap 16 is provided with an end cap through hole 13 and an oil injection hole 15. The oil injection hole 15 is connected to the large oil chamber 20. A screw plug 14 is installed in the oil injection hole 15. In the non-oiled state, the screw plug 14 is used to seal the large oil chamber 20. The end cap through hole 13 is coaxially connected to the guide rod 32 of the conductive component for plug insertion.

[0058] Inside the socket housing 26, there is a syringe base 22 and two positioning rings, wherein positioning ring b 27 abuts against the syringe base 22 and positioning ring a 17 abuts against the socket end cap 16;

[0059] A large oil bladder 19 (which can be made of rubber) is provided between the two positioning rings. One end of the large oil bladder 19 is sealed and fixed to the positioning ring a 17, and the other end is sealed and fixed to the positioning ring b 27. The sealed inner cavity formed by the three forms a large oil cavity 20, which can be filled with oil through the oil injection hole 15. The water inlet a 30 is connected to the outer space of the large oil bladder 19.

[0060] The large oil cavity 20 is equipped with four sets of coaxially arranged conductive components, which are evenly arranged circumferentially inside the large oil cavity 20. Each set of conductive components includes a coaxially arranged syringe tail 21, crown spring 33, and syringe 34. Each set of conductive components is externally fitted with a sleeve 29, which has an oil inlet 28. An oil inlet is also provided at the corresponding position of the syringe 34. One end of the sleeve 29 is sealed and connected to the positioning ring b 27, and the other end is sealed and placed in the positioning ring a. Inside 17; the syringe tail 21, crown spring 33, and syringe 34 are all conductive components; the syringe 34 and crown spring 33 are housed inside the sleeve 29; one end of the syringe 34 is coaxially fixed to the syringe tail 21, and the other end has a through hole for the guide rod 32 to pass through. Simultaneously, this end has a cavity for installing the positioning crown spring 33, which is installed within this cavity; in the free state, the inner wall of the crown spring 33 is tightly fitted to the outer wall of the guide rod 32; in the conductive state, the inner wall of the crown spring 33 is tightly fitted to the conductive component (connecting end of the pin 53) of the plug. The syringe tail 21 is fixed to the syringe base 22, with one end extending out of the syringe base and coaxially connected and fixed to the syringe 34, and the other end passing through the syringe base and fixed to the heat shrink sleeve 23 on the syringe base. The outer wall of the syringe base 22 and the inner wall of the socket housing 26 are sealed and fixed by O-rings and mounting steps, etc.

[0061] The outer wall of the socket housing 26, where the socket end cover is located, is provided with a locking boss 35, which is integrally formed with the socket housing 26. The locking boss 35 has a bevel structure Ia72 and a bevel structure Ib74 on its two axial sides, respectively, and the two annular bevel structures are symmetrically arranged.

[0062] The outer end of the guide rod 32 passes through the end cap through hole 13 of the sleeve 29 and is connected by an O-ring dynamic seal. The inner end of the guide rod 32 is provided with a limiting head; the sleeve 29 is provided with a limiting ring that cooperates with the limiting head. The limiting head and the limiting ring restrict the axial disengagement of the guide rod 32 from the sleeve 29. The guide rod 32 can move axially when subjected to axial force.

[0063] The syringe 34 is equipped with a syringe spring 18 and a guide rod 32 inside. One end of the syringe spring 18 abuts against the syringe tail 21, and the other end abuts against the end of the guide rod 32 that passes into the syringe 34.

[0064] The front end of the guide rod 32 achieves a dynamic seal with the sleeve 29 via an O-ring 31, and the rear end of the guide rod 32 passes through the crown spring 33 and abuts against the syringe spring 18. The positioning ring a 17 seals and fixes the large oil bladder 19 while also sealing it against the outer wall of the sleeve 29 via a sealing element (such as an O-ring). The positioning ring b 27 abuts and fixes between the syringe tail 21 and the sleeve 29. An oil passage gap is left between the guide rod 32 and the inner wall of the syringe 34 to avoid affecting the liquid pressure in the large oil chamber 20 when the guide rod moves axially.

[0065] like Figures 6-9As shown, plug 1 mainly includes: plug outer shell 42 and plug inner shell 44, pin base 55, pin 53, sealing shell b51, handle 59, etc.

[0066] The plug housing 42 is provided with an outer sliding groove b 61 and an outer sliding groove c 62, and has a plug guide groove 58 arranged along the axial direction;

[0067] The inner shell 44 of the plug is coaxially and slidably disposed within the outer shell 42 of the plug. Corresponding bosses a50 (located on the inner wall of the outer shell 42) and a first end face 80 (located on the outer wall of the inner shell 44) are provided between them for mounting and limiting the spring 48 (mentioned later). The inner wall of the inner shell 44 also has a second end face 79. One end of the inner shell 44 has a third end face 73.

[0068] The inner shell 44 of the plug is provided with an inner sliding groove 43, and a guide pin 60 is installed through a pin hole 57. The guide pin 60 is located in the plug guide groove 58 of the plug outer shell 42. The plug guide groove 58 and the guide pin 60 constitute an axial guide between the inner shell and the outer shell of the plug, thereby limiting and guiding the axial movement of the plug outer shell 42. The plug outer shell 42 is fixed with a handle 59.

[0069] A spring 48 is provided between the plug outer shell 42 and the plug inner shell 44. This spring has both tensile and compressive strength. The two ends of the spring 48 abut against the boss a50 on the plug outer shell 42 and the first end face 80 on the plug inner shell 44, respectively. The plug outer shell 42 and the plug inner shell 44 are respectively provided with a water inlet c49 and a water inlet b47 to ensure that water inside the plug can be drained in a timely manner.

[0070] The inner shell 44 of the plug has a pin base 55 fixed inside, and one end of the positioning pin 53 is fixedly installed to the pin base 55 through an insulating sleeve. The other end of the positioning pin 53 is provided with a heat shrink sleeve b52. One end of the inner shell 44 of the plug is provided with a sealing shell b51.

[0071] The handle 59 is connected to the plug housing 42 by screws.

[0072] The plug end cap 41 is installed on the left end face of the plug housing 42 (i.e., the end away from the handle), and the end cap is provided with a guide structure 40; the guide structure 40 cooperates with the socket guide groove 11 on the socket 2 to achieve axial positioning of the socket 2 and the plug 1. A fourth end face 71 is provided on one side inside the plug end cap 41.

[0073] Slider 46 (see) Figure 12 For the mating structure of slider 46 and elastic body 45, please refer to [reference needed]. Figure 13The slider 46 has an arc-shaped segment structure with an inverted trapezoidal cross-section (or end face). The inner end is narrow and the outer end is wide. The outer wall corresponding to the outer end is provided with an arc-shaped mounting groove 100 to accommodate the elastic body 45. The inner end is provided with a plug slider inclined surface structure IIa76 and a plug slider inclined surface structure IIb78.

[0074] The elastic body 45 is located in the mounting groove 100. The slider 46 is mounted on the inner slide groove 43 of the plug inner shell 44 through the elastic body 45. The inner slide groove is a structure that matches the inclined surface of the inverted trapezoidal structure of the slider 46 (narrow inside and wide outside) to prevent the slider from falling off.

[0075] The pin base 55 is installed inside the plug housing 44, and the pins 53 are mounted on it. O-rings are provided between each component to ensure good sealing performance.

[0076] Figure 10 This is a diagram showing the initial state of the socket and plug. Figure 11 This is a diagram showing the state when the socket and plug are locked.

[0077] The initial relative positions of the plug outer shell 42 and the plug inner shell 44 are as follows: Figure 10 As shown. Working state: The socket 2 is installed on the seabed device via its flange 25, and the plug 1 is connected to the device by the plug handle 59 operated by the underwater Rov robot.

[0078] Locking process:

[0079] When the handle 59 is moved to the left, the plug housing 42 and the plug inner housing 44 remain relatively stationary due to the absence of external forces, and move towards the socket 2 to the left. When the inclined surface structure IIa76 of the slider 46 contacts the inclined surface structure Ib74 of the socket housing, pushing the handle 59 further will constrain the movement of the plug inner housing 44, keeping it stationary, while the plug housing 42 will continue to move to the left, compressing the spring 48. Continuing to push the handle 59, when the first end face 80 of the plug inner housing 44 contacts the sixth end face 81 of the plug housing, the outer groove c 62 of the plug housing 42 will align with the slider 46. At this point, since the slider 46 is no longer constrained by the inner wall 77 of the plug housing, it will move outward to the outer groove c 62 under the radial outward force of the inclined structure Ib74, until it is fully embedded therein. Simultaneously, the contraction of the elastic body causes the outer end of the slider 46 to embed into the outer groove c 62 of the plug housing 42, while the bottom end is placed in the inner groove of the plug inner shell 44 and abuts against the outer wall of the socket housing, achieving relative fixation of the plug inner and outer shells. Continuing to push the handle, the plug inner and outer shells will remain relatively stationary and simultaneously move to the left until the fifth end face 75 of the socket 2 is in contact with the second end face 79 of the plug inner shell 44. At this point, the slider 46 returns to the inner groove 43 of the plug inner shell 44 under the action of the elastic body 45. Simultaneously, the inclined structures Ia72 and IIb78 abut and lock together, completing the docking of the plug 1 and socket 2. Releasing the handle 59 will restore the relative positions of the plug housing 42 and the plug inner shell 44 under the action of the spring 48. Figure 11 As shown. At the same time, the electrical connection between the insert pin 53, the crown spring 33, and the syringe 34 is also completed.

[0080] Separation process:

[0081] Pulling handle 59 to the right causes the inner plug shell 44 to remain stationary due to the fit between the inclined surface structure IIb78 of slider 46 and the inclined surface structure Ia72 of the socket shell. The outer plug shell 42 will move to the right, simultaneously stretching spring 48. Continuing to pull handle 59, until the third end face 73 of the inner plug shell aligns with the fourth end face 71 of the plug end cover 41, slider 46 will also align with the outer groove b 61. Continuing to pull handle 59, the inner and outer plug shells will remain relatively stationary. Slider 46, no longer constrained by the inner wall 77 of the socket shell, will move outward to the outer groove b 61 until it is fully embedded. At this point, slider no longer restricts the movement of the inner and outer shells. Continue pulling handle 59, the inner and outer shells of the plug will remain relatively stationary and move to the right at the same time until the socket 2 and plug 1 are separated. Then, the slider 46 returns to the inner groove 43 of the plug inner shell under the action of the elastic body 45. Under the action of the spring 48, the relative position of the plug inner shell 44 and the plug outer shell 42 will be restored.

[0082] Pressure balancing system (such as) Figure 4 )

[0083] The initial pressure value of the large oil chamber 20 is set to p0. After the connector is put into use, external seawater enters the socket housing 26 through the water inlet a31 and compresses the large oil bladder 19 inward. Due to the compressibility of liquids, as the seawater depth increases, the volume of the large oil chamber 20 will continuously decrease, and its internal pressure will continuously increase. When the seawater pressure reaches p1, the internal pressure of the large oil chamber 20 will increase accordingly and reach p2. At this time, p1≈p2, thus achieving a balance between the internal and external pressure differences. Since the sleeve and syringe are provided with oil inlets 28, the internal pressure of the syringe will remain synchronized with the pressure of the large oil chamber.

Claims

1. An underwater connector comprising a plug and a socket with conductive components, characterized in that, The plug and / or socket are provided with a pressure balance adjustment mechanism for adjusting the internal and external pressure balance of the connector; the socket includes a socket housing, and the plug includes a plug housing assembly; a detachable sealing and locking mechanism is provided between the socket housing and the plug housing assembly; the sealing and locking mechanism includes one or more sliders arranged circumferentially and an annular elastic body sleeved on the outer wall of the slider; The plug housing assembly includes a plug inner shell and a plug outer shell arranged coaxially, with the plug outer shell slidably disposed on the outer wall of the plug inner shell; the plug inner shell is provided with an inner groove for positioning the slider; the plug outer shell is provided with an outer groove that cooperates with the slider; when the plug inner shell and the plug outer shell move axially relative to each other, the slider has an initial state located in the inner groove, and an expanded state that enters the outer groove under radial outward force.

2. The underwater connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The socket housing is provided with a locking boss for engaging with the sealing locking mechanism to achieve locking.

3. The underwater connector according to claim 2, characterized in that, Two sets of outer sliding grooves are arranged along the axial direction of the plug housing.

4. The underwater connector according to claim 3, characterized in that, Both the inner wall of the plug housing and the outer wall of the plug inner housing are provided with clearance grooves to avoid the elastomer.

5. The underwater connector according to claim 4, characterized in that, The locking boss has two symmetrically arranged inclined surface structures I on both sides; the inner end of the slider has an inclined surface structure II that matches the inclination angle of the inclined surface structure I; the sides of the slider and the inner wall of the inner slide groove are mutually cooperating inverted trapezoidal inclined surface structures.

6. The underwater connector according to claim 3, characterized in that, An elastic reset element I is provided between the inner shell and the outer shell of the plug; an axial limiting element is provided between the inner shell and the outer shell of the plug.

7. The underwater connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pressure balance adjustment mechanism includes: A large oil reservoir is located inside the socket housing; Positioning rings I and II seal both ends of the large oil bladder; The socket housing is provided with a water inlet that connects the outside to the outer wall of the large oil bladder.

8. The underwater connector according to claim 7, characterized in that, The conductive components within the socket include: The syringe tail is fixed inside the socket housing; A syringe that is coaxially and sealed to the tail of the syringe; An elastic contact element located at the other end of the syringe; The syringe is provided with an oil inlet that communicates with the inner cavity of the large oil bladder.

9. The underwater connector according to claim 8, characterized in that, The socket housing contains a sleeve and a guide rod coaxially arranged with the syringe. The syringe is sealed and fixed inside the sleeve, which also has an oil inlet aligned with the syringe's oil inlet. The large oil bladder is sealed and fixed to both ends of the sleeve by positioning ring I and positioning ring II. One end of the guide rod is inserted into the syringe and sleeve and can move axially, with its outer wall dynamically sealing against the inner wall of the sleeve. The syringe also contains an elastic reset member II, one end of which is fixed relative to the syringe, and the other end abuts against the guide rod.

10. The underwater connector according to claim 9, characterized in that, The end of the guide rod that abuts against the elastic reset member II has an oil-filled gap with the inner wall of the syringe.

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