An underwater connector

Abstract

This invention discloses an underwater connector, including a plug assembly and a socket assembly. The plug assembly includes a plug housing, a first base, an elastic element, and an outer sheath. The first base slides and seals with the through hole of the plug housing and is axially slidable. The elastic element holds the first base in a first position. A sealed cavity filled with an insulating medium is formed on the inner side of the outer sheath. The plug housing has a flow channel connecting the sealed cavity and the through hole. The socket assembly includes a socket housing and a third base. When the plug assembly and the socket assembly are inserted, the outer peripheral wall of the socket housing slides and seals with the inner peripheral wall of the through hole. The socket housing pushes the first base to a second position to complete electrical contact. The flow channel introduces the insulating medium from the sealed cavity into the insertion gap between the first base and the third base. This invention can effectively prevent partial discharge caused by air gaps at the insertion interface and avoid the risks of insulation aging and breakdown.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of connector technology, and in particular to an underwater connector. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing demand for underwater equipment and deep-sea operations, underwater electrical connectors have gradually expanded from conventional electrical connections to underwater detachment and separation applications. Currently, the mainstream technologies are mainly divided into two categories: underwater wet-plug connectors and dry-plug wet-separation connectors.

[0003] Underwater electrical connectors consist of a plug assembly and a socket assembly that can be plugged into each other. The plug assembly includes a first base with pins, and the socket assembly includes a second base with pin holes. When the plug and socket assemblies are plugged in on land, due to limitations in manufacturing precision and assembly processes, tiny air gaps (air gaps) can easily remain at the interface between the first and second bases. When the connector is submerged, under the combined effects of the high-pressure environment and operating voltage in the deep sea, because both the first base (for mounting the pins) and the second base (for mounting the pin holes) are made of rubber, and the relative permittivity of the air at the air gap is lower than that of the rubber material, an electric field concentration occurs, causing a sharp increase in local field strength and leading to partial discharge. This partial discharge continuously corrodes the rubber material, causing it to carbonize, crack, and age faster, and in severe cases, leading to breakdown and short-circuit faults, directly threatening the power supply safety and operational reliability of underwater equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides an underwater connector that can effectively prevent partial discharge caused by air gaps at the mating interface and avoid the risks of insulation aging and breakdown.

[0005] This invention is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0006] An underwater connector includes a plug assembly and a socket assembly.

[0007] The plug assembly includes a plug housing, a first base, an elastic element, and an outer sheath. The plug housing has a through hole penetrating the plug housing. The outer peripheral wall of the first base is slidably sealed to the inner peripheral wall of the through hole. The first base can reciprocate between a first position and a second position along the axial direction of the through hole. One end of the elastic element is connected to the first base, and the other end is directly or indirectly connected to the plug housing.

[0008] The outer sheath is disposed inside the plug housing, and a sealed cavity is formed on the inner side of the outer sheath, the interior of which is filled with an insulating medium;

[0009] The plug housing has a flow channel, the first opening of the flow channel is connected to the sealing cavity, and the second opening of the flow channel is formed on the inner peripheral wall of the through hole;

[0010] The socket assembly includes a socket housing and a third base disposed within the socket housing. When the plug assembly and the socket assembly are plugged in, the outer peripheral wall of the socket housing slides and seals with the inner peripheral wall of the through hole, and the end face of the socket housing pushes the first base to slide to the second position. At this time, the first electrical contact on the first base makes corresponding electrical contact with the third electrical contact on the third base, and the second opening communicates with the insertion gap between the first base and the third base to introduce the insulating medium in the sealed cavity into the insertion gap.

[0011] Furthermore, the plug assembly also includes an inner bladder, and the outer bladder is disposed within the plug housing and located inside the outer bladder.

[0012] Furthermore, the sealing cavity includes a third sealing cavity formed between the outer bladder and the inner bladder, and the first opening of the flow channel communicates with the third sealing cavity.

[0013] Furthermore, the sealing cavity includes a second sealing cavity formed inside the inner side of the endothelial bladder, and the first opening of the flow channel communicates with the second sealing cavity.

[0014] Furthermore, a plurality of second sealing rings are provided between the outer peripheral wall of the first substrate and the inner peripheral wall of the through hole;

[0015] When the first substrate is in the first position, the second opening is located between adjacent second sealing rings in the axial direction of the first substrate;

[0016] When the first base is in the second position, in the axial direction of the first base, a plurality of second sealing rings are located on the side of the second opening away from the socket assembly.

[0017] Furthermore, the plug housing includes a plug outer shell and an inner shell fixed inside the plug outer shell, and the flow channel is formed on the plug outer shell;

[0018] An annular gap is formed between the inner wall of the plug housing and the outer wall of the inner housing, and both the inner bladder and the outer bladder are disposed in the annular gap.

[0019] Furthermore, the inner shell is provided with a second limiting step, and the end of the elastic member away from the first base is connected to the second limiting step.

[0020] Furthermore, the inner housing is provided with at least one oil injection hole communicating with the sealing cavity, and the plug housing is provided with a mounting hole coaxially communicating with the oil injection hole;

[0021] The underwater connector also includes a sealing plug, which passes through the mounting hole and the oil filling hole and is sealed to the oil filling hole.

[0022] Furthermore, the underwater connector also includes an inner support cylinder and an outer support cylinder. The two ends of the inner support cylinder are used to press the two ends of the inner bladder against the plug housing and the inner housing, respectively. The two ends of the outer support cylinder are used to press the two ends of the outer bladder against the plug housing and the inner housing, respectively.

[0023] The inner and outer support cylinders are each provided with multiple oil passage holes.

[0024] Furthermore, the through hole of the plug housing includes a first through hole provided on the outer casing of the plug and a second through hole provided on the inner casing, wherein the first through hole and the second through hole are coaxially connected.

[0025] The plug assembly further includes a second base, which is coaxially arranged with the first base, and the outer peripheral wall of the second base is in sealing fit with the inner peripheral wall of the second through hole, while the outer peripheral wall of the first base is in sliding sealing fit with the inner peripheral wall of the first through hole.

[0026] The end of the elastic element away from the first substrate is connected to the second substrate.

[0027] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of this invention are:

[0028] By setting an outer bladder to form a sealed cavity filled with insulating medium, and cooperating with the flow channel of the plug housing, the insulating medium in the sealed cavity can be introduced into the insertion gap between the first and third substrates when the connector is inserted, completely filling the tiny air gap at the insertion interface. By using the insulating medium to replace air, the problem of electric field concentration caused by the difference in dielectric constant is eliminated, the generation of partial discharge is suppressed, and the carbonization, cracking and aging rate of rubber insulating material is slowed down. This effectively avoids insulation breakdown and short circuit faults, and significantly improves the insulation performance, sealing stability and long-term operational reliability of underwater connectors under deep-sea high-voltage energized conditions. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of a plug assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of a plug assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 3 This is a structural schematic diagram of a cross-sectional view of a socket assembly;

[0032] Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of the plug assembly and socket assembly before they are connected;

[0033] Figure 5 A cross-sectional view of the plug assembly and socket assembly after they are mated together;

[0034] Figure 6 This is the front view of the sliding axis;

[0035] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view of the sliding shaft;

[0036] Figure 8 for Figure 4 Enlarged view of section A in the middle;

[0037] Figure 9 for Figure 5 Enlarged view of section B;

[0038] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the inner housing and the sliding shaft.

[0039] Figure 11 This is an assembly drawing of the inner housing and the sliding shaft when the sliding shaft is in the second position.

[0040] 10. Plug housing; 11. First sealing cavity; 12. Second sealing cavity; 13. Opening; 14. Third sealing cavity; 15. Flow channel; 150. First opening; 151. Second opening; 16. Annular gap; 110. Plug outer shell; 111. First through hole; 112. First mounting hole; 113. Second mounting hole; 114. Keyway; 115. Slot; 116. Drainage groove; 120. Inner shell; 121. Second through hole; 122. Notch; 123. Second limiting step; 124. First oil filling hole; 125. Second oil filling hole; 130. First sealing plug; 140. Second sealing plug; 20. First base; 200. First electrical contact; 210. First base; 211. 1. Boss; 220. Sliding shaft; 221. Lug; 222. First limiting boss; 223. Limiting arm; 230. First sealing ring; 240. Second sealing ring; 250. Retaining ring; 30. Second base; 310. Second base; 311. Second boss; 312. Mounting channel; 313. Guide channel; 314. Limiting step surface; 320. Third sealing ring; 330. Second electrical contact; 40. Elastic element; 50. Inner bladder; 51. Inner support cylinder; 510. Oil passage hole; 60. Outer bladder; 61. Outer support cylinder; 70. Locking ring; 80. Socket housing; 81. Fourth sealing ring; 82. Protruding key; 83. Elastic retaining ring; 90. Third base; 900. Third electrical contact. Detailed Implementation

[0041] The following detailed, non-limiting description of the invention's technical solutions, in conjunction with preferred embodiments and accompanying drawings, is provided. In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain the invention, and should not be construed as limiting the invention.

[0042] like Figure 1 and Figure 3As shown, an underwater connector according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a plug assembly and a socket assembly, wherein the plug assembly and the socket assembly are axially pluggable. The plug assembly includes a plug housing 10, a first base 20, an elastic element 40, and an outer sheath 60. The plug housing 10 has a through hole penetrating the plug housing 10. The outer peripheral wall of the first base 20 is slidably sealed to the inner peripheral wall of the through hole, and the first base 20 can reciprocate between a first position and a second position along the axial direction of the through hole. The elastic element 40 is installed in the through hole, with one end connected to the first base 20 and the other end directly or indirectly connected to the plug housing 10, providing an elastic force to the first base 20 so that the first base 20 remains in the first position when no external force is applied. An outer bladder 60 is disposed within the plug housing 10, and a sealed cavity is formed on the inner side of the outer bladder 60. The sealed cavity is filled with an insulating medium. A flow channel 15 is provided on the plug housing 10. The first opening 150 of the flow channel 15 communicates with the sealed cavity, and the second opening 151 of the flow channel 15 is formed on the inner peripheral wall of the through hole. The socket assembly includes a socket housing 80 and a third base 90 disposed within the socket housing 80. When the plug assembly and the socket assembly are plugged in, the outer peripheral wall of the socket housing 80 slides and seals with the inner peripheral wall of the through hole, and the end face of the socket housing 80 pushes the first base 20 to slide to a second position. At this time, the first electrical contact 200 on the first base 20 and the third electrical contact 900 on the third base 90 make corresponding electrical contact. Furthermore, the second opening 151 communicates with the insertion gap between the first base 20 and the third base 90 to guide the insulating medium in the sealed cavity into the insertion gap. By setting an outer bladder 60 to form a sealed cavity filled with insulating medium, and cooperating with the flow channel 15 of the plug housing 10, the insulating medium can be introduced into the insertion gap between the first substrate 20 and the third substrate 90 when the connector is inserted, completely filling the tiny air gap at the insertion interface; by using the insulating medium to replace air, the problem of electric field concentration caused by the difference in dielectric constant is eliminated, the generation of partial discharge is suppressed, the carbonization, cracking and aging rate of rubber insulating material is slowed down, insulation breakdown and short circuit faults are effectively avoided, and the insulation performance, sealing stability and long-term operational reliability of the underwater connector under deep-sea high-voltage energized conditions are significantly improved.

[0043] The plug assembly further includes an inner bladder 50, which is disposed within the plug housing 10 and located inside the outer bladder 60. In one embodiment of the invention, the sealing cavity includes a third sealing cavity 14 formed between the outer bladder 60 and the inner bladder 50, and a first opening 150 of the flow channel 15 communicates with the third sealing cavity 14. In another embodiment of the invention, the sealing cavity includes a second sealing cavity 12 formed inside the inner bladder 50, and a first opening 150 of the flow channel 15 communicates with the second sealing cavity 12.

[0044] Furthermore, a plurality of second sealing rings 240 are provided between the outer peripheral wall of the first base 20 and the inner peripheral wall of the through hole; when the first base 20 is in the first position, the second opening 151 is located between adjacent second sealing rings 240 in the axial direction of the first base 20; when the first base 20 is in the second position, in the axial direction of the first base 20, the plurality of second sealing rings 240 are all located on the side of the second opening 151 away from the socket assembly.

[0045] The plug housing 10 includes a plug outer shell 110 and an inner shell 120 fixed inside the plug outer shell 110. Specifically, a flow channel 15 is opened on the plug outer shell 110, and an annular gap 16 is formed between the inner wall of the plug outer shell 110 and the outer wall of the inner shell 120. The inner bladder 50 and the outer bladder 60 are both disposed in the annular gap 16.

[0046] In one embodiment of the present invention, reference is made to... Figure 1 The inner shell 120 is provided with a second limiting step 123 inside, and the end of the elastic member 40 away from the first base 20 is connected to the second limiting step 123.

[0047] In some embodiments, the underwater connector further includes an inner support cylinder 51 and an outer support cylinder 61. The two ends of the inner support cylinder 51 are used to press the two ends of the inner bladder 50 against the plug housing 110 and the inner housing 120, respectively. The two ends of the outer support cylinder 61 are used to press the two ends of the outer bladder 60 against the plug housing 110 and the inner housing 120, respectively. Multiple oil passage holes 510 are respectively provided on the inner support cylinder 51 and the outer support cylinder 61. By providing the inner support cylinder 51 and the outer support cylinder 61, the inner bladder 50 and the outer bladder 60 can be supported and fixed. Simultaneously, the axial ends of the inner support cylinder 51 and the outer support cylinder 61 can reliably limit the movement of the plug housing 110 and the inner housing 120, effectively suppressing axial movement of the plug housing 110 and the inner housing 120 under high pressure or vibration environments. The oil passage holes 510 ensure smooth flow of the insulating medium between the inner and outer bladders, maintaining dynamic pressure balance.

[0048] The plug housing 10 has a first sealing cavity 11 and a second sealing cavity 12 that are interconnected and filled with an insulating medium. The first sealing cavity 11 is at least partially located in the through hole, so that the insulating medium in the first sealing cavity 11 can apply an axial thrust toward the first base 20.

[0049] The second sealing cavity 12 is located radially outward of the first base 20 and at least partially between the inner bladder 50 and the outer peripheral wall of the inner housing 120. The inner bladder 50 is disposed between the plug housing 110 and the inner housing 120, and at least partially constitutes the cavity wall of the second sealing cavity 12. An opening 13 is provided on the plug housing 10, through which external fluid can act on the outer bladder 60 and cause elastic deformation of the outer bladder 60 and the inner bladder 50. When the plug assembly and the socket assembly are plugged in, the outer peripheral wall of the socket housing 80 slides and seals with the inner peripheral wall of the through hole, and the end face of the socket housing 80 pushes the first base 20 to slide to the second position. At this time, the plurality of first electrical contacts 200 on the first base 20 make corresponding electrical contact with the plurality of third electrical contacts 900 on the third base 90. This invention, by setting up an axially sliding first base 20, an elastic element 40, a first sealing cavity 11 and a second sealing cavity 12 that are interconnected, and an elastically deformable inner bladder 50, and by opening an opening 13 on the plug housing 10 to communicate with external fluid, allows external water pressure to act directly or indirectly on the inner bladder 50 through the opening 13 during the underwater connector separation process, and to squeeze the insulating medium in the sealing cavity. This creates an auxiliary thrust on one side of the first base 20, which cancels out the external water pressure acting on the right side of the plug assembly, thereby achieving internal and external pressure balance between the plug assembly and the socket assembly. This effectively reduces the deep-water pressure difference that needs to be overcome during separation, and significantly improves the convenience and reliability of connector separation operations in deep-water environments. Specifically, when the plug assembly and socket assembly separate, the first base 20 moves to the first position under the elastic force of the elastic element 40. Simultaneously, external water flows through the opening 13 and acts on the inner bladder 50, causing the inner bladder 50 to undergo elastic deformation and squeeze the insulating medium in the second sealing cavity 12, which in turn squeezes the insulating medium in the first sealing cavity 11. This creates a rightward water pressure thrust on the left side of the first base 20. Before the plug assembly completely detaches from the socket assembly, [reference needed]. Figure 4 The socket housing 80 and the first base 20 remain in contact, and the right side of the plug assembly is constantly subjected to external water pressure. The water pressure on the plug assembly pushes the plug assembly to the left. At this time, the water pressure on the left side of the first base 20 and the water pressure on the right side of the plug assembly cancel each other out, reducing the net pressure difference that needs to be overcome to separate the plug assembly and the socket assembly. The user can more easily complete the separation operation of the plug assembly and the socket assembly.

[0050] Furthermore, in the radial direction of the plug assembly, the inner bladder 50 at least partially overlaps with the first base 20. By setting the inner bladder 50 and the first base 20 to at least partially overlap in the radial direction of the plug assembly, replacing the prior art design where the bladder and base are arranged sequentially along the axial direction, the axial dimension of the plug assembly is significantly shortened while ensuring the balance of water pressure inside and outside the plug assembly, thus reducing the installation space and better adapting to application scenarios such as narrow underwater installation spaces and dense equipment deployment.

[0051] like Figure 2 As shown, in another embodiment of the present invention, the plug assembly further includes a second base 30, which is disposed in the through hole, and the second base 30 and the first base 20 are arranged sequentially along the axial direction of the through hole. Further, the second base 30 and the first base 20 are coaxially arranged. In this embodiment, the end of the elastic member 40 away from the first base 20 is connected to the second base 30.

[0052] In this embodiment, the outer peripheral wall of the second substrate 30 is sealed to the inner peripheral wall of the through hole, and the first sealing cavity 11 is at least partially located between the first substrate 20 and the second substrate 30.

[0053] In this embodiment, the inner bladder 50 at least partially overlaps with the second base 30 in the radial direction of the plug assembly.

[0054] Furthermore, the through holes of the plug housing 10 include a first through hole 111 on the plug outer shell 110 and a second through hole 121 on the inner shell 120. The first through hole 111 and the second through hole 121 are coaxially connected, and the outer peripheral wall of the second base 30 is sealed to the inner peripheral wall of the second through hole 121, while the outer peripheral wall of the first base 20 is slidably sealed to the inner peripheral wall of the first through hole 111. At the same time, the outer peripheral wall of the socket housing 80 is slidably sealed to the inner peripheral wall of the first through hole 111. Before assembling the plug outer shell 110 and the inner shell 120, the first through hole 111 and the second through hole 121 can be processed respectively. Then, the first base 20 and the second base 30 are respectively assembled into the corresponding through holes. Then, the elastic element 40 is assembled between the first base 20 and the second base 30. Finally, the inner shell 120 is pressed into the plug outer shell 110 to complete the pre-assembly. By splitting the plug housing 10 into a combined structure of a plug outer shell 110 and an inner shell 120, the difficulty of processing and assembling the plug assembly is reduced.

[0055] In this embodiment, the second opening 151 of the flow channel 15 is specifically formed on the inner peripheral wall of the first through hole 111.

[0056] like Figure 1 As shown, the underwater connector also includes a locking ring 70, which is threadedly connected to the plug housing 10. The end face of the locking ring 70 presses against the inner housing 120, thereby axially pressing and fixing the inner housing 120 within the plug housing 10. The threaded tightening force of the locking ring 70 is evenly transmitted to the inner housing 120 through its end face, effectively preventing axial displacement of the inner housing 120 under deep water, high pressure, and vibration environments.

[0057] In some embodiments, the inner housing 120 has at least one oil filling hole communicating with the sealing cavity, and the plug housing 110 has a mounting hole coaxially communicating with the oil filling hole; the underwater connector also includes a sealing plug, which passes through the mounting hole and the oil filling hole and seals with the oil filling hole.

[0058] Specifically, the inner housing 120 has a first oil injection hole 124 communicating with the second sealing cavity 12, and the plug housing 110 has a first mounting hole 112 coaxially communicating with the first oil injection hole 124. The underwater connector also includes a first sealing plug 130, which passes through the first mounting hole 112 and the first oil injection hole 124 and is sealed to the first oil injection hole 124. During the manufacturing process of the plug assembly, the insulating medium can be injected into the second sealing cavity 12 through the first oil injection hole 124. After the oil injection is completed, the first sealing plug 130 seals the first oil injection hole 124. In addition, since the first sealing plug 130 passes through both the first mounting hole 112 and the first oil injection hole 124, it can effectively prevent relative rotation between the plug housing 110 and the inner housing 120, thereby improving the overall structural stability. Furthermore, similarly, the inner housing 120 has a second oil filling hole 125 communicating with the third sealing cavity 14, and the plug housing 110 has a second mounting hole 113 coaxially communicating with the second oil filling hole 125. The underwater connector also includes a second sealing plug 140, which passes through the second mounting hole 113 and the second oil filling hole 125 and seals with the second oil filling hole 125. The second sealing plug 140 not only seals the second oil filling hole 125, but also effectively prevents relative rotation between the plug housing 110 and the inner housing 120, thereby improving the overall structural stability. In this embodiment, the second sealing plug 140 and the first sealing plug 130 are symmetrically distributed on both radial sides of the plug housing 110. Together, they provide axial and circumferential constraints between the plug housing 110 and the inner housing 120, enabling them to maintain precise coaxiality and stability even under the high pressure environment of the deep sea. Preferably, two of each of the second sealing plug 140 and the first sealing plug 130 are provided, and the two sets of sealing plugs are evenly staggered along the circumferential direction of the plug housing 110 to further enhance the axial and circumferential constraints between the plug housing 110 and the inner housing 120.

[0059] like Figure 4 , Figure 6 and Figure 7As shown, the inner housing 120 has a notch 122, and the first base 20 has a lug 221 at one end near the second base 30. The lug 221 slides with the notch 122, and the notch 122 guides and limits the axial sliding of the first base 20. The guiding function of the notch 122 ensures the stability and coaxiality of the first base 20 along the axial direction, while the limiting function of the notch 122 prevents excessive axial displacement of the first base 20, ensuring accurate alignment and reliable contact between the first base 20 and the second base 30 during the insertion of the plug assembly and the socket assembly. At the same time, it can also limit the circumferential direction of the first base 20, preventing the first base 20 from rotating relative to the inner housing 120. Specifically, when the first base 20 is in the first position, the lug 221 abuts against the opening edge of the first through hole 111; when the first base 20 is in the second position, the lug 221 abuts against the bottom wall of the notch 122, thereby limiting the axial displacement range of the first base 20. In this embodiment, the first sealing cavity 11 and the second sealing cavity 12 are also connected through the notch 122. When the underwater connector changes in water depth, the notch 122 can ensure that the pressure between the first sealing cavity 11 and the second sealing cavity 12 remains balanced in real time.

[0060] In addition, refer to Figure 10 and Figure 11 The notch 122 is formed by the indentation of the end face of the inner shell 120. The lug 221 extends into the notch 122 from the opening of the notch 122. Furthermore, a limiting arm 223 is provided on the outer peripheral wall of the sliding shaft 220. When the first base 20 is in the second position, the limiting arm 223 abuts against the end face of the inner shell 120 to axially limit the first base 20.

[0061] In this embodiment, the first base 20 includes a first base 210 and a sliding shaft 220 that is sealed to the outside of the first base 210. The outer peripheral wall of the sliding shaft 220 is in sliding sealing cooperation with the inner peripheral wall of the first through hole 111.

[0062] The second sealing ring 240 is disposed between the outer peripheral wall of the sliding shaft 220 and the inner peripheral wall of the first through hole 111, while the first sealing ring 230 is disposed between the outer peripheral wall of the first base 210 and the inner peripheral wall of the sliding shaft 220.

[0063] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, multiple second sealing rings 240 are sleeved on the outer peripheral wall of the sliding shaft 220, so that the outer peripheral wall of the sliding shaft 220 slides and seals with the inner peripheral wall of the first through hole 111. In addition, lugs 221 are provided at the end of the sliding shaft 220, that is, at the end of the sliding shaft 220 near the second base 30.

[0064] like Figure 4As shown, the outer peripheral wall of the first base 210 is provided with a first boss 211, and the inner peripheral wall of the sliding shaft 220 is provided with a first limiting boss 222. A retaining ring 250 is also engaged on the inner peripheral wall of the sliding shaft 220. Along the axial direction of the first base 20, one end of the first boss 211 abuts against the first limiting boss 222, and the other end abuts against the retaining ring 250. Through the bidirectional limiting effect of the first limiting boss 222 and the retaining ring 250, the first base 210 and the sliding shaft 220 are reliably fixed in the axial direction, preventing them from loosening due to assembly tolerances or vibration, thereby ensuring that the sliding shaft 220 and the first base 210 can move synchronously as a whole.

[0065] The second base 30 includes a second base 310, and a third sealing ring 320 is provided between the outer peripheral wall of the second base 310 and the inner peripheral wall of the second through hole 121. A second boss 311 is provided on the outer peripheral wall of the second base 310, and a second limiting step 123 is provided on the inner peripheral wall of the second through hole 121. Along the axial direction of the second base 310, one end of the second boss 311 abuts against the second limiting step 123 and the other end abuts against the elastic member 40. The end of the elastic member 40 away from the second base 310 abuts against the retaining ring 250.

[0066] like Figure 3 As shown, a fourth sealing ring 81 is fitted onto the outer peripheral wall of the socket housing 80. The fourth sealing ring 81 slides and seals against the inner peripheral wall of the first through hole 111. A protruding key 82 and an elastic retaining ring 83 are provided on the outer peripheral wall of the socket housing 80. In the axial direction of the socket housing 80, the elastic retaining ring 83 is located on the side of the fourth sealing ring 81 away from the plug end of the socket housing 80. The protruding key 82 is located between the fourth sealing ring 81 and the elastic retaining ring 83. The plug housing 110 is provided with a keyway 114 that matches the protruding key 82 and a retaining groove 115 that engages with the elastic retaining ring 83.

[0067] In some embodiments, reference Figure 1 The plug housing 110 is also provided with a drainage groove 116, through which external fluid can flow to the contact point between the fourth sealing ring 81 and the inner peripheral wall of the first through hole 111. Specifically, after being guided by the drainage groove 116, the external liquid is evenly distributed along the contact surface between the fourth sealing ring 81 and the inner wall of the first through hole 111, reducing the water pressure thrust of the external liquid on the right side of the plug housing 110.

[0068] In this embodiment, the first base 20 is slidably disposed in the through hole. The first base 20 can reciprocate between a first position and a second position along the axial direction of the through hole. The first base 20 includes a first base 210 and at least one first electrical contact 200 fixed on the first base 210. The first electrical contact 200 extends along the axial direction of the first base 210 and penetrates the first base 210. The second base 30 is disposed in the through hole. The second base 30 includes a second base 310 and at least one second electrical contact 330 fixed on the second base 310. The second electrical contact 330 extends along the axial direction of the second base 310, and the end of the second electrical contact 330 away from the first electrical contact 200 is used to connect a cable. The first electrical contact 200 and the second electrical contact 330 correspond one-to-one and are coaxially disposed. The elastic member 40 is installed in the through hole. In this embodiment, multiple first electrical contacts 200 and multiple second electrical contacts 330 are provided, and the multiple first electrical contacts 200 correspond one-to-one with the multiple second electrical contacts 330 and are coaxially arranged. When the plug assembly is not connected to the socket assembly, the first base 20 is held in the first position, the elastic member 40 is in a freely extended or compressed state, and the first electrical contacts 200 and the second electrical contacts are not in contact. When the plug assembly and the socket assembly are plugged in, the first base 20 moves along the axial direction of the through hole toward the second base 30 until the first base 20 moves to the second position. At this time, one end of the elastic member 40 abuts or connects to the first base 20, and the other end abuts or connects to the second base 30 or the inner wall of the through hole. The elastic member 40 is in a compressed state, and the first electrical contacts 200 and the second electrical contacts 330 are in electrical contact.

[0069] Specifically, when the plug assembly and the socket assembly are plugged in, the socket assembly can push the first base 20 to slide to the second position against the elastic force of the elastic member 40. At this time, the front ends of the multiple first electrical contacts 200 make electrical contact with the multiple third electrical contacts 900 on the multiple socket assemblies, and the rear ends of the multiple first electrical contacts 200 make electrical contact with the multiple second electrical contacts 330. When the plug assembly and the socket assembly are separated, the first base 20 returns to the first position under the elastic force of the elastic member 40. At this time, the rear ends of the multiple first electrical contacts 200 disengage from the multiple second electrical contacts 330. This application incorporates a sliding first base 20, a second base 30, and an elastic element 40 within the plug assembly. When the plug assembly and socket assembly are not mated, the first base 20 remains in a first position under the action of the elastic element 40. At this time, the first electrical contact 200 on the first base 20 does not contact the second electrical contact 330 on the second base 30, meaning the first electrical contact 200 on the first base 20 is not energized. When the plug assembly and socket assembly are fully inserted, the first base 20 moves to a second position, at which point the first electrical contact 200 on the first base 20 makes electrical contact with the second electrical contact 330 on the second base 30, thus achieving power conduction and providing active protection against electric shock. This effectively cuts off the current circuit and eliminates safety hazards caused by residual charge. When the plug assembly and the socket assembly are completely separated, the elastic element 40 drives the first base 20 to automatically reset to the first position, so that the first electrical contact 200 and the second electrical contact 330 are reliably disconnected, thereby completely cutting off the current circuit and eliminating the safety hazards caused by residual charge. This structure is simple in design, which helps to reduce production costs and improve assembly efficiency, while also improving the sealing performance and electrical safety of the connector during long-term use.

[0070] like Figure 8 As shown, the second base 310 has an interconnected mounting channel 312 and a guide channel 313, which extend axially along the second base 310 and are coaxially arranged. A second electrical contact 330 is mounted within the mounting channel 312, and the rear end of the first electrical contact 200 can extend into the guide channel 313, with a clearance fit between the outer peripheral wall of the first electrical contact 200 and the inner peripheral wall of the guide channel 313. The guide channel 313 provides precise guidance for the sliding of the rear end of the first electrical contact 200, preventing misalignment and poor contact.

[0071] refer to Figure 9 When the first substrate 20 is in the second position, the rear end of the first electrical contact 200 passes through the guide channel 313 and extends into the mounting channel 312, so that the rear end of the first electrical contact 200 makes electrical contact with the second electrical contact 330; Reference Figure 8When the first substrate 20 is in the first position, the rear end of the first electrical contact 200 is located within the guide channel 313, and the rear end of the first electrical contact 200 is no longer in electrical contact with the second electrical contact 330. Therefore, regardless of whether the first substrate 20 is in the first or second position, the rear end of the first electrical contact 200 is always within the guide channel 313, ensuring the stability of the axial movement of the first electrical contact 200 during the sliding process of the first substrate 20, effectively suppressing radial displacement of the first electrical contact 200 caused by vibration, thereby ensuring the reliability of the contact between the first electrical contact 200 and the second electrical contact 330.

[0072] like Figure 8 As shown, the inner diameter of the guide channel 313 is smaller than the inner diameter of the mounting channel 312; a limiting step surface 314 is formed at the connection between the mounting channel 312 and the guide channel 313. One end of the second electrical contact 330 abuts against the limiting step surface 314, and the other end extends out of the mounting channel 312 for connecting cables. The limiting step surface 314 facilitates the precise positioning of the second electrical contact 330.

[0073] In this embodiment, the first electrical contact 200 mentioned above is a pin, and the second electrical contact 330 and the third electrical contact 900 are pinholes that make electrical contact with the pin.

[0074] In addition, both the side chamber of the plug housing 10 near the cable and the side chamber of the socket housing 80 near the cable are filled with sealant to ensure the waterproof performance of the underwater connector.

[0075] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of the present invention, and while the descriptions are specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of this patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An underwater connector, comprising a plug assembly and a socket assembly, characterized in that, The plug assembly includes a plug housing (10), a first base (20), an elastic element (40), and an outer bladder (60). The plug housing (10) has a through hole that penetrates the plug housing (10). The outer peripheral wall of the first base (20) is slidably sealed to the inner peripheral wall of the through hole. The first base (20) can slide back and forth between a first position and a second position along the axial direction of the through hole. One end of the elastic element (40) is connected to the first base (20), and the other end is directly or indirectly connected to the plug housing (10). The outer bladder (60) is disposed inside the plug housing (10), and a sealed cavity is formed on the inner side of the outer bladder (60), the interior of the sealed cavity being filled with an insulating medium; The plug housing (10) is provided with a flow channel (15), the first opening (150) of the flow channel (15) is connected to the sealing cavity, and the second opening (151) of the flow channel (15) is formed on the inner peripheral wall of the through hole; The socket assembly includes a socket housing (80) and a third base (90) disposed within the socket housing (80). When the plug assembly and the socket assembly are plugged in, the outer peripheral wall of the socket housing (80) slides and seals with the inner peripheral wall of the through hole, and the end face of the socket housing (80) pushes the first base (20) to slide to the second position. At this time, the first electrical contact (200) on the first base (20) makes corresponding electrical contact with the third electrical contact (900) on the third base (90). Furthermore, the second opening (151) communicates with the insertion gap between the first base (20) and the third base (90) to introduce the insulating medium in the sealed cavity into the insertion gap.

2. The underwater connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The plug assembly also includes an inner bladder (50), and the outer bladder (60) is disposed within the plug housing (10) and located inside the outer bladder (60).

3. The underwater connector according to claim 2, characterized in that, The sealing cavity includes a third sealing cavity (14) formed between the outer sac (60) and the inner sac (50), and the first opening (150) of the flow channel (15) communicates with the third sealing cavity (14).

4. The underwater connector according to claim 2, characterized in that, The sealing cavity includes a second sealing cavity (12) formed inside the inner lining sac (50), and the first opening (150) of the flow channel (15) communicates with the second sealing cavity (12).

5. The underwater connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, A plurality of second sealing rings (240) are provided between the outer peripheral wall of the first substrate (20) and the inner peripheral wall of the through hole. When the first substrate (20) is in the first position, the second opening (151) is located between adjacent second sealing rings (240) in the axial direction of the first substrate (20); When the first base (20) is in the second position, in the axial direction of the first base (20), a plurality of second sealing rings (240) are located on the side of the second opening (151) away from the socket assembly.

6. The underwater connector according to claim 2, characterized in that, The plug housing (10) includes a plug outer shell (110) and an inner shell (120) fixed inside the plug outer shell (110), and the flow channel (15) is formed on the plug outer shell (110); An annular gap (16) is formed between the inner wall of the plug housing (110) and the outer wall of the inner housing (120), and the inner bladder (50) and the outer bladder (60) are both located in the annular gap (16).

7. The underwater connector according to claim 6, characterized in that, The inner shell (120) is provided with a second limiting step (123) inside, and the end of the elastic member (40) away from the first base (20) is connected to the second limiting step (123).

8. The underwater connector according to claim 6, characterized in that, The inner housing (120) has at least one oil injection hole communicating with the sealing cavity, and the plug housing (110) has a mounting hole coaxially communicating with the oil injection hole. The underwater connector also includes a sealing plug, which passes through the mounting hole and the oil filling hole and is sealed to the oil filling hole.

9. The underwater connector according to claim 6, characterized in that, The underwater connector also includes an inner support cylinder (51) and an outer support cylinder (61). The two ends of the inner support cylinder (51) are used to press the two ends of the inner bladder (50) onto the plug housing (110) and the inner housing (120), respectively. The two ends of the outer support cylinder (61) are used to press the two ends of the outer bladder (60) onto the plug housing (110) and the inner housing (120), respectively. The inner support cylinder (51) and the outer support cylinder (61) are respectively provided with multiple oil passage holes (510).

10. The underwater connector according to claim 6, characterized in that, The through hole of the plug housing (10) includes a first through hole (111) provided on the plug outer shell (110) and a second through hole (121) provided on the inner shell (120), wherein the first through hole (111) and the second through hole (121) are coaxially connected; The plug assembly further includes a second base (30), which is coaxially arranged with the first base (20), and the outer peripheral wall of the second base (30) is sealed to the inner peripheral wall of the second through hole (121), and the outer peripheral wall of the first base (20) is slidably sealed to the inner peripheral wall of the first through hole (111). The end of the elastic element (40) away from the first substrate (20) is connected to the second substrate (30).

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