An underwater connector penetration device

Abstract

The application relates to an underwater connector penetrating device, which comprises a shell and a plurality of pin inserts, the pin inserts are processed by one-body injection molding of a pin and an insulator, the pin inserts are installed in corresponding installation holes in the shell, and pin welding cups are arranged at two ends of the pin inserts; the pin inserts are connected with insulating sleeves in an interference fit mode at the pin welding cups respectively to form tail sealing structures sealing the pin welding cups, the insulating sleeves are provided with through holes, and the through holes are communicated with cup openings of the pin welding cups. The application can solve the technical problems of high mold cost, maintenance difficulty caused by one-body injection molding in the existing penetrating device and insulation failure caused by the lack of effective sealing in the pin tail welding cup area.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] In deep-sea oil and gas extraction and subsea operation systems, wet-plug electrical connectors are key equipment for enabling underwater power and signal transmission. Currently, a typical wet-plug electrical connector is usually connected to a rubber oil-filled hose at its tail. This hose is filled with insulating oil and self-balances with the external seawater pressure, ensuring safe insertion and removal of the connector in the high-pressure environment of the deep sea while maintaining good internal electrical insulation performance. The other end of the rubber oil-filled hose is connected to a penetration device, which is fixedly installed on the bulkhead of the underwater equipment to allow cables to safely pass from the external environment into the equipment.

[0003] In existing technologies, to achieve electrical sealing throughout the device, a process of integral injection molding of the pin and insulator is typically employed. The core of this process involves placing the conductive pin as an insert within an injection mold, and then injecting molten insulating material (such as engineering plastic) into the mold cavity using an injection molding machine. This allows the insulating material to tightly wrap around and solidify at a predetermined location on the pin, forming a sealing insert that integrates the pin and insulator. This integral injection molding process aims to block fluid leakage along the pin's axial direction by utilizing the tight bond between the insulator and the pin surface, thus achieving a sealing effect.

[0004] However, the aforementioned existing technical solutions have the following significant shortcomings in practical applications and production: Firstly, mold costs are high and development cycles are long. Integrated injection molding relies on specific injection molds. For connector products with different core counts, multiple pins are integrated into the same insulator. Because the pin arrangement, spacing, and overall structural dimensions vary, dedicated injection molds must be developed for each. The high precision requirements and complex structure of injection molds result in very high mold costs, directly increasing the R&D and manufacturing costs of multi-core, multi-specification products.

[0005] Secondly, the product suffers from poor maintainability and a high scrap rate. The use of an integral injection molding process to seal multiple pins within a single insulator insert means that if any pin malfunctions, becomes misaligned, or is damaged during subsequent assembly, it cannot be replaced or removed individually because the pin is completely bonded to the insulator. This renders the entire insulator insert unusable, resulting in resource waste and significantly increasing product maintenance difficulty and operating costs.

[0006] Third, the solder cup area at the tail end lacks effective protection, posing a serious risk of insulation failure. Under normal operating conditions, the solder cup at the connector tail end (i.e., the part at the pin end used for soldering wires or connecting tail accessories) is completely immersed in insulating silicone oil inside the rubber oiling hose, maintaining good electrical insulation performance.

[0007] However, in existing designs, the solder cup is typically protected only by heat shrink tubing, or sometimes without any protection at all. After heating and shrinking, the heat shrink tubing only physically wraps the surface of the solder cup and the wire insulation, which is prone to creating tiny gaps in the high-pressure environment of the deep sea, making it unsuitable as a reliable watertight barrier. Furthermore, the thin walls of the heat shrink tubing have weak pressure resistance, and under long-term high pressure in the deep sea, it will deform and creep, easily punctured or crushed at the sharp corners of the solder cup or the wire exit point. In addition, the heat shrink tubing itself has limited voltage withstand capability, typically only suitable for low-voltage auxiliary protection, while the operating voltage of underwater connectors often reaches several kV or higher. After the insulating silicone oil leaks out, the interface between the heat shrink tubing and the solder cup is prone to partial discharge under high voltage, and the surface creepage distance is also severely insufficient, further increasing the risk of high-voltage breakdown and insulation failure. Moreover, the heating and shrinking process of the heat shrink tubing relies on manual operation, resulting in poor assembly consistency and further increasing the quality control risks in mass production. Summary of the Invention

[0008] This invention provides an underwater connector penetration device, which aims to solve the technical problems of high mold cost and difficult maintenance caused by one-piece injection molding in existing penetration devices, as well as insulation failure caused by the lack of effective sealing in the solder cup area at the tail of the pin.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: an underwater connector penetration device, comprising a housing and a plurality of pin inserts, wherein each pin insert is formed by integral injection molding of a pin and an insulator, the plurality of pin inserts are installed in corresponding mounting holes within the housing, and each pin insert has pin solder cups at both ends; the pin inserts are respectively connected to insulating sleeves at the pin solder cups by interference fit to form a tail sealing structure that seals the pin solder cups, and the insulating sleeves have through holes that communicate with the cup opening of the pin solder cups.

[0010] Its beneficial effects are: the design of multiple pin inserts can meet the assembly needs of products with different core counts by only one set of molds, effectively reducing product costs and facilitating replacement and maintenance; the design of the insulating sleeve can utilize the principle of increasing pressure from external forces to achieve a good sealing effect in high-pressure environments such as the deep sea.

[0011] Furthermore, a radial sealing structure is provided between the insulator of the pin insert and the mounting hole of the housing.

[0012] Its beneficial effect is that the radial sealing structure can effectively seal and isolate both ends of the insert.

[0013] Furthermore, the radial sealing structure includes a sealing ring groove disposed on the surface of the insulator and an O-ring installed in the sealing ring groove.

[0014] Its beneficial effect is that it proposes a sealing structure with simple structure and good sealing effect.

[0015] Furthermore, the insulator of the pin insert has an annular protrusion on the outer diameter surface near the pin solder cup.

[0016] Its beneficial effects are: the raised design can increase the frictional resistance between the pin insert and the insulating sleeve, making the sealing structure formed by the insulating sleeve more reliable and durable.

[0017] Furthermore, an insulating and waterproof layer is provided on the inner wall of the insulating sleeve.

[0018] Furthermore, the insulating and waterproof layer is made of silicone gel or silicone.

[0019] Its beneficial effect is that, on the basis of the sealing of the insulating sleeve, the insulating and waterproof layer forms another layer of sealing, further improving the sealing effectiveness and reliability.

[0020] Furthermore, one end of the housing is used to connect to the rubber oil injection hose, and the outer diameter surface of the housing and the rubber oil injection hose are radially sealed by setting an O-ring. The wire inside the rubber oil injection hose is welded to the pin welding cup on the pin insert.

[0021] Its beneficial effects are: the outer seal between the rubber oil injection hose and the housing of the through device is formed by the O-ring, which, together with the sealing structure formed by the insulating sleeve, improves the sealing effect of the entire product in actual use.

[0022] Furthermore, the other end of the housing is used to connect with the equipment compartment, and O-rings are provided on both the outer diameter surface and the axial surface of the housing to achieve a seal with the equipment compartment.

[0023] Its beneficial effect is that it can form axial and radial seals between the penetrating device and the equipment compartment.

[0024] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: This invention can enable products with different core counts to share a single pin insert through a separately designed pin insert, thus requiring only one set of molds for processing, effectively reducing product costs and facilitating the repair and replacement of faulty pins; Furthermore, by setting an interference fit insulating sleeve at the pin welding cup, the characteristic of the insulating sleeve becoming tighter under the high pressure environment of the deep sea is utilized to form a reliable and effective tail sealing structure, preventing the product insulation from failing due to the aging and rupture of the rubber oil injection hose or other reasons. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the underwater connector penetration device described in this invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the pin insert in the underwater connector penetration device of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the end sealing structure of the pin insert in the underwater connector penetration device of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the underwater connector penetration device and the rubber oil injection hose described in this invention; The markings in the diagram are: 1. Pin insert, 2. Housing, 3. Insulating sleeve, 4. O-ring seal, 5. Insulator, 6. Pin, 7. Pin welding cup, 8. Protrusion, 9. Sealing ring groove, 10. Through hole, 11. Rubber oil injection hose. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the embodiments, but this should not be construed as limiting the invention in any way.

[0027] like Figure 1 , 2 As shown, an underwater connector through-hole device includes a pin insert 1, a housing 2, and an insulating sleeve 3. Multiple pin inserts 1 are provided, each pin insert 1 including a pin 6 and an insulator 5 surrounding the pin 6. During manufacturing, a pin 6 and an insulator 5 are integrally injection molded to form an independent pin insert 1. Each pin insert 1 is detachably installed in a corresponding mounting hole within the housing 2, and radial sealing of the pin insert 1 is achieved through at least one O-ring 4 between the pin insert 1 and the mounting hole.

[0028] By designating the pin as a separate pin insert 1, products with different core counts can use the same pin insert 1. This means that for the same series of products, differing only in core count, only one set of molds needs to be made to produce pin insert 1. The required number of pin insert 1s can then be selected for assembly, effectively reducing production costs. Furthermore, if a pin insert 1 malfunctions during use, only the faulty pin insert 1 needs to be replaced, making maintenance more convenient.

[0029] For example Figure 2 As shown, three sealing ring grooves 9 are provided at the center of the surface of the insulator 5 of the pin insert 1. O-rings 4 are installed in the sealing ring grooves 9 to form a radial sealing structure, thereby achieving radial sealing of the pin insert 1 within the housing 2. Pins 6 are provided with pin solder cups 7 at both ends, which protrude from the insulator 5 for soldering to wires.

[0030] like Figure 3 As shown, the insulating sleeve 3 is made of rubber and is installed at the pin welding cup 7 at the end of the pin 6. The through hole 10 on the insulating sleeve 3 is aligned and connected with the cup mouth of the pin welding cup 7 so that the wire can pass through and be welded and fixed to the pin welding cup 7. The insulating sleeve 3, the end of the insulator 5, the pin welding cup 7 and the wire are all interference fit.

[0031] By installing an insulating sleeve 3 at the pin welding cup 7, and utilizing the principle that the external pressure tightens it more and more, a good sealing effect can be achieved in high-pressure environments such as deep sea.

[0032] Furthermore, in order to ensure a reliable connection between the insulating sleeve 3 and the insulator 5 on the pin insert 1 and to avoid loosening that could lead to seal failure, an annular protrusion 8 is provided on the insulator 5 near the pin solder cup 7. This protrusion 8 is pressed by the inner wall of the insulating sleeve 3, which firmly connects the insulating sleeve 3 and the insulator 5 together.

[0033] Furthermore, to further enhance the sealing effect at the pin solder cup 7, an insulating and waterproof layer is provided between the insulating sleeve 3, the pin insert 1, and the wire. This insulating and waterproof layer is made of silicone gel or silicone. In practice, the insulating and waterproof layer can be placed on the inner wall of the insulating sleeve 3. By providing a waterproof insulating layer, water under high pressure can be prevented from entering the interior of the pin solder cup 7, thereby further improving the sealing effect at the pin solder cup 7.

[0034] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the connection between the penetrating device and the rubber oil injection hose 11 of the present invention is provided. The wire (not shown in the figure) inside the rubber oil injection hose 11 is welded and fixed to the pin welding cup 7 of the pin insert 1. Multiple O-rings 4 are provided between the rubber oil injection hose 11 and the housing 2 of the penetrating device to ensure the sealing effect between the rubber oil injection hose 11 and the penetrating device. The other end of the penetrating device is used to connect to the equipment compartment. O-rings 4 are installed on both the radial and axial surfaces of the housing 2 to ensure the sealing between the penetrating device and the equipment compartment.

[0035] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit it. Those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the specific implementation of the present invention with reference to the above embodiments. Any modifications or equivalent substitutions that do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention are within the protection scope of the pending claims.

Claims

1. An underwater connector penetration device, characterized in that, The device includes a housing (2) and multiple pin inserts (1). Each pin insert (1) is formed by integral injection molding of a pin (6) and an insulator (5). The multiple pin inserts (1) are installed in corresponding mounting holes in the housing (2). Each pin insert (1) has a pin solder cup (7) at both ends. The pin insert (1) is connected to the insulating sleeve (3) at the pin solder cup (7) by an interference fit to form a tail sealing structure that seals the pin solder cup (7). The insulating sleeve (3) has a through hole (10) that communicates with the cup opening of the pin solder cup (7).

2. The underwater connector penetration device according to claim 1, characterized in that, A radial sealing structure is provided between the insulator (5) of the pin insert (1) and the mounting hole of the housing (2).

3. The underwater connector penetration device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The radial sealing structure includes a sealing ring groove (9) disposed on the surface of the insulator (5) and an O-ring (4) installed in the sealing ring groove (9).

4. The underwater connector penetration device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The insulator (5) of the pin insert (1) has an annular protrusion (8) on the outer diameter surface near the pin solder cup (7).

5. The underwater connector penetration device according to claim 1, characterized in that, An insulating and waterproof layer is provided on the inner wall of the insulating sleeve (3).

6. The underwater connector penetration device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The insulating and waterproof layer is made of silicone gel or silicone.

7. The underwater connector penetration device according to claim 1, characterized in that, One end of the housing (2) is used to connect with the rubber oil injection hose (11), and the outer diameter surface of the housing (2) and the rubber oil injection hose (11) are radially sealed by setting an O-ring (4). The wire inside the rubber oil injection hose (11) is welded to the pin welding cup (7) on the pin insert (1).

8. The underwater connector penetration device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The other end of the housing (2) is used to connect with the equipment compartment, and O-rings (4) are provided on both the outer diameter surface and the axial surface of the housing (2) to achieve a seal with the equipment compartment.

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