Pluggable underwater cable connector

Abstract

The utility model relates to a plug-in underwater cable connector in the underwater cable connection field, which comprises a cable male head and a cable female head which are respectively sleeved with a lock disc assembly and a sleeve head seat, and a drying agent box is arranged on the inner side of the cable male head and the cable female head. Drainage holes are formed in the surface of the cable male head, drainage flow channels are arranged on the periphery of the electrodes, and the drainage holes are communicated with the drying agent box to absorb residual moisture at the connector. According to the lock disc assembly, a worm shaft is matched with a linkage disc, radial sliding of a lock chuck is achieved, mechanical self-locking is completed, and the connection stability is enhanced. According to the connector, through the synergistic effect of the sealing ring seat and the drying agent box, the dryness of the surface of the electrode is guaranteed, the reliability and safety of electric connection are improved, and the connector is suitable for high-humidity and high-pressure underwater environments.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of underwater cable connections, specifically to a pluggable underwater cable connector. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of marine engineering, power transmission, and underwater robots, underwater cable connectors, as key components for reliable transmission of electrical energy and signals in underwater environments, have been widely used. Common underwater cable connectors mainly use threaded engagement or push-pull mating to connect cables, and are sealed and protected by rubber sealing rings, waterproof coatings, etc., to ensure their stability in humid and high-pressure environments.

[0003] Most typical underwater cable connection structures currently have the following technical characteristics: the male and female connection ends rely on simple plugging or thread tightening to complete the mechanical connection, and the sealing mainly depends on the sealing ring at the joint for compression; the electrode end faces are mostly exposed, and if residual moisture is present during the insertion and removal process, it is very easy to cause problems such as poor contact, short circuit or even corrosion; in some products, silicone grease or encapsulation structure is used to waterproof the connection cavity, but this type of design is not conducive to on-site maintenance and repeated disassembly and reassembly.

[0004] However, in practical applications, existing underwater cable connectors have the following shortcomings:

[0005] The end face is susceptible to moisture: It is difficult to effectively isolate seawater from the contact end face during the insertion process, especially before it is completely sealed. Seawater can easily enter the contact area through the insertion gap, causing the electrode contact surface to become wet, which affects the stability and service life of the electrical connection.

[0006] Lack of active dehumidification structure: Most traditional connectors rely solely on sealing rings to block external moisture, failing to provide an effective means of absorbing moisture inside the connection cavity, thus failing to achieve dynamic drying control of the connection environment and reducing long-term stability.

[0007] Poor reliability of locking structure: Currently, some products lack a high-strength and stable locking mechanism after plugging in, or only use threaded tightening or snap-fit ​​connection. During underwater operations, the connection may become loose due to external water flow or mechanical disturbance, posing a safety hazard.

[0008] Therefore, those skilled in the art have provided a pluggable underwater cable connector to solve the problems mentioned in the background art. Utility Model Content

[0009] The purpose of this utility model is to solve the above-mentioned defects and provide a pluggable underwater cable connector, which solves the technical problems of the prior art.

[0010] The objective of this utility model is achieved through the following means:

[0011] A pluggable underwater cable connector includes a male cable head and a female cable head. A locking disc assembly is fitted onto the male cable head, and a sleeve seat is fitted onto the female cable head. The connector is characterized in that: a desiccant box is provided inside the locking disc assembly and the sleeve seat; a drainage hole is formed on the surface of the male cable head; an electrode is installed on the male cable head, and a drainage channel is provided around the electrode; the locking disc assembly includes a fixed base, a cover plate, a linkage plate, and a locking clamp; the cover plate is disposed on one side of the fixed base; the linkage plate is disposed between the fixed base and the cover plate; a sliding pin is provided at one end of the locking clamp; a radial sliding groove is formed on the cover plate; an oblique sliding groove is formed on the linkage plate; and the sliding pin slides through the radial sliding groove and slidably engages with the oblique sliding groove.

[0012] Furthermore, the surfaces of the male and female cable connectors are fitted with the corresponding desiccant boxes, and the drain hole is connected to the drain channel, with the port of the drain hole facing the surface of the desiccant box.

[0013] Furthermore, one end of the male and female cable connectors is provided with an elastic element for elastically ejecting the male and female cable connectors inside the locking disc assembly and the sleeve seat. A sealing ring seat is fixedly installed inside the locking disc assembly and the sleeve seat, which slides onto the surface of the male and female cable connectors. In the non-contact state of the locking disc assembly and the sleeve seat, the drain hole is located inside the sealing ring seat, achieving a seal at the drain hole port and isolating the drain hole from the desiccant box. During the engagement process between the sleeve seat and the locking disc assembly, the male and female cable connectors slide back against each other inside the sealing ring seat, causing the drain hole port to face the desiccant box, thereby allowing the desiccant box to absorb moisture from the inside of the drain channel and keep the electrode surface dry.

[0014] Furthermore, a worm shaft is rotatably mounted on one side of the fixed base, and worm teeth adapted to the surface of the worm shaft are provided on the outer wall of the linkage disk. When the worm shaft is manually rotated, it drives the linkage disk to rotate. The unidirectional transmission of the worm and worm wheel is used to lock the movement state of the lock chuck, and to keep the lock disk assembly and the sleeve seat locked in the engaged state.

[0015] Furthermore, the locking heads are evenly distributed in a circumferential direction, and the surface of the sleeve seat is provided with a convex ring that fits against the surface of the locking heads. During the radial sliding of the locking heads, they radially fit against the surface of the sleeve seat, thereby using the locking heads to encircle and lock the surface of the sleeve seat, thus achieving a stable connection between the male and female cable ends.

[0016] Furthermore, the surface of the cable female head is provided with a connector hole adapted to the electrode, and an electrode plate is provided inside the connector hole.

[0017] Furthermore, the desiccant box includes a box body and desiccant particles located inside the box body, the desiccant particles being spherical in shape.

[0018] Furthermore, the cover plate surface is provided with an interface ring, and one side of the sleeve seat is provided with a mating groove, and the interface ring is fitted into the mating groove. The surface of the mating groove is provided with a plurality of sealing rings that are in contact with the surface of the interface ring.

[0019] The beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0020] 1. In this utility model, the male and female cable connectors achieve sealing and isolation of the drainage hole port during underwater insertion and removal through the sliding fit of the locking disc assembly and the sleeve seat, as well as the sealing ring seat structure. The desiccant box effectively absorbs residual moisture at the interface, ensuring the dryness of the electrode contact surface, thereby improving the reliability and safety of the electrical connection. It is particularly suitable for underwater environments with high humidity and high pressure. Furthermore, the drainage hole on the surface of the male cable connector works in conjunction with the drainage channel around the electrode to quickly drain moisture that has entered the connector, preventing moisture accumulation.

[0021] 2. In this utility model, a locking structure with a worm shaft and a linkage disc is adopted, which, together with a radially sliding locking clamp, realizes mechanical self-locking after the insertion is completed. This effectively prevents the connection from loosening or falling off due to external water flow impact or accidental pulling, enhances the stability and anti-disturbance performance of the connector in underwater operations, and realizes convenient manual operation, improving maintenance efficiency and operational safety. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a pluggable underwater cable connector according to the present invention.

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of a pluggable underwater cable connector according to this utility model;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of a pluggable underwater cable connector in the connection state according to this utility model;

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the male and female ends of a pluggable underwater cable connector according to this utility model.

[0026] Figure 5 This is an exploded view of the locking disc assembly in a pluggable underwater cable connector according to this utility model.

[0027] In the diagram: 100, male cable connector; 110, electrode; 120, drain hole; 121, drain channel; 200, female cable connector; 300, locking disc assembly; 310, fixing base; 320, cover plate; 330, linkage plate; 340, locking clamp; 311, worm shaft; 321, radial groove; 331, oblique groove; 341, sliding pin; 400, sleeve seat; 500, desiccant box. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0029] In this embodiment, refer to Figures 1-5 The specific implementation of this pluggable underwater cable connector includes a male cable end 100, a female cable end 200, and a locking disc assembly 300 and a socket seat 400 respectively sleeved on the surfaces of the male cable end 100 and the female cable end 200. Both the locking disc assembly 300 and the socket seat 400 have a desiccant box 500 on their inner sides. The desiccant box 500 is used to absorb moisture in the cable contact area during connection to keep the connection points dry.

[0030] The surface of the male cable connector 100 has several drainage holes 120. An electrode 110 is fixedly installed inside each drainage hole 120. The electrode 110 is used to establish an electrical connection with the connector hole of the female cable connector 200. A drainage channel 121 is provided on the outer periphery of the electrode 110. The drainage channel 121 communicates with the drainage hole 120 and is used to guide seawater from the connection end face to the desiccant box 500.

[0031] The desiccant box 500 is installed on the surface of the male cable head 100 and the female cable head 200 by means of a socket connection, and the port of the drain hole 120 faces the surface of the desiccant box 500, thereby realizing the moisture absorption function and avoiding residual moisture in the electrode 110 area from affecting the electrical connection.

[0032] The locking disc assembly 300 includes a fixed base 310, a cover plate 320, a linkage plate 330, and a plurality of locking heads 340. The cover plate 320 is fixedly installed on one side of the fixed base 310, the linkage plate 330 is rotatably installed between the fixed base 310 and the cover plate 320, and the plurality of locking heads 340 are slidably installed on the surface of the cover plate 320 and are evenly distributed in a circumferential direction.

[0033] Each locking head 340 has a sliding pin 341 at one end, which is slidably sleeved in the radial groove 321 of the cover plate 320 and the oblique groove 331 of the linkage plate 330. Through the guiding engagement of the sliding pin 341 in the radial groove 321 and the oblique groove 331, the locking head 340 can be driven to slide radially when the linkage plate 330 rotates, so as to realize the functions of clamping and releasing.

[0034] An elastic element is provided at one end of the male cable connector 100 and the female cable connector 200. This elastic element is used to achieve the elastic ejection function of both ends inside the locking disc assembly 300 and the sleeve seat 400. A sealing ring seat is fixedly installed on the inner side of the sleeve seat 400. The sealing ring seat is used to seal the drain hole 120 port in the non-contact state.

[0035] Specifically, when the locking disc assembly 300 and the sleeve seat 400 are not engaged, the drain hole 120 is located inside the sealing ring seat, achieving a sealed state at its port, thereby isolating the drain hole 120 from the desiccant box 500. During the engagement of the locking disc assembly 300 and the sleeve seat 400, the male cable head 100 and the female cable head 200 abut against each other and slide back within the sealing ring seat, causing the port of the drain hole 120 to face the desiccant box 500. The desiccant box 500 absorbs moisture inside the drain channel 121, thereby keeping the surface of the electrode 110 dry.

[0036] After the locking disc assembly 300 is engaged with the sleeve seat 400, the interface ring on the surface of the cover disc 320 mates with the engagement groove provided on one side of the sleeve seat 400. The surface of the engagement groove is provided with several sealing rings, which contact the interface rings to improve the sealing performance and achieve sealed protection for the male cable head 100 and the female cable head 200.

[0037] A worm shaft 311 is rotatably mounted on the surface of the fixed base 310, and a worm gear structure adapted to the surface of the worm shaft 311 is provided on the outer periphery of the linkage disk 330. By manually rotating the worm shaft 311, the linkage disk 330 is driven to rotate, thereby realizing the radial movement of the locking head 340. Due to the unidirectional transmission characteristic between the worm and the worm wheel, the locking head 340 can achieve self-locking in the moving state, ensuring the locking stability of the locking disk assembly 300 and the sleeve seat 400 in the engaged state.

[0038] During the linkage process, the locking head 340 slides radially along the radial groove 321 and fits against the surface of the sleeve seat 400, eventually encircling the surface of the sleeve seat 400 to form a locking state, thereby achieving a stable connection between the male cable head 100 and the female cable head 200.

[0039] The surface of the female cable connector 200 is provided with a connection hole that is compatible with the electrode 110 on the male cable connector 100. An electrode plate is installed inside the connection hole. The electrode plate is used to connect with the cable conductor to realize reliable transmission of electrical energy or signal.

[0040] The desiccant box 500 includes a box body and desiccant particles located inside the box body. The desiccant particles are spherical and can effectively absorb moisture that enters the connection cavity during the connection process, thereby maintaining a dry environment inside the cable connector.

[0041] In summary, through the combination of the above structures and functional design, this utility model can realize functions such as quick insertion and removal, automatic sealing, contact drying, and mechanical locking of underwater cable connections, and is suitable for cable connection and protection in complex underwater environments.

[0042] In this application, when the locking disc assembly 300 and the sleeve seat 400 are in a non-contact state, the drain hole 120 is located inside the sealing ring seat, thereby sealing the drain hole 120 port and isolating the drain hole 120 from the desiccant box 500. During the engagement of the sleeve seat 400 and the locking disc assembly 300, the male cable head 100 and the female cable head 200 abut against each other and slide back inside the sealing ring seat, so that the drain hole 120 port faces the desiccant box 500, and the desiccant box 500 absorbs the moisture inside the drain channel 121, thereby keeping the surface of the electrode 110 dry.

[0043] After the cover plate 320 and the sleeve seat 400 are engaged, the interface ring on the surface of the cover plate 320 and the engagement groove structure on the sleeve seat 400 are used to improve the sealing performance of the two, thereby achieving sealing protection for the male cable head 100 and the female cable head 200.

[0044] After engagement, the worm shaft 311 is manually rotated to drive the linkage disc 330 to rotate. The unidirectional transmission structure of the worm and worm wheel is used to lock the locking head 340 in motion, thereby maintaining a stable connection between the locking disc assembly 300 and the sleeve seat 400 in the engagement state.

[0045] During the radial sliding process of the locking head 340, it radially contacts the surface of the sleeve seat 400. The locking head 340 surrounds the surface of the sleeve seat 400 and completes the locking, thereby achieving a stable connection between the male cable head 100 and the female cable head 200.

[0046] The above description, in conjunction with specific preferred embodiments, provides a further detailed explanation of the present invention. It should not be construed that the specific implementation of the present invention is limited to these descriptions. For those skilled in the art, various simple deductions or substitutions can be made without departing from the concept of the present invention, and all such modifications and substitutions should be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A pluggable underwater cable connector, comprising a male cable end (100) and a female cable end (200), wherein a locking disc assembly (300) is sleeved on the male cable end (100), and a sleeve seat (400) is sleeved on the female cable end (200), characterized in that: The inner sides of the locking disc assembly (300) and the sleeve seat (400) are provided with desiccant boxes (500). The surface of the male cable connector (100) is provided with drainage holes (120). An electrode (110) is mounted on the male cable connector (100), and drainage channels (121) are provided around the electrode (110). The locking disc assembly (300) includes a fixing seat (310), a cover plate (320), a linkage plate (330), and a locking clamp (340). The disc (320) is set on one side of the fixed base (310), the linkage disc (330) is set between the fixed base (310) and the cover disc (320), one end of the locking head (340) is provided with a sliding pin (341), the cover disc (320) is provided with a radial sliding groove (321), the linkage disc (330) is provided with an oblique sliding groove (331), and the sliding pin (341) slides through the radial sliding groove (321) and slides and engages with the oblique sliding groove (331).

2. The pluggable underwater cable connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The surfaces of the male cable head (100) and the female cable head (200) are fitted with the corresponding desiccant box (500), the drain hole (120) is connected to the drain channel (121), and the port of the drain hole (120) faces the surface of the desiccant box (500).

3. The pluggable underwater cable connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: One end of the male cable head (100) and the female cable head (200) is provided with an elastic element, and a sealing ring seat is fixedly installed on the inner side of the locking disc assembly (300) and the sleeve seat (400).

4. The pluggable underwater cable connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: A worm shaft (311) is rotatably mounted on one side of the fixed base (310), and worm teeth that are adapted to the surface of the worm shaft (311) are provided on the outer wall of the linkage disk (330).

5. A pluggable underwater cable connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The locking heads (340) are evenly distributed in the circumferential direction, and the surface of the sleeve seat (400) is provided with a convex ring that fits against the surface of the locking heads (340).

6. A pluggable underwater cable connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The surface of the cable female head (200) is provided with a connection hole adapted to the electrode (110), and an electrode plate is provided inside the connection hole.

7. A pluggable underwater cable connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The desiccant box (500) includes a box body and desiccant particles located inside the box body, the desiccant particles being spherical particles.

8. A pluggable underwater cable connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cover plate (320) has an interface ring on its surface, and the sleeve seat (400) has a mating groove on one side, with the interface ring fitting into the mating groove. The surface of the mating groove has several sealing rings that are in contact with the surface of the interface ring.

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