Underwater Connector Pin Metallized Coating and Rigid Sleeve
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Solution Overview
Problem
Underwater electrical connectors face challenges such as water ingress and high electrical field stress leading to seal degradation and connector failure, with existing solutions involving complex molding or multiple moving parts increasing the risk of failure.
Innovation Solution
A connector design featuring a pin with a metallized coating on its insulating sleeve to suppress water ingress and electrical field stresses, and a rigid metal sleeve providing mechanical support to reduce cracking and extend operational life, without requiring complex molding or multiple seals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a complex sealing arrangement with multiple moving parts is used to protect pins from water ingress, then reliability of water protection is improved, but device complexity increases and risk of failure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the water protection function from complex moving seals and isolates it to a simple stationary O-ring seal located at the rear of the pin chamber. This single seal protects the pin chamber from water ingress without requiring multiple moving parts, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining water protection reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs an elastomeric O-ring seal that utilizes the flexible properties of elastomeric materials to provide effective water sealing. This flexible seal element can deform to accommodate minor misalignments and pressure changes while maintaining a reliable water barrier, achieving protection without complex mechanical structures.
2Ease of operation
If the pin chamber is free flooded to allow volume change during connection, then ease of operation is improved, but water ingress risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent places the O-ring seal in advance at the rear of the pin chamber to create a water barrier before connection occurs. This preliminary sealing action ensures that when the pin chamber volume changes during connection, water cannot ingress into the chamber even though the chamber remains open to the environment for volume accommodation.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastomeric O-ring seal provides a flexible barrier that allows the pin chamber to expand and contract during connection while maintaining water exclusion. The flexibility of the elastomeric material enables the seal to accommodate volume changes without compromising the water barrier.
3Reliability
If electrical field screening is provided to reduce seal stress, then seal durability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the electrical field screening function with the existing pin support structure by providing a conductive layer on the support. This integrated approach provides electrical field screening to protect the O-ring seal from electrical stress without requiring separate screening components, thereby improving seal durability while avoiding increased device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The conductive screening layer is implemented as a relatively simple, cost-effective feature on the pin support rather than a complex mechanical screening structure. This simplified screening approach provides sufficient protection to the seal from electrical field stress without adding significant complexity to the overall device.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The metallized coating and rigid metal sleeve effectively prevent water ingress and reduce electrical stress, extending the operational life of the connector and reducing maintenance costs by simplifying the manufacturing process and minimizing the risk of cracking.
Implementation Method 1
the metal or metallised coating suppressing the ingress of water to the pin
Implementation Method 2
the metal or metallised coating suppressing the ingress of water to the pin
Implementation Method 3
reducing localised condensing of equipotential electric field lines in the region radially outwardly and behind the front of the metal or metallised coating
Implementation Method 4
a rigid metal sleeve providing mechanical support to reduce cracking
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2
AI summary
A connector for use underwater or in a wet or severe environment, comprising first (1) and second connector parts adapted to be interengaged to establish an electrical connection, the first connector part (1) having at least one pin (4), and the second connector part having at least one electrical contact for engagement by the pin (4) when the connector parts are interengaged, the pin comprising an axially extending electrically conductive portion (20) and an axially extending electrically insulating sleeve (22) around said conductive portion (20), and the pin being supported by and projecting axially forwardly from a support (6) whereby its insulating sleeve (22) is exposed along a longitudinally extending portion (27) thereof to ambient conditions when the connector parts are disengaged. The insulating sleeve (22) of the pin (4) has a first portion (4i) with a first diameter in front of a second portion (4ii) with a second diameter wider than the first diameter, and the connector part having a protective rigid metal sleeve member (36) arranged to extend at least partly along the first portion (4i) of the insulating sleeve (22) and at least partly along the second portion (4ii) thereof, the rigid metal sleeve (36) providing mechanical support to the protected portion (25) of the pin (4).