Safety Adapter for Triaxial Connectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increased safety spacing requirements for electrical components, particularly triaxial connectors, necessitate new connector designs that are not compatible with existing systems, posing a challenge for integrating new high-voltage equipment into test and measurement systems with a large installed base of older connectors.
Innovation Solution
A safety adapter assembly that includes a first and second electrical connector of different types, with a nonconductive safety sleeve that constrains the interconnect sequence to ensure safe mating by allowing access to one connector at a time, using a pin and slot configuration to limit sliding movement and prevent direct mating of incompatible connectors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If new high-voltage triaxial connectors are designed to meet increased safety spacing requirements, then safety compliance is improved, but compatibility with existing low-voltage triaxial connectors is lost
Solution Approach 1:
An adapter assembly is introduced as an intermediary component between new high-voltage triaxial connectors and existing low-voltage triaxial cables. The adapter includes a first connector of the new high-voltage type and a second connector of the old low-voltage type, allowing safe interfacing between incompatible connector types while maintaining safety spacing requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection system is segmented into three distinct parts: the new high-voltage connector, the adapter assembly, and the existing low-voltage cable. This segmentation allows each component to maintain its original design characteristics while the adapter provides the necessary interface and safety functions.
2Ease of operation
If direct mating of old-style male connectors with new-style female connectors is allowed, then ease of operation is improved, but safety spacing requirements are violated
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter assembly serves as a mandatory intermediary that prevents direct mating of incompatible connectors. It provides the only approved interface between new high-voltage equipment and existing low-voltage cables, ensuring safety spacing is maintained while enabling connectivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The unsafe direct-mating function is extracted from the system by making old-style connectors physically incompatible with new-style ports. The adapter provides the only permitted connection path, removing the possibility of unsafe direct connections.
3Loss of time
If a large installed base of 128 triaxial cables is maintained, then loss of time for system reconfiguration is reduced, but integration with new high-voltage equipment becomes impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter assembly provides universal compatibility, allowing a single adapter design to interface between the new high-voltage connector type and the old low-voltage cable type. This enables existing cable infrastructure to be reused with new equipment without time-consuming reconfiguration.
Solution Approach 2:
The adapter is pre-configured with the appropriate connector types on each end, eliminating the need for field modification or reconfiguration of existing cables. Users simply attach the adapter to the new equipment port and connect their existing cables to the other end.
Data Source
AI summary
A safety adapter assembly includes a first electrical connector, a second electrical connector, a connector body, and a safety sleeve. The connector body is structured to couple the first electrical connector to the second electrical connector. The safety sleeve is substantially surrounding the connector body and configured to move relative to the connector body to selectively allow user access to the first electrical connector while substantially blocking user access to the second electrical connector, or to allow user access to the second electrical connector while substantially blocking user access to the first electrical connector.