Submersible motor connector assembly

Claim 2

In a submersible motor assembly including a motor having a rotor and a stator, a motor components housing having one end detachably mounted at one end of the motor, a first connector socket extending inwardly of said motor from said one end of the motor and having a closed inner end, a second socket extending inwardly of said housing from said one end of the housing and having a closed inner end, a first connector prong Means extending lengthwise of said first socket from its closed inner end and disposed entirely within said first socket, a second connector prong means extending lengthwise of said second socket from its closed inner end and disposed entirely within said second socket, and a double-ended connector member of resilient dielectric material having first and second plug portions at opposite ends extending into said first and second sockets in sealed relation therewith, and a double-ended female conductor element in said connector member receiving said first and second prong means to electrically connect the same.

Claim 3

In a submersible motor assembly including a motor having a rotor and a stator, a housing having one end detachably mounted at one end of the motor, said motor and housing having a motor connector chamber formed in the adjacent ends thereof including an intermediate chamber portion at the interface between the motor and housing and first and second socket portions extending in opposite directions from said intermediate chamber portion, said socket portions each having a cross section smaller than said intermediate chamber potion and defining first and second shoulders respectively at the juncture of the first and second socket portions with the intermediate chamber portion, said first socket portion being formed in said motor and having first connector prong means extending from the inner end of the socket and terminating inwardly of said one end of the motor, said second socket portion being formed in said housing and having second connector prong means extending from the inner end of the second socket and terminating inwardly of said one end of the housing, a double-ended connector member including a resilient body having an enlarged intermediate body portion disposed in said intermediate chamber portion and first and second reduced plug portions extending into said first and second socket portions, said intermediate portion normally having an axial thickness slightly greater than the spacing between said first and second shoulders to be clamped therebetween, and a conductor element in said resilient body engaging said first and second prong means to electrically connect the same.

Claim 4

In a submersible motor assembly including a motor having a rotor and a stator, a housing having one end detachably mounted at one end of the motor, said motor and housing having a motor connector chamber formed in the adjacent ends thereof including an intermediate chamber portion at the interface between the motor and housing and first and second socket portions extending in opposite directions from said intermediate chamber portion, said socket portions each having a cross section smaller than said intermediate chamber potion and defining first and second shoulders respectively at the juncture of the first and second socket portions with the intermediate chamber portion, said first socket portion being formed in said motor and having first connector prong means extending from the inner end of the socket and terminating inwardly of said one end of the motor, said second socket portion being formed in said housing and having second connector prong means extending from the inner end of the second socket and terminating inwardly of said one end of the housing, a double-ended connector member including a resilient body having an enlarged intermediate body portion disposed in said intermediate chamber portion and first and second reduced plug portions extending into said first and second socket portions, said intermediate portion normally having an axial thickness slightly greater than the spacing between said first and second shoulders to be clamped therebetween, and a conductor element in said resilient body engaging said first and second prong means to electrically connect the same.

Claim 5

The combination of claim 2 wherein said first and second plug portions are dimensioned to sealingly engage the sidewalls of said first and second socket portions.

Claim 6

The combination of claim 2 wherein said first and second plug portions have at least one integral peripheral bead extending therearound at a location spaced from said intermediate portion and dimensioned to be radially compressed when the first and second plug portions are inserted into said first and second socket portions.

Claim 7

The combination of claim 2 wherein said intermediate body portion has integral annular ribs on the end faces thereof engageable with said first and second shoulders.

Claim 8

The combination of claim 5 wherein the peripheral wall of said intermediate body portion is normally longitudinally concave to allow radial expansion of the intermediate body portion when axially clamped between said first and second shoulders.

Claim 9

The combination of claim 2 wherein said resilient body has a passage extending therethrough and said conductor element comprises a tubular element slidably disposed in said passage.

Claim 10

In a submersible motor assembly including a rotor, a stator surrounding the rotor and having field windings therein and an end ring at one end of the stator, said end ring having a first socket opening at the outer end face thereof, an end bell overlying said outer face of said end ring, said end bell having an opening therethrough registering with said first socket and having a cross section larger than said first socket to define a first shoulder around the end of said first socket, a housing member detachably mounted on said end bell at the side opposite said end ring and having a second socket therein aligned with said first socket and having a cross section smaller than said opening in the eNd bell to define a second shoulder around said second socket, a first prong means on said motor extending into said first socket and a second prong means on said housing extending into said second socket, and a double-ended connector member including a resilient body having first and second plug portions extending into said first and second sockets and an enlarged intermediate portion disposed in said opening in said end bell and normally having an axial thickness slightly greater than the axial length of said opening in said end bell to be axially compressed between said first and second shoulders when said housing is attached to said end bell, said connector member including a conductor element in said resilient body and engaging said first and second prong means to electrically connect the same.

Claim 11

In a submersible motor assembly including a rotor, a stator surrounding the rotor and having field windings therein and an end ring at one end of the stator, said end ring having a first socket opening at the outer end face thereof, an end bell overlying said outer face of said end ring, said end bell having an opening therethrough registering with said first socket and having a cross section larger than said first socket to define a first shoulder around the end of said first socket, a housing member detachably mounted on said end bell at the side opposite said end ring and having a second socket therein aligned with said first socket and having a cross section smaller than said opening in the eNd bell to define a second shoulder around said second socket, a first prong means on said motor extending into said first socket and a second prong means on said housing extending into said second socket, and a double-ended connector member including a resilient body having first and second plug portions extending into said first and second sockets and an enlarged intermediate portion disposed in said opening in said end bell and normally having an axial thickness slightly greater than the axial length of said opening in said end bell to be axially compressed between said first and second shoulders when said housing is attached to said end bell, said connector member including a conductor element in said resilient body and engaging said first and second prong means to electrically connect the same.

Claim 12

The combination of claim 8 wherein said first prong means terminate inwardly of the outer end of said first socket and said second prong means terminate inwardly of the outer end of said second socket.

Claim 13

The combination of claim 8 wherein said first and second plug portions are dimensioned to sealingly engage the sidewalls of said first and second sockets.

Claim 14

The combination of claim 8 wherein said first and second plug portions have at least one integral peripheral bead extending therearound at a location spaced from said intermediate portion and dimensioned to be radially compressed when the first and second plug portions are inserted into the first and second sockets.

Claim 15

The combination of claim 8 wherein said intermediate body portion has integral annular ribs on the end faces engageable with said first and second shoulders.

Claim 16

The combination of claim 12 wherein said intermediate body portion is normally longitudinally concave to allow radial expansion of the intermediate body portion when axially clamped between said first and second shoulders.

Claim 17

In a submersible motor assembly including a rotor, a stator surrounding the rotor and having field windings therein and an annular end ring at one end of the stator, said end ring having a first pair of sockets at spaced locations therearound and opening at the outer face of the end ring, an end bell overlying said outer face of the end ring and having a second pair of openings extending therethrough registering with sockets of said first pair, said openings in the end bell each having a cross section larger than the respective sockets of said first pair of sockets to define first shoulders around the end faces of the sockets of the first pair of sockets, a motor components housing detachably mounted on said end bell at the side opposite said end ring and having a second pair of sockets therein aligned with respective ones of said first pair of sockets, said sockets of said second pair having a cross section smaller than said openings in the end bell to define a second shoulder around each of said second sockets, a first prong means on said motor extending into each of said first sockets and a second prong means on said housing extending into each of said second sockets, and a pair of double-ended connector members each including a resilient body having first and second plug portions extending into respective ones of said first and second sockets and an enlarged intermediate portion disposed in respective ones of said openings in said end bell, said intermediate portions normally having an axial length greater than the axial length of said openings in the end bell to be axially compressed between respective ones of said first and second shoulders when the housing is attached to the end bell, said connector members each including a conductor element in said resilient body and engaging respective ones of said first and second prong means to electrically connect the same.

Claim 18

In a submersible motor assembly including a rotor, a stator surrounding the rotor and having field windings therein and an annular end ring at one end of the stator, said end ring having a first pair of sockets at spaced locations therearound and opening at the outer face of the end ring, an end bell overlying said outer face of the end ring and having a second pair of openings extending therethrough registering with sockets of said first pair, said openings in the end bell each having a cross section larger than the respective sockets of said first pair of sockets to define first shoulders around the end faces of the sockets of the first pair of sockets, a motor components housing detachably mounted on said end bell at the side opposite said end ring and having a second pair of sockets therein aligned with respective ones of said first pair of sockets, said sockets of said second pair having a cross section smaller than said openings in the end bell to define a second shoulder around each of said second sockets, a first prong means on said motor extending into each of said first sockets and a second prong means on said housing extending into each of said second sockets, and a pair of double-ended connector members each including a resilient body having first and second plug portions extending into respective ones of said first and second sockets and an enlarged intermediate portion disposed in respective ones of said openings in said end bell, said intermediate portions normally having an axial length greater than the axial length of said openings in the end bell to be axially compressed between respective ones of said first and second shoulders when the housing is attached to the end bell, said connector members each including a conductor element in said resilient body and engaging respective ones of said first and second prong means to electrically connect the same.

Claim 19

The combination of claim 14 wherein the first prong means terminate inwardly of the ends of the respective first sockets and the second prong means terminate inwardly of the ends of the respective second sockets.

Claim 20

The combination of claim 14 wherein said sockets, said openings and said resilient body have a circular cross section, said prong means comprising a single concentric prong in each socket.