Underwater wet electrical connector

Claim 1

An underwater wet electrical connector for use in making up electrical connections in an under sea environment including: a male plug, at lease one male pin extending from the plug, a male contact terminal mounted on each pin, dielectric means electrically insulating the male contact terminal from the male plug, means for electrically connecting an electrical cable conductor to each male contact terminal, a female receptacle, a female contact socket arranged to receive and mate with each male pin within the female receptacle, a female contact block mounted within the socket, the female contact block having a contactor portion arranged to receive the male contact teRminal and provide an an electrical conducting path there between when the male pin is inserted into the female contact socket, dielectric means electrically insulating the female contact block from the female receptacle, means for electrically connecting an electrical cable conductor to each female contact block, a piston reciprocally mounted in the female contact socket arranged to prevent the entrance of sea water into the female contact socket when the male pin is not inserted therein, means retaining the piston in the female contact socket when the male pin is not inserted therein and receiving the piston when displaced from the female contact socket when the male pin is inserted therein, seal means adjacent the exterior of the female receptacle and mechanically alternatively sealing the piston and the male pin when inserted in the female contact socket, and a dielectric oil compensator having biasing means therein providing a positive pressure on the oil at all times, said compensator being mounted within the female receptacle and hydraulically interconnecting an oil supply means with the piston and with the male pin when inserted in the female contact socket.