High pressure electrical feed-through fitting

Claim 2

A hull-penetrating marine electrical connector comprising A. a wall forming a chamber having an opening and carrying a diaphragm element movable to diminish the pressure differential across it, B. at least one electrical connector element passing through said wall for connection to a mating connector element outside a chamber, C. A connector body carrying first electrical connection conductors connected at one end thereof and within said chamber to said connector element, D. A hull-penetrator 1. having an outer end for connectably receiving said connector body, 2. having hull-penetrating tubing means extending from said outer end to an inner end and for passing within a hull hole, and 3. having a pressure-barrier sealingly spanning said tubing means intermediate said inner and outer ends thereof, E. second electrical connection conductors passing through said pressure-barrier with pressure-tight seals and connectiably engaged with said first connection conductors when said connector body is assembled with said penetrator, so that said interconnected connection conductors provide electrical paths from adjacent said penetrator inner end to said connector element, F. means securing said penetrator to said opening of said chamber-forming wall and thereby sealing said opening, and G. electrically insulating and substantially incompressible fluid filling said chamber.

Claim 3

having hull-penetrating tubing means extending from said outer end to an inner end and for passing within a hull hole, and

Claim 4

having hull-penetrating tubing means extending from said outer end to an inner end and for passing within a hull hole, and

Claim 5

having hull-mounting means extending from said outer end to an inner end and for securing to said hull with a pressure-tight connection, and

Claim 6

having hull-mounting means extending from said outer end to an inner end and for securing to said hull with a pressure-tight connection, and

Claim 7

A connector as defined in claim 1 in which said penetrator is secured to said chamber-forming wall with said connector body disposed within said chamber opening for feeding said first conductors to said connector element by way of said chamber opening.

Claim 8

having a pressure-barrier sealingly spanning said tubing means intermediate said inner and outer ends thereof, E. second electrical connection conductors passing through said pressure-barrier with pressure-tight seals and connectiably engaged with said first connection conductors when said connector body is assembled with said penetrator, so that said interconnected connection conductors provide electrical paths from adjacent said penetrator inner end to said connector element, F. means securing said penetrator to said opening of said chamber-forming wall and thereby sealing said opening, and G. electrically insulating and substantially incompressible fluid filling said chamber.

Claim 9

having a pressure-barrier sealingly spanning said tubing means intermediate said inner and outer ends thereof, E. second electrical connection conductors passing through said pressure-barrier with pressure-tight seals and connectiably engaged with said first connection conductors when said connector body is assembled with said penetrator, so that said interconnected connection conductors provide electrical paths from adjacent said penetrator inner end to said connector element, F. means securing said penetrator to said opening of said chamber-forming wall and thereby sealing said opening, and G. electrically insulating and substantially incompressible fluid filling said chamber.

Claim 10

having a pressure-barrier sealingly spanning thereacross intermediate said inner and outer ends thereof, E. second electrical connection conductors passing through said pressure-barrier with pressure-tight seals and connectably engaged with said first connection conductors when said connector body is assembled with said hull mount, so that said interconnected connection conductors provide electrical paths from adjacent said penetrator inner end to said connector elements, F. means securing said hull mount to said opening of said chamber-forming wall and thereby sealing said opening, and G. electrically insulating and substantially incompressible fluid filling said chamber.

Claim 11

having a pressure-barrier sealingly spanning thereacross intermediate said inner and outer ends thereof, E. second electrical connection conductors passing through said pressure-barrier with pressure-tight seals and connectably engaged with said first connection conductors when said connector body is assembled with said hull mount, so that said interconnected connection conductors provide electrical paths from adjacent said penetrator inner end to said connector elements, F. means securing said hull mount to said opening of said chamber-forming wall and thereby sealing said opening, and G. electrically insulating and substantially incompressible fluid filling said chamber.

Claim 12

A connector as defined in claim 1 in which said penetrator has a recess therein intermediate said outer end and said pressure-baRrier and sealed closed by said connector body connectably received at said penetrator outer end, so that said recess provides a fluid-tight further chamber between said outer end of said penetrator and said pressure-barrier.

Claim 13

A connector as defined in claim 3 further comprising plugable electrical connection means disposed in said penetrator recess for electrically interconnecting said first connection conductors with said second connection conductors.

Claim 14

A connector as defined in claim 1 in which said penetrator further has a shoulder extending outwardly peripherally about said tubing means for abuting engagement with the outer side of the hull about the sealing therethrough, and has sealing means for engaging the hull and sealing the hull-penetrator junction closed against fluid passage.

Claim 15

A connector as defined in claim 1 A. in which said means for securing said penetrator to said chamber-forming wall includes a flange on said penetrator adjacent said outer end thereof, and B. said penetrator has a tubular recess disposed radially inward from said flange and for seating said connector body connectably received onto said penetrator.

Claim 16

A connector as defined in claim 1 in which said chamber-forming wall is tubular and forms said chamber with a tubular shape with said diaphragm element at one end thereof and said opening at the opposite end thereof.

Claim 17

A connector as defined in claim 1 in which said penetrator has a tubular recess at said outer end thereof for connectably receiving said connector body seated in said recess with tubular sidewalls of said recess sealingly engaged with said connector body.

Claim 18

A connector as defined in claim 1 further comprising liquid-pervious cover means secured to said chamber-forming wall and overlaying said diaphragm element for protecting said diaphragm element from damaging physical abuse from without said chamber.

Claim 19

A connector as defined in claim 1 further comprising pressure-biasing means for maintaining a selected pressure differential between the interior of said chamber and the environemental fluid outside said chamber-forming wall.

Claim 20

A connector as defined in claim 10 in which said biasing means acts on said diaphragm element to maintain said pressure differential.

Claim 21

A connector as defined in claim 1 in which A. said connector element has means forming a fluid-passing aperture therein between the interior of said chamber and the exterior of said chamber-forming wall, and B. said chamber is fluid-tight except for said connector element aperture.

Claim 22

A connector as defined in claim 1 A. in which said connector element has means forming a fluid-passing aperture between the interior of said chamber and the exterior of said chamber-forming wall, B. in which said chamber is fluid-tight except for said connector element aperture, and C. further comprising means for maintaining a selected positive pressure within said chamber relative to the ambient pressure outside said chamber-forming wall.

Claim 23

An electrical feed-though connector comprising A. tubular mounting means extending along an axis between inner and outer ends thereof and for mounting to a vessel wall to disposed said inner end in communication with a low pressure side of said wall and with a pressure-tight seal therewith and to dispose said outer end in communication with a high member of said wall, B. a bulkhead member closing said mounting means between said ends thereof, C. a junction-box having fluid-tight walls and an opening into the interior thereof, d. a diaphragm element in said junction-box walls deflectable in response to a selected pressure differential across said walls, E. fluid-tight means securing said junction-box adjacent the periphery of said opening to said mounting means adjacent the outer end thereof and providing a passage for electrical conductors between the outer side of said bulkhead member to said junction-box opening, F. plUg means closing said passage and forming with said junction-box a fluid-tight chamber within said junction-box, G. an electrically insulating liquid substantially filling said chamber within said junction-box, H. at least one electrical connector element passing through said junction-box with a fluid-tight seal therewith, and I. electrical conductor means connected at one end and within said junction-box to said connector element and passing through said plug means with a fluid-tight seal and through said bulkhead member with pressure-tight seal to at least adjacent said inner end of said mounting means.

Claim 24

An electrical feed-though connector comprising A. tubular mounting means extending along an axis between inner and outer ends thereof and for mounting to a vessel wall to disposed said inner end in communication with a low pressure side of said wall and with a pressure-tight seal therewith and to dispose said outer end in communication with a high member of said wall, B. a bulkhead member closing said mounting means between said ends thereof, C. a junction-box having fluid-tight walls and an opening into the interior thereof, d. a diaphragm element in said junction-box walls deflectable in response to a selected pressure differential across said walls, E. fluid-tight means securing said junction-box adjacent the periphery of said opening to said mounting means adjacent the outer end thereof and providing a passage for electrical conductors between the outer side of said bulkhead member to said junction-box opening, F. plUg means closing said passage and forming with said junction-box a fluid-tight chamber within said junction-box, G. an electrically insulating liquid substantially filling said chamber within said junction-box, H. at least one electrical connector element passing through said junction-box with a fluid-tight seal therewith, and I. electrical conductor means connected at one end and within said junction-box to said connector element and passing through said plug means with a fluid-tight seal and through said bulkhead member with pressure-tight seal to at least adjacent said inner end of said mounting means.

Claim 25

A high pressure electrical feed-through fitting comprising A. a wall forming a fluid-tight chamber having an opening, and carrying a diaphragm element movable to reduce selectively the pressure differential across it, B. at least one electrical connector element passing through said wall with a fluid-tight seal for connection to a mating connector element outside said chamber, C. a connector body carrying first electrical connection conductors connected at one end thereof and within said chamber to said connector element, D. a hull mount

Claim 26

A high pressure electrical feed-through fitting comprising A. a wall forming a fluid-tight chamber having an opening, and carrying a diaphragm element movable to reduce selectively the pressure differential across it, B. at least one electrical connector element passing through said wall with a fluid-tight seal for connection to a mating connector element outside said chamber, C. a connector body carrying first electrical connection conductors connected at one end thereof and within said chamber to said connector element, D. a hull mount