Underwater electrical connector

Claim 2

An underwater electrical connector comprising: a. A first housing filled with a dielectric fluid and having an elastic membrane separating the said fluid from the surrounding water; b. A first pair of parallel spaced rods journalled for axial movement within said housing; c. First means for axially moving said rods in equal and opposite directions to extend a portion Of one of said rods outside of the housing and to retract the other rod further within the housing; d. A second housing filled with a dielectric fluid and having an elastic membrane separating the said fluid from the surrounding water; e. A second pair of parallel spaced rods journalled for axial movement within said housing; f. A second means for axially moving said rods in equal and opposite directions to extend a portion of one of said rods outside of the housing and to retract the other rod further within the housing; g. Contact means on each one of the said rods which is extended outside of its respective housing by the movement thereof; h. Means in each housing for making an electrical connection to the said contact means on the respective rod; i. Circuit making means in each housing coacting with contacts on the rod from the other housing to effect electrical conduction therewith; j. And means holding said first and second housings in aligned abutting relationship to permit the rod expelled from said first housing to enter said second housing and the rod expelled from said second housing to enter said first housing, whereby the volume of fluid in each housing remains constant and electrical conductivity between the two housings can be selectively established.

Claim 3

The connector of claim 1 wherein fluid seals are provided between each housing and the rods to prevent entrance of water or loss of dielectric fluid.

Claim 4

The connector claim 1 wherein said circuit making means within each said housings are normally spaced from the rods but are moved into contact with the rods only during the final stroke of the rods.

Claim 5

An underwater electrical connector comprising a. At least one housing enclosing a chamber filled with an inert substantially incompressible dielectric fluid, and having at least two openings therein connecting the said chamber with the water surrounding the said connector when submerged; b. At least one insulating member within said chamber and mounted for movement in said housing from a first to a second position, the said member having a cross-sectional shape and complementary to said openings, and fitted within both said openings in the said first position of said member to seal said chamber from the surrounding water, and fitted within one only of said openings in the said second position of said member; c. At least one plug means positioned adjacent said opening and having a cross-sectional shape complementary to at least one of said openings in said housing and operative when manually inserted into one of the openings in said housing to move said insulating member from said first to said second position, and to coact with the complementary opening into which it is inserted to seal said chamber from the surrounding water; d. Electrical contact means within said housing; e. Complementary electrical contact means on said plug member, operative when said plug is inserted into said housing to coact with the contacts in the housing to effect electrical connection therewith; whereby when said insulating member occupies said first position said chamber is sealed from the surrounding water by said member, and when said plug is inserted into said housing to effect electrical interconnection, said insulating member is moved from said first to said second position and said chamber is sealed from the surrounding water by the coaction of said insulating member with one of said openings and by the coaction of said plug with the other of said openings and the volume of said chamber remains constant.

Claim 6

An underwater electrical connector comprising a. At least one housing enclosing a chamber filled with an inert substantially incompressible dielectric fluid, and having at least two openings therein connecting the said chamber with the water surrounding the said connector when submerged; b. At least one insulating member within said chamber and mounted for movement in said housing from a first to a second position, the said member having a cross-sectional shape and complementary to said openings, and fitted within both said openings in the said first position of said member to seal said chamber from the surrounding water, and fitted within one only of said openings in the said second position of said member; c. At least one plug means positioned adjacent said opening and having a cross-sectional shape complementary to at least one of said openings in said housing and operative when manually inserted into one of the openings in said housing to move said insulating member from said first to said second position, and to coact with the complementary opening into which it is inserted to seal said chamber from the surrounding water; d. Electrical contact means within said housing; e. Complementary electrical contact means on said plug member, operative when said plug is inserted into said housing to coact with the contacts in the housing to effect electrical connection therewith; whereby when said insulating member occupies said first position said chamber is sealed from the surrounding water by said member, and when said plug is inserted into said housing to effect electrical interconnection, said insulating member is moved from said first to said second position and said chamber is sealed from the surrounding water by the coaction of said insulating member with one of said openings and by the coaction of said plug with the other of said openings and the volume of said chamber remains constant.

Claim 7

The connector of claim 4 wherein said movable member is a solid member and said openings are axially aligned, and said plug is a solid member having the same cross-sectional configuration as said member, whereby, when said plug is inserted into said housing it abuts said member and moves the member through said housing and into the surrounding water a distance equal to the movemeNt of said plug into the housing to preserve the constant volume in said chamber.

Claim 8

The connector of claim 4 wherein two similar housings, each enclosing a separate chamber, are provided and each has at least one insulating member and one plug member, and means operative upon mating of the two housings for moving the two members within each chamber in equal and opposite directions whereby the plug member from each of the housings is inserted into the other housing to effect electrical connection with the contacts therein while displacing the coacting insulating member within the chamber to maintain a constant volume within both said chambers.