Subsea button-type electrical connector

Claim 2

In a multi-contact button-type electrical connector for use in a hostile environment, the combination of: a receptacle means provided with a chamber having an open end; a carrier member within said chamber provided with a plurality of contact elements having a resilient protective cover thereover; a plug means receivable within said open end and chamber of said receptacle means; a carrier body carried by said plug means in alignment with said carrier member on said receptacle means, said carrier body including a plurality of through bores, a contact member slidable in each through bore and having a pointed contact head aligned with a contact element in said receptacle means, a protective cover embedding said pointed head and adapted to contact the cover on said contact element; and means for individually and separately advancing each contact member into a selected electrical contact with its respective contact element; said last mentioned means including a follower member having an inner end in force applying relation to an end of a contact member, said follower member having an outer end having means for receiving forces to move said follower member and said contact member axially into electrical contact with said contact element.

Claim 3

In a multi-contact button-type electrical connector for use in a hostile environment, the combination of: a receptacle means provided with a chamber having an open end; a carrier member within said chamber provided with a plurality of contact elements having a resilient protective cover thereover; a plug means receivable within said open end and chamber of said receptacle means; a cap means for said plug means; a carrier body carried by said plug means in alignment with said carrier member on said receptacle means, said carrier body including a plurality of through bores, a contact member slidable in each through bore and having a pointed contact head aligned with a contact element in said receptacle means, said cap means including a follower bore for each contact member; a protective cover embedding said pointed head and adapted to contact the cover on said contact element; and means for individually and separately advancing each contact member into a selected electrical contact with its respective contact element; said separately advancing means including a follower member extending through said follower bore into engagement with its respective contact member and operable externally of said plug means; and means interconnecting said follower member and contact member for permitting relative rotation therebetween during axial movement of said contact member.

Claim 4

In a multi-contact button-type electrical connector for use in a hostile environment, the combination of: a receptacle means provided with a chamber having an open end; a carrier member within said chamber provided with a plurality of contact elements having a resilient protective cover thereover; a plug means receivable within said open end and chamber of said receptacle means; a cap means for said plug means; a carrier body carried by said plug means in alignment with said carrier member on said receptacle means, said carrier body including a plurality of through bores, a contact member slidable in each through bore and having a pointed contact head aligned with a contact element in said receptacle means, said cap means including a follower bore for each contact member; a protective cover embedding said pointed head and adapted to contact the cover on said contact element; and means for individually and separately advancing each contact member into a selected electrical contact with its respective contact element; said separately advancing means including a follower member extending through said follower bore into engagement with its respective contact member and operable externally of said plug means; and means interconnecting said follower member and contact member for permitting relative rotation therebetween during axial movement of said contact member.

Claim 5

In a multi-contact button-type electrical connector for use in a hostile environment, the combination of: a receptacle means provided with a chamber having an open end; a carrier member within said chamber provided with a plurality of contact elements having a resilient protective cover thereover; a plug means receivable within said open end and chamber of said receptacle means; a cap means for said plug means; a carrier body carried by said plug means in alignment with said carrier member on said receptacle means, said carrier body including a plurality of through bores, a contact member slidable in each through bore and having a pointed contact head aligned with a contact element in said receptacle means, said cap means including a follower bore for each contact member, a prOtective cover embedding said pointed head and adapted to contact the cover on said contact element; and means for individually and separately advancing each contact member into a selected electrical contact with its respective contact element; said separately advancing means including a follower member extending through said follower bore into engagement with its respective contact member and operable externally of said plug means; and means for limiting rotation of each of said contact members during axial movement thereof, said follower members having threaded engagement with said cap means for axial movement of said follower member to drive said contact member into selected depth of penetration of said contact element for making electrical contact of desired characteristics.

Claim 6

In a multi-contact button-type electrical connector for use in a hostile environment, the combination of: a receptacle means provided with a chamber having an open end; a carrier member within said chamber provided with a plurality of contact elements having a resilient protective cover thereover; a plug means receivable within said open end and chamber of said receptacle means; a cap means for said plug means; a carrier body carried by said plug means in alignment with said carrier member on said receptacle means, said carrier body including a plurality of through bores, a contact member slidable in each through bore and having a pointed contact head aligned with a contact element in said receptacle means, said cap means including a follower bore for each contact member, a prOtective cover embedding said pointed head and adapted to contact the cover on said contact element; and means for individually and separately advancing each contact member into a selected electrical contact with its respective contact element; said separately advancing means including a follower member extending through said follower bore into engagement with its respective contact member and operable externally of said plug means; and means for limiting rotation of each of said contact members during axial movement thereof, said follower members having threaded engagement with said cap means for axial movement of said follower member to drive said contact member into selected depth of penetration of said contact element for making electrical contact of desired characteristics.

Claim 7

In an electrical connector for use in a hostile environment and including a receptacle means having an internal contact element, a plug means having an internal contact member alignable with the contact element, means for holding said receptacle and plug means in fixed relative non-rotational assembly, opposing faces of the contact element and contact member being in spaced relationship, and protective cover means between said opposing faces, the improvement comprising: means to restrict said internal contact member to non-rotational axial movement; and a rotatable follower member carried by the plug means and having an inner end aligned with one end of the contact member and an outer end external of said plug means, said inner end having means for receiving the adjacent end of the contact member for relative rotation therebetween during longitudinal movement of the follower member and the contact member into electrical contact with the contact element, and dielectric means within said inner end receiving means for electrically insulating said follower member from said contact member.

Claim 8

In an electrical connector for use in a hostile environment and including a receptacle means having an internal contact element, a plug means having an internal contact member alignable with the contact element, means for holding said receptacle and plug means in fixed relative non-rotational assembly, opposing faces of the contact element and contact member being in spaced relationship, and protective cover means between said opposing faces, the improvement comprising: means to restrict said internal contact member to non-rotational axial movement; and a rotatable follower member carried by the plug means and having an inner end aligned with one end of the contact member and an outer end external of said plug means, said inner end having means for receiving the adjacent end of the contact member for relative rotation therebetween during longitudinal movement of the follower member and the contact member into electrical contact with the contact element, and dielectric means within said inner end receiving means for electrically insulating said follower member from said contact member.

Claim 9

In an electrical connector as stated in claim 4 wherein a recess is provided in the end of said follower member, and cup-shaped dielectric means in the recess receive the end of the contact member.

Claim 10

In a connector as stated in claim 5 including a thrust bearing washer in said cup-shaped dielectric means for bearing engagement with the end of the contact member received in said recess.