Assembly for optical communication between high and low voltage component housings

Claim 1

An assembly for optical communications between high voltage components within a sealed first housing and lower voltage components within a second housing, comprising: a container enclosing the first housing and being constructed to contain fluid under pressure, said container having at least one removable metallic wall with a window sealed in an opening therein to permit light to pass therethrough, said metallic wall having a thickness greater than the thickness of the remaining container walls to dissipate heat generated by the first housing within the container, a block of solid insulating material having upper and lower substantially parallel plane surfaces with a window sealed in a passage extending between the plane surfaces to permit light therethrough, a plurality of spaced plugs of heat conducting electrical insulating material inserted in openings of said block having opposite ends substantially flush with the upper and lower plane surfaces of the insulating block, said block of insulating material being attached to the heat dissipating metallic wall in the container such that its lower plane surface and the insulating plugs are in intimate heat conducting contact with said wall, said block being positioned such that the windows of the wall and insulating block are in alignment, said first housing for containing heat generating electronic components and for being at an electrical potential greater than said container being connected to the removable wall and having at least one metallic wall with a plane outer surface and an opening therethrough, said first housing being insulatively fastened within the container such that its one metallic wall is in intimate heat conducting contact with the upper plane surface and insulating plugs of the insulating block to conduct heat from the first housing through the plugs to removable heat dissipating wall of the container, said first housing being positioned in the container to have its opening in registry with the windows of the container wall and insulating block, a second housing for containing said lower voltage components having a wall of lesser peripheral dimension than the heat dissipating wall and having at least one opening therethrough, said second housing being attached exteriorly of the container to the heat dissipating metallic wall of the container in intimate contact therewith with its said opening aligned with the windows of the block and container and the opening in the first housing, and first and second means mounted within the first and second housings respectively in optical alignment with the windows in the insulation block and with each other for light communication therebetween.