GB1561321A - Coupling device for electric conductor cables - Google Patents

Description

(54) A COUPLING DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC CONDUCTOR CABLES (71) We, COMPAGNIE DEUTSCH, a French body corporate of 8 rue Henri Regnault, 92212 Saint-Cloud, France, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The invention relates to a coupling device for cables which contain electric conductors and of the type having an external coupling ring. The invention is more particularly concerned with a device of the same type for coupling cables under water.

Known devices for providing an electrical connection permit the coupling and the uncoupling of two cables in surroundings which may not exceed a relative humidity of 60 to 70%. All these devices are based on bringing together two assemblies comprising insulating housings. A fastening system is provided for making these two assemblies fast with one another when the electrical connection is obtained. For particular applications, for example, in a medium where the relative humidity is 100%, provision is made for discharging water from the current collector. However, it has been found that the application of greases for this purpose involves a supplementary working step.

The invention overcomes these disadvantages and provides a coupling device for electric cables and of the type having an external coupling ring, which permits a coupling in a very wet medium, and even under water.

The invention provides a coupling device for electric conductor cables, the device comprising a first and a second part which are connectable to each other to form an electrical connection between the cables, each part comprising a projecting contact pin in respect of and for connection to each conductor of an associated cable, there being assigned to each contact pin in the first part of a contact pin in the second part, the device further comprising an external rotatable coupling ring, which is rotated for effecting a connection of the parts, and a translatable insulating block which is contained by said first part and contains a passage throughout its length in respect of each pair of assigned contact pins, said pins of the first part being normally inserted in the respective passages of the block, said insulating block being displaced upon rotation of the ring whereby it slides along the pins of the first part and over the pins of the second part to effect engagement of the pins with an electrical bridging means contained in the respective passages, said pins being received in respective orifices in the end faces of the block in such a way as to form a tight fit therewith and to be electrically insulated by said block.

Preferably the means for ensuring the electrical connection include contact sleeves.

In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention the insulating block is fast with a slide member coacting with the said ring for ensuring the displacements of the block when the ring is operated. The insulating block may be carried by one of the parts to be coupled, and the coupling ring is carried by the other.

The two parts of the coupling device each comprise a protective casing of tubular form and a respective insulating element arranged in the casing and having the contact pins extending therethrough. The contact pins project from the insulating element and are covered over a portion of their projecting length by an insulating sleeve. The insulating block, which is of cylindrical form, is provided with bores the number of which is equal to that of the pairs of pins to be coupled, the bores each being defined, in part, by a respective con tact sleeve into which extend the ends of the pins to be coupled and the ends of the bores being provided with an elastic or resilient lip permitting each end of the bore to be adapted in a sealing manner to the insulating sleeve of the pins.

Preferably the coupling ring is internally threaded and is mounted for rotation on the said first part, and-the second part comprises a threaded end portion which engages the coupling ring, when the two said parts are joined. Rotary engagement of the ring with the second part causes the displacement of the slide member and of the insulating block towards the first part.

The device may comprise means for interlocking the two parts, the said means being formed by: - a ring arranged with axial clearance in a peripheral recess of the slide member and having a bevelled edge in the vicinity of one of its rims, balls slidable in bores formed at regular intervals on the periphery of the protective casing of the second part, - an annular recess of an arcuate crosssection formed internally of an unthreaded part of the coupling ring, the bevelled edge of the ring in the recess of the sliding member causing an upward movement of the balls into the recess at the time of the displacement of the slide member, so as to ensure the inter-engagement of the two parts.

The protective casings, the slide member and the ring are preferably formed with holes permitting water to pass therethrough.

The invention will now be described, by way of example with reference to the accompaying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the coupling device prior to the coupling.

Figure 2 is a section of the locking system for the two parts of the device, and Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of the device in the coupled position.

The coupling device is composed of two parts A and B which are to be coupled.

The part A comprises a cylindrical insulating element 1 which has two insulating sleeves 2 through which pass contact pins 3 which extend beyond the sleeves 2, the arrangement being within a casing of tubular form, and an internally threaded rotatable coupling ring 4 which has an unthreaded end part 5 surrounding the pins 3 and having a peripheral internal groove 6 of arcuate cross-section which extends over the entire periphery.

The part B comprises a cylindrical insulating element 7 which has two insulating sleeves 8 through which pass contact pins 9 which extend beyond the sleeves 8 by a length greater than that by which the pins 3 extend beyond the sleeves 2. The insulating element 7 and pins 9 are disposed inside a casing 10 which is of a tubular form and which is of such a length that, when the parts A and B are brought to face one another, such that end portion 11 of the casing 10 comes into abutment with the ring 4, the respective pins 3 and 9 are disposed so as to face one another at a distance which is as small as possible. Arranged inside the casing 10 is a slide member 12 which is of a tubular form, can be moved longitudinally, and has an end portion 13 which is facing the part A and is threaded externally so that it can be coupled with the ring 4 of the part A.

Disposed inside the slide member 12 is an insulating block 14 which is of a cylindrical form and through which extend from one end face to the other longitudinally drilled passages 15 having portions 16 disposed at the end of the insulating block 14 which faces the insulating block 7 of a diameter and a length sufficient for receiving the insulating sleeves 8 when the device is uncoupled, and portions 17 extending between the respective portion 16 and the other end face of the block 14 and generally of a diameter equal to that of the pins 9 and 3. The block 14 is also provided with contact sleeves 18 which have an internal diameter defining part of the portions 17 of the passages 15 and elastic or resilient lips at the ends of the passages 15 remote from the portions 16. These elastic or resilient lips adjust in fluid-tight manner the respective entry orifice of the passage 15 so that it has firstly a diameter equal to the diameter of the pin 3, and then to that of the insulating sleeve 2. At the opposite ends of the passages 15 there are provided respective elastic lips which adjust the respective entry orifice to have an internal diameter equal to that of the insulating sleeve 8.

Slightly before its end portion 13, the slide member 12 is provided with an annular external recess 19, in which is disposed a ring 20 having a bevelled edge close to its rim disposed opposite the portion 13 and having axial clearance. The end portion 11 of the casing 10 is provided with holes 22 spaced on its periphery on the side disposed facing the part A and in which are arranged balls 21.

The slide member 12 and the casing 10 are formed with holes in order to ensure the circulation of water during the coupling and uncoupling phases.

The device operates as follows: The parts A and B are brought into position facing one another in alignment with the casing 10 caused to abut against the coupling ring 4 so that the pins 3 and 9 are then disposed facing one another.

When the ring 4 is turned, the slide member 12 is forced towards the part A by en gagement of its end portion 13, the thread of which meshes with that of the ring 4.

The slide member 12 drives the insulat ing block 14 in a translatory movement and it slides on the pins 9 so as to become first engaged with and slipped on to the pins 3, and then on to the insulating sleeves 2. At the chmmencement of the said translatory or sliding movement of the slide member 12, the balls 21 disposed in the holes 22 in the member 10 are bearing on the bevelled edge of the ring 20. As the slide member advances the balls are pushed outwardly by the bevelled edge until they are riding on the part of the ring 20 which is of larger diameter; in doing this, they then come against the circular groove 6 of the ring 4 and lock the two parts together.

For uncoupling the assembly, the ring 4 is caused to turn in the reverse direction.

The balls 21 then once again are caused to bear against that part of the ring 20 which is of smaller diameter and as a result unlock the device. The slide member 12 slides towards the insulating block 7 and is disengaged from the pins 3. On reaching the end of travel of the threaded portions of the parts 4 and 13, it is possible to move apart the parts A and B.

It is obvious that the invention is not restricted to the embodiment which has been described and that modifications in the arrangement can be incorporated without thereby departing from the scope of the

Claims (9)

claims. WHAT WE CLAIM IS: -

1. A coupling device for electric conductor cables, the device comprising a first and a second part which are connectable to each other to form an electrical connection between the cables, each part comprising a projecting contact pin in respect of and for connection to each conductor of an associated cable, there being assigned to each contact pin in the first part a contact pin in the second part, the device further comprising an external rotatable coupling ring, which is rotated for effecting a connection of the parts, and a translatable insulating block which is contained by said first part and contains a passage through out its length in respect of each pair of assigned contact pins, said pins of the first part being normally inserted in the respec tive passages of the block, said insulating block being displaced upon rotation of the ring whereby it slides along the pins of the first part and over the pins of the second part to effect engagement of the pins with an electrical bridging means contained in respective passages, said pins being received in respective orifices in the end faces of the block in such a way as to form a tight fit therewith and to be electrically insulated by said block.

2. A device according to Claim 1, wherein the electrical bridging means of each passage comprises a contact sleeve the interior walls of which define a portion of the respective passage.

3. A device according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the insulating block is fast with a tubular slide member coacting with the said ring for ensuring the displacement of the block when the ring is rotated.

4. A device according to Claim 3 wherein the ring is provided with internal screw threads and the slide member is provided with corresponding external screw threads.

5. A device according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the coupling ring is permanently retained on the said part not containing the insulating block.

6. A coupling device according to any preceding claim, wherein each of the parts comprises a protective casing of tubular form and an insulating element arranged in the casing through which the contact pins extend, the contact pins projecting from the respective insulating element and being covered over a part of their projecting length by an insulating sleeve and wherein the said orifices are provided with elastic or resilient lips, permitting each end of the said passages to be adapted in a sealing manner to the insulating sleeves of the respective pins.

7. A device according to Claim 3 and Claim 4 or any claim appendant thereto, comprising means for interlocking the two parts, the said means being formed by: - a ring arranged with axial clearance in an external peripheral recess of the slide member and having a bevelled edge in the vicinity of one of its rims, balls slidable in bores formed at regular intervals on the periphery of the protective casing of the second part, - an annular recess of an arcuate crosssection formed internally of an unthreaded part of the coupling ring, the bevelled edge of the ring in the recess in the slide member causing an upward movement of the balls into the recess of the coupling ring when the slide member is displaced during connection of the two parts.

8. A device according to Claim 6 or Claim 7 when appendant to Claim 6, where in the protective casings, the slide member and the coupling ring are formed with holes permitting water to pass therethrough.

9. A coupling device for electric conductor cables, substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.