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(11) | EP 0 209 255 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Connector system with modular socket insert assembly |
| (57) A modular socket insert assembly (26) which can fit into the male ends of two substantially
identical connectors (12, 14) to connect them, wherein the socket insert assembly
can be easily taken apart in the field for cleaning or replacement of a damaged socket.
The socket insert assembly includes a pair of insulators (28, 30) having inner ends
(32, 34) that substantially abut one another and having aligned holes (40, 42) for
holding a group of separate socket modules (441. The hole (50, ,52) in each insulator
is wide at the inner end of the insulators where they abut one another, and is narrowed
at the outer ends (54, 56) of the insulators, to trap a socket module (44) in place. |
[0001] This invention relates to connectors and in particular to connector systems with modular socket insert assemblies.
[0002] In connector systems used in a hostile environment, such as deep within an oil well, the female or socket ends of contacts are damaged much more often than the male or pin contact ends. Also, cleaning of the deep recess of a socket contact end is much more difficult than of a pin contact end which may have no recesses. A socket device with socket contact ends at both ends of the connector could be used to connect two male or pin ends to avoid the need to reconnect multiple wires to a new connector whenever it is damaged. However, if the module with the sockets at either ends is to be disposed of everytime a socket becomes damaged or very dirty, then the cost would be high. A socket insert assembly which enabled cleaning and replacement of its sockets modules in the field, would facilitate the maintenance of connector systems in the field.
[0003] According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a socket insert assembly comprising a plurality of elongated socket modules, each having a pair of opposite ends with holes for receiving pin contacts; first and second insulators, each having inner ends that substantially abut and each having outer ends; each insulator including a plurality of through holes, each through hole having a wide diameter portion extending from the inner end of the insulator for receiving a socket module, and each through hole having a narrow portion near its outer end that is too narrow to pass the socket module therethrough, said wide diameter portions being long enough to receive said socket modules, with opposite ends of each socket module lying in different ones of said insulators.
[0004] According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided in a connector system for connecting two largely identical male connector ends of two connectors, wherein each connector includes a shell with a largely cylindrical hollow shell end, an insulation member within the shell, and a plurality of first contacts having portions lying in the insulation member and having pin contact ends projecting from said insulation member into the hollow shell end, the improvement comprising a socket insert assembly which includes first and second socket insulators and a plurality of socket modules that each have opposite ends for receiving a pin contact and electrically connecting them, each of said socket insulators having inner and outer ends with said inner ends substantially abutting each other, and including means for releasably holding said socket insulators together; said socket insulators each having a plurality of through holes, each hole including a first portion extending from the inner insulator end and having a greater diameter than said socket modules, and each hole including a second portion near the outer insulator end and having a smaller diameter than the socket modules, so a socket module can lie trapped within said socket insulators when their inner ends substantially abut one another; each outer end of a socket insulator being formed to fit into a hollow end of one of said connectors, with the pin contact ends projecting through the first hole portion of a socket insulator and into an end of a socket module.
[0005] According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a socket insert assembly comprising a plurality of elongated socket modules, each having a pair of opposite ends with holes for receiving pin contacts; a first insulator having inner and outer ends and a plurality of through holes, each hole having a wide diameter portion extending from the inner end of the insulator for receiving a socket module, and each hole having a narrow diameter portion near the outer end which is narrower than a socket module; and a second insulator which fits over the inner end of the first insulator and which has a plurality of through holes aligned with the holes in said first insulator, said holes in said second insulator each having a narrowest portion which is narrower than the socket modules.
[0006] In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a connector system is described, which includes a modular socket insert assembly which can be easily cleaned and repaired in the field. The socket insert assembly includes a pair of insulators having inner ends that substantially abut one another and having outer ends. The assembly also includes a plurality of socket modules that each have a pair of opposite socket ends that can each receive a pin contact to electrically connect a pair of pin contacts. Each insulator has a plurality of through holes, each through hole having a wide diameter portion extending from the inner end of the insulator for receiving a socket module, and a narrow portion near its outer end that is too narrow to pass a socket module so as to retain the socket module therein.
[0007] An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is an exploded partially sectional view of a connector system constructed in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 2 is a view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a partial perspective and exploded view of a socket module of the socket insert assembly of Figure 1;
Figure 4 is a sectional view of the socket module (when assembled) of Figure 3, and
Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.
Figure 1 illustrates a connector system 10 which can be used in a hostile environment such as deep within an oil well where part or all of the system is subjected to dirt under considerable heat and pressure. The system includes a pair of connectors 12, 14 having male connector ends 16, 18 that must be interconnected under hostile conditions. In this connector system, the connector 12 has an opposite end 20 which is also a male end and which connects to a socket connector 22 at the end of a cable, where the connections between the ends 20, 22 are under less than hostile conditions, in as much as a seal applied around the outside 24 of the connector isolates its opposite ends to protect the end 20 from the extreme hostile environment.
[0008] The two male connector ends 16, 18 are interconnected by a socket insert assembly or apparatus 26. The socket insert assembly includes two insulators 28, 30 that have inner ends (end faces) 32, 34 that abut one another, and outer ends 36, 38. Each insulator has a plurality of through holes 40, 42 that extend between its opposite ends. A plurality of socket modules 44 lie in the holes. Each socket module has a pair of opposite socket ends 46, 48 for receiving pin contacts, to interconnect a pair of pin contacts received in its opposite ends. Each hole 40, 42 of the insulators includes a wide diameter portion 50, 52 extending from the inner end of the respective insulator, for receiving the socket module. Each hole also includes a narrow portion 54, 56 near its outer end, which is too narrow to pass a socket module 44, to thereby retain the socket module in place. However, each narrow portion 54, 56 is wide enough to pass a pin contact, so that a pin contact can enter an end of a socket module. A socket insert assembly shell 60 surrounds the two insulators to hold them in, although it is possible to provide other locking means to hold the insulators together.
[0009] Each connector includes a group of pin contacts 62, 64 that have middle portions such as 66 trapped within an insulation member 68,within the connector and are preferably sealed thereto. Each pin contact also has an end 70 that projects from the insulation member into a hollow connector end 72. The contact end is surrounded by a largely cylindrical hollow connector end 74 formed by a shell 76 of the connector. The - socket insert assembly 26 is designed to fit into the hollow shell end 74 of either male connector end 16, 18 to receive the pin contact ends 70 therein. The depth D of each hollow connector end is less than the length L of the socket insert assembly. As a result, when one end of the socket insert assembly is fully inserted into a male connector end such as 16, the opposite end of the socket insert assembly projects therefrom and can be inserted into the other male connector end 18 to contact its pin contacts 64. The length L is less than 2D, so the extreme end of the shells can abut one another.
[0010] Each socket module 44 has a construction such as is shown in Figures 3 to 5. The socket module includes a body 80 extending along axis 81, with a middle portion 82 and with arcuate opposite end portions 84. A napkin spring 86 fits around each end portion to press a pin contact portion 70 against the inside surface of a body end portion 84. A hood 88 surrounds the end portion 84 of the body and the spring 86 to retain them in place. The hood has an open outer end 90 which is large enough to pass a pin contact but small enough to prevent loss of the spring 86.
[0011] Most of the socket modules carry noncritical signals, and have napkin springs which can be deflected by moderate insertion forces. A minority of the socket modules carry critical signals, and low contact resistance then must be assured even when the system is subjected to severe vibrations, shocks, and other disturbances. Where critical signals are carried by a socket module, its napkin spring is stiffer so it applies at least a 501 greater force against a contact, than does a spring of a module carrying noncritical signals. Only a minority of socket modules with stiffer napkin springs are present in a socket insertion assembly, to avoid an excessive connector mating force.
[0012] The socket insert assembly 26 (Figure 1) is designed to facilitate the clean out and replacement of a socket module 44 or insulator in the field. To disassemble the assembly, a snap ring 94 is removed from a slot near one end of the shell 60, which can be easily accomplished with a screw driver blade or knife. The assembly is then turned so that the end 38 is lowermost, so that the two insulators may be removed from the shell 60. The two insulators are then turned upside down so that the end 36 is lowermost. The top insulator 30 can then be lifted off of the other one 28 so that ends of a socket modules 44 project from the inner end 32 of the insulator 28. If one of the socket modules 44 is damaged or a few of them require cleaning, they can be lifted out, cleaned, and then replaced. Alternately, all of the socket modules can be placed in a container and cleaned, and the insulators and their holes can also be cleaned.
[0013] One of the insulators 28 is longer, along the axis 96, than the other 30. Reassembly of the socket assembly is accomplished by orienting the longer insulator 28 with its inner end 32 uppermost, and then inserting the numerous socket modules in the holes 50 of the larger insulator. When the socket modules are dropped into the longer holes 50 of the longer insulator, their projecting ends are held sufficiently close in position so that the shorter insulator 30 can fit over them. That is, the module axes are sufficiently parallel to the axes of the insulator holes. The shorter insulator 30 can be lowered into position so that its inner end 34 abuts the inner end 32 of the longer insulator. Thereafter, the projecting upper ends of the socket modules hold the two insulators 28, 30 in alignment. It may be noted that it would be much harder to assemble the socket module by first inserting the socket modules into the shorter insulator 30, because then the projecting ends of the socket modules would not be closely aligned with the insulator holes; then, it would be difficult to drop the longer module over them.
[0014] The diameter of the hole 50, 52 of the insulators is at least about 3% greater than the outer diameter of the socket module 44, to permit slight movement of the socket modules to accommodate the precise spacing of the pin contacts that they receive. In prior connector systems wherein each half is hermetically sealed, only very slight misalignment of mating contacts can be tolerated. However, in the present socket modules both ends of a module are free and the modules can "float" within the insulator, and the spring which engages an inserted pin contact allows more than prior socket deflection. This allows a much greater degree of contact misalignment without degrading the contact arrangement, and provides an automatic cleaning action on both the pin and socket contacts during mating and unmating, and even by reason of axial float while the contacts are mated.
[0015] After assembling the two insulators with the socket modules therein, the two insulators as a unit are dropped into the shell 60. the longer insulator 28 has two different outside portions 100, 102 of different diameters, the portion 102 nearest the inner end 32 of the insulator being of larger diameter. This forms a ledge 104 at the intersection of these different diameter portions. The shell has two different outside diameters to form an inside shoulder 106 on which the ledge 104 rests. The insulators are freely slidable into the shell, until the ledge 104 rests on the shoulder 106, to prevent the insulators from moving further towards a first end 108, of the shell. The snap ring 94 is then installed around a cut away portion 110 at the outer end of the short insulator and into a groove 112, to prevent the insulators from moving towards a second end 113 of the shell. The assembly and reassembly of the socket insert assembly is relatively easy and, as mentioned above, can be performed rapidly in the field without any tools except for a screwdriver, knife, or the like.
1. A socket insert assembly (26) characterised by a plurality of elongated socket
modules (44), each having a pair of opposite ends (46, 48) with holes for receiving
pin contacts (62, 64); first and second insulators (28, 30), each having inner ends
(32, 34) that substantially abut and each having outer ends (36, 38); each insulator
(28, 30) including a plurality of through holes (40, 42), each through hole (40, 42)
having a wide diameter portion (50, 52) extending from the inner end (32, 34) of the
insulator (28, 30) for receiving a socket module (44), and each through hole (40,
42) having a narrow portion (54, 56) near its outer end (36, 38) that is too narrow
to pass the socket module (44) therethrough, said wide diameter portions (50, 52)
being long enough to receive said socket modules (44), with opposite ends (46, 48)
of each socket module (44) lying in different ones of said insulators (28, 30).
2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said wide diameter hole
portions (50, 52) are of a diameter at least 3% greater than the diameter of said
socket modules (44), to permit self alignment of socket module ends (46, 48) with
pin contacts (62, 64), and wherein the wide diameter hole portion (50) in said first
insulator (28) is longer than the wide diameter hole portion (52) in said second insulator
(30), whereby when the socket modules (44) are first dropped into said first insulator
(28) the projecting ends of the modules (44) are located to enable the second insulator
(30) to be slid over them.
3. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said first insulator (28)
has two different outside diameters (100, 102) at locations spaced along its length
and forms a ledge (104) at the intersection of said two outside diameters, the larger
of said two diameters (102) being closer to the inner end (32) of said first insulator
(28) than the smaller diameter (100), and including a shell (60) which receives said
insulators (28, 30), said shell (60) forming an inside shoulder (106) on which said
ledge (104) of said first insulator (28) rests and said first and second insulators
(28, 30) being freely slidable into said shell (60) until said ledge (104) abuts said
shoulder (106), and including means (94, 110, 112) for releasably retaining said second
insulator (30) in said shell (60).
4. An assembly as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that said second insulator
(30) has the same outside diameter along most of its length as the larger outside
diameter (102) of said first insulator (28), said shell (60) has a groove (112) near
the end thereof in which said second insulator (30) lies, and said retaining means
comprises a snap ring (94) which fits in said groove (112) and abuts the outer end
(38) of said second insulator (30).
5. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that
each socket module (44) includes an elongated body (80) extending along an axis (81)
and having a largely cylindrical middle portion (82) and a pair of opposite end portions
(84), each end portion (84) having an arcuate cross-section which extends by less
than 360 about said axis (81) for receiving and contacting a pin contact (62, 64);
a pair of largely hollow cylindrical hoods (88) which each have an inner end that
encircles part of said middle body portion (82) and an outer end (46) that extends
beyond a corresponding body end portion (84); and a pair of springs (86), a respective
one of which lies within a respective one of said hoods, each spring (86) having a
portion lying opposite the arcuate end portion (84) to resiliently press a pin contact
(62, 64) against the inside of the arcuate end portion (84).
6. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 in combination with first and second connectors
(12, 14) characterised in that each connector has a shell (76) with a largely cylindrical
hollow connector end (74), a contact insulation member (68) within the shell (76),
and a plurality of contacts (62, 64) with pin contact ends (70) projecting from the
insulation member (68) and into the hollow connector end (74); said socket assembly
(26) lying in said shells (76) of said connectors (12, 14) with the outer end (36,
38) of each insulator (28, 30) lying in a different one of said hollow cylindrical
ends and with the pin contacts ends (70) of each connector projecting through the
narrow hole portion (54, 56) of a corresponding insulator and into one end of a socket
module (26).
7. An assembly as claimed in claim 6, characterised in that the hollow shell ends
(74) are deep enough compared to the combined length of said insulators (28, 30),
that the ends of said shells (74) can be brought substantially against one another.
8. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that at least one, but less
than half, of said socket modules (44) requires at least about a 50% greater insertion
force to insert a pin contact (62, 64) into each of its ends than do the other socket
modules, whereby to provide low resistance contact for critical lines but only a moderate
total insertion force for an entire connector.
9. A connector system for connecting two largely identical male connector ends (16,
18) of two connectors (12, 14), wherein each connector (12, 14) includes a shell (76)
with a largely cylindrical hollow shell end (74), an insulation member (68) within
the shell (76), and a plurality of first contacts (62, 64) having portions (66) lying
in the insulation member (68) and having pin contact ends (70) projecting from said
insulation member (68) into the hollow shell end (74), characterised by a socket insert
assembly (26) which includes first and second socket insulators (28, 30) and a plurality
of socket modules (44) that each have opposite ends (46, 48) for receiving a pin contact
(62, 64) and electrically connecting them, each of said socket insulators (28, 30)
having inner (32, 34) and outer (36, 38) ends with said inner ends (32, 34) substantially
abutting each other, and including means (60, 94) for releasably holding said socket
insulators (28, 30) together; said socket insulators (28, 30) each having a plurality
of through holes (40, 42), each hole including a first portion (50, 52) extending
from the inner insulator end (32, 34) and having a greater diameter than said socket
modules (44), and each hole including a second portion (54, 56) near the outer insulator
end (36, 38) and having a smaller diameter than the socket modules (44), so a socket
module (44) can lie trapped within said socket insulators (28, 30) when their inner
ends (32, 34) substantially abut one another; each outer end (36, 38) of a socket
insulator (28, 30) being formed to fit into a hollow end (74) of one of said connectors
(12, 14), with the pin contact ends (70) projecting through the first hole portions
(54, 56) of socket insulators (28, 30) and into an end of a socket module (44).
10. A connector system as claimed in claim 9, characterised in that said socket insert
assembly (26) includes a shell (60) having opposite ends and a middle, said shell
having a first smaller inside diameter extending from a first end of the shell to
the middle and having a second larger inside diameter extending from a second end
of the shell to the middle, said shell forming a shoulder (106) at an intersection
where the shell inside diameter changes; said first socket insulator (28) having a
larger diameter at its inner end than at its outer end, to form a ledge (104) that
rests against said shoulder (106) of said shell (60); and means (94, 112) at the second
end of the shell (60) for removably retaining the second socket insulator (30).
ll. A socket insert assembly (26), characterised by a plurality of elongated socket
modules (44), each having a pair of opposite ends (46, 48) with holes for receiving
pin contacts (62, 64); a first insulator (28) having inner (32) and outer (36) ends
and a plurality of through holes (40), each hole having a wide diameter portion (50)
extending from the inner end of the insulator for receiving a socket module (44),
and each hole having a narrow diameter portion (54) near the outer end which is narrower
than a socket module (44); and a second insulator (30) which fits over the inner end
(32) of the first insulator (28) and which has a plurality of through holes (42) aligned
with the holes (40) in said first insulator (28), said holes (42) in said second insulator
(30) each having a narrowest portion (56) which is narrower than the socket modules
(44).
12. An assembly as claimed in claim 11, characterised in that the wide diameter hole
portions (50, 52) are of a diameter at least 3% greater than the diameter of said
socket modules (44), to permit self alignment of socket module ends (46, 48) with
pin contacts (62, 64).
13. An assembly as claimed in claim 11, characterised in that at least one, but less
than half, of said socket modules (44) requires at least about a 501 greater insertion
force to insert a pin contact (62, 64) into each of its ends than do the other socket
modules, whereby to provide low resistance contact for critical lines but only a moderate
total insertion force for an entire connector.
14. An assembly as claimed in claim 11 in combination with first and second male connectors
(12, 14), characterised in that the male connectors each have a hollow end (14) and
a plurality of pin contacts (62, 64) projecting from the middle (68) of the connector
into the hollow end (74); said first insulator (28) being received in the hollow end
of said first connector (14) and said second insulator (30) received in the hollow
end of said second connector (12), and the pin contacts (62, 64) of each connector
(12, 14) received in a respective end of each socket module (44).