Electrical connectors – Coupling part with latching means and tether or explosive to...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-10
2001-02-27
Nguyen, Khiem (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Coupling part with latching means and tether or explosive to...
C439S933000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06193535
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the field of connector assemblies which are designed to connect electronic male or female plug members which in turn are connected to wires for systems such as computer systems, programming instruments and other electronic components which serve to program the computer at a remote location. By way of example only, the computer system to be programmed may be placed inside a rocket or missile and the system doing the programming is located in a ground based facility and the connector and wires are designed to connect the ground based programming facility to the onboard computer prior to liftoff.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, connector assemblies have been known in the art and have been extensively used. However, the vast majority of connector assemblies are not designed to withstand very extreme temperatures and as a result, in the event they are subjected to very extreme temperatures, the extreme high temperatures cause the connector assemblies to melt or otherwise destroy the internal components that are housed within the connector assembly. In the past, an interior portion of the connector assembly known as the deadface have been made out of polymers or fiber reinforced polymers. However, it has been discovered that the fiber reinforced polymers are not able to withstand extreme high temperatures and as a result, if the deadface is exposed, they melt and cause destruction of the male and female connector components as well as the wire leads that are being connected through the connector assembly from the ground based computer system to the onboard computer system. It is therefore desirable to have an improved deadface portion of the connector assembly which is able to substantially withstand exposure to extreme high temperatures if the deadface is exposed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a connector assembly which comprises conventional components that are well known in the connector assembly field but which includes within it an improved ceramic deadface which is located at a front face plate on an interior portion of the connector assembly. If the connector assembly is separated so that the deadface is exposed, then in the event that location with the deadface exposed faces an area of extreme high temperature, the deadface preserves the connector assembly and prevents internal components including plugs and wires from being destroyed or melted. The present invention involves the incorporation of a novel ceramic deadface on the interior portion of the connector assembly which is able to withstand extreme high temperatures.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a connector assembly which can be used at the lower base location of a missile or rocket which is located adjacent to the nozzle where the rocket exhausts are emitted upon takeoff. The connector assembly comprises two parts which are separated upon takeoff wherein a portion of the connector assembly remains affixed to the ground which might be a structure adjacent to a rocket or possibly a missile silo which might have housed the missile, and another portion of the connector assembly which is affixed to the lower portion of the rocket and is adjacent to the exhaust nozzle travels with the rocket or missile. Upon such separation when the rocket is launched from the pad and the connector assembly is separated, an interior portion of the connector assembly is now exposed. The front face plate of that interior portion is known as the deadface. In this application, when the connector assembly is separated and the deadface is exposed, the deadface is located adjacent to the exhausts coming from the rocket nozzle and therefore, subjected to extreme high temperatures in the range of 3,000° to 5,000° Fahrenheit. It is an object of the present invention to have an improved ceramic deadface on the connector assembly which is able to withstand exposure to extreme high temperatures in the range of 3,000° to 5,000° Fahrenheit so that the internal components housed within the connector assembly which travel with the rocket or missile are not damaged by the exposure to extreme high temperatures.
It is also another object of the present invention to provide an improved ceramic deadface on a connector assembly which can be fitted within the ordinary physical size requirements of an ordinary connector assembly used in the connection of electronic male and female plugs and wires from a ground based computer system to an onboard computer system and which can be machined to have a multiplicity of openings extending therethrough so that the plugs and connectors can be fitted through the openings of the improved ceramic deadface while at the same time providing an appropriate shield to protect the components once the rocket or missile is launched and the components are exposed to extreme heat from the rocket exhaust.
Further novel features and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, discussion and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4166664 (1979-09-01), Herrmann, Jr.
patent: 4264115 (1981-04-01), Chow
patent: 5211776 (1993-05-01), Weiman
patent: 5372071 (1994-12-01), Richards et al.
patent: 5542333 (1996-08-01), Hagelgerg et al.
patent: 5585596 (1996-12-01), Richards et al.
Ayers James E.
Hernandez, Jr. David J.
Kisch John D.
Sedighi Shohreh
Chen Tony D.
Duverne J. F.
Fong Jerry
G&H Technology, Inc.
Nguyen Khiem
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