Electrical connectors – With guiding means for mating of coupling part
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-22
2001-08-28
Vu, Hien (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With guiding means for mating of coupling part
Reexamination Certificate
active
06280228
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to electrical connectors and is directed more particularly to, in combination, a submarine periscope eye box connector, a mast connector, and a connector guide for facilitating blind interconnections thereof.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Herein a vocabulary convention will be employed which applies the term “male connector” to a first type of mating, multiple connection, electrical connector (e.g., connectors
22
,
FIG. 1
) whose wall
34
(best shown in
FIG. 4
) is inserted in a second-type of connector (e.g., connectors
26
,
FIG. 2
) whose wall
40
(best shown in
FIG. 4
) receives the wall of the first-type connector. The term “female connector” is applied to this second-type connector. Note that this runs contrary to the extant situation at the level of the individual connector elements, where the individual connector elements of the first-type connector are pin receptors
36
(shown in
FIG. 1
) which suggest a female-type structure, and where the individual connector elements of the second-type connector are pins
42
(shown in FIG.
2
).
In the assembly of submarine periscopes, the eye box is connected to the periscope mast such that electrical connectors are joined inside a barrel, out of view of assembly personnel. In
FIG. 1
, there is shown an eye box mating end
20
having male electrical connectors
22
mounted thereon. In
FIG. 2
, there is shown a periscope mast mating end
24
having female electrical connectors
26
thereon. In assembly of a periscope, it is necessary that the connectors
22
,
26
be brought into proper interengagement with each other. Given that perfect alignment is seldom realized, the male connectors
22
are mounted in a manner permitting some movement of the connectors
22
widthwise so as to accommodate to slight misalignments.
As is shown in
FIG. 3
, each of the male electrical connectors
22
comprises a plate
28
mounted on the mating end
20
of the eye box. The plate
28
is provided with slightly oversized holes
30
through which extend headed fasteners
32
. A wall
34
upstands from the plate
28
and surrounds eye box, pin receptor-type, connector elements
36
(FIG.
1
). Similarly, each of the female electrical connectors
26
comprises a plate
38
(
FIG. 3
) mounted on the mating end
24
of the mast. The plate
38
is immovably affixed to the mast mating end
24
. A wall
40
depends from the plate
38
and surrounds mast, pin-type, connector elements
42
(FIG.
2
). The mast connector wall
40
is configured to slidingly receive the eye box connector wall
34
therein. In the event of a slight misalignment, the male connector
22
can move laterally into alignment with the female connector
26
.
At times, the connectors
22
and
26
are not in proper alignment and male connector
22
fails to move into alignment with female connector
26
, resulting in a misconnection or no connection. When this occurs, the remedy is not simply moving the eye box and mast apart and starting again. Because other connections, not pertinent here, have been made, disassembly of the joined eye box and mast is a laborious and time-consuming procedure, in practice calling for shipment of the periscope to a particular facility for disassembly. At times the mis-match of connectors goes unnoticed until a test reveals a problem.
Accordingly, there is a need for a connector guide which will serve to insure alignment of the connectors and, thereby, proper interengagements of the connectors.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is, therefore, to provide, in combination, a periscope eye box connector, mast connector, and guide for facilitating accurate and reliable blind interconnections of the eye box and mast connectors.
With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, a feature of the present invention is the provision of, in combination, a male electrical connector, a female electrical connector, and a connector guide for facilitating blind interconnection of the male and female connectors. The male electrical connector comprises a submarine periscope eye box mating end electrical connector comprising a first plate mounted on the mating end of the eye box and movable in a plane of the eye box mounting end, and a first male wall upstanding from the first plate and surrounding eye box connector elements. The female electrical connector comprises a submarine periscope mast mating end electrical connector, comprising a second plate mounted on the mating end of the mast, and a second wall depending from the second plate and surrounding mast connector elements, the second wall being configured to slidingly receive the first wall therein. The connector guide comprises a wall adapted to slidingly engage outside surfaces of the second wall, an outwardly flared skirt extending from an edge of the guide wall opposed to the eye box mating end, and an inwardly extending lip or collar disposed on inside surfaces of the guide wall, the collar being adapted to abutingly engage an edge of the second wall. The connector guide is slidable onto the second wall until the connector guide collar engages the edge of the second wall, and the first wall is slidable into the connector guide and is guided thereinto by the connector guide skirt, and is guided by the connector guide into the second wall, such that the eye box connector elements engage the mast connector elements.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4905938 (1990-03-01), Braccio et al.
patent: 5697805 (1997-12-01), Orstad et al.
patent: 5921802 (1999-07-01), Reiswig et al.
patent: 88 03715 (1988-05-01), None
Maciejewski Wendell C.
Sayegh Riad
Lall Prithvi C.
McGowan Michael J.
Oglo Michael F.
The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of
Vu Hien
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