Patent Application
20230261413
The present invention is directed to connectors, and particularly, to connectors for interconnection of submersible electronics to external equipment.
More in particular, the present invention addresses a connector system capable of a direct connection of standardized Commercial Off-The Shelf (COTS)-compatible data communication cables and connectors with submersible electronic equipment/systems and suitable for indefinite submersion, as well as adaptable to full ocean depth.
In overall concept, the present invention contemplates a Dry-Mate Connector System (DMCS) which utilizes mechanical design components that enclose standard COTS connector/cable hardware, to enable a convenient connection/disconnection between sealed pressure vessels containing electronic equipment and external devices for transmission of signals/power therebetween, and which would be suitable for submerged and surface applications including, but not limited to the data/signals communication and power transfer between equipment at atmospheric pressure and electronic equipment in a submersible pressure vessel, different sets of submerged electronic equipment, sets of equipment at different ambient pressures including one set at atmospheric pressure and another at vacuum, external data storage for electronic equipment in a pressurized vessel, data offload from a submersible system, simultaneous power and data transfer for submersible systems, simultaneous power and data transfer between systems at different pressures, for charging of batteries in a pressure vessel, tethering underwater systems to other underwater or surface equipment, real-time underwater system monitoring, attached antennas for sealed underwater housings, plug-and-play sensor, power and communication connection to a submersible pressure vessel, computer networking of underwater systems, underwater camera connection and integration, and other related system.
Contemporary electronic devices which require high-speed data communication in air utilize standardized Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) connectors and cable hardware such as USB-C, micro-USB, mini-USB, USB-A, USB-B, RJ-45 and SMA that meet a variety of data communication standards such as USB 2, USB 3, USB4, USB-C, Thunderbolt, CAT-5, CAT-6, CAT-8 ethernet, Power over ethernet (PoE) and radio frequency (RF) communications.
Conventional underwater connectors/connector systems (which are suitable for the immersion depth beyond 1 meter for a sufficient duration of operation) are typically used to transfer power and/or signals between the submerged communication devices and/or the surface equipment. Such underwater connectors are manufactured by several companies, for example, Subconn and Impulse. The underwater connectors require formation of customized pin-by-pin cable harness for both internal and shore cables. The customization of the equipment is typically associated with engineering and usage challenges encountered.
The conventional underwater connectors/connector systems are limited by their incompatibility with current high-speed data communication protocols and data transfer standards. Most high-speed data protocols use a physical layer with defined transmission line parameters. Deviations from the specified transmission line characteristics or characteristic impedance may lead to signal attenuation, reflection and corruption resulting in signal errors, reduced bandwidth or complete communication failure, depending on the severity of these deviations. An additional shortcoming of the conventional underwater connectors/connector system is that attempting to connect USB, Lightning, ethernet, or other standardized cables to the individual pins of the conventional underwater connectors may be difficult, as well as liable to failure and user errors.
Waterproof IP68 ethernet, USB-A and USB-B connectors and cables are manufactured by several companies, including Bulgin, Ltd. These waterproof connectors and cables are capable of operating on the submersion depth of 10 meters for 2 weeks. They, however, are not suitable for sensor and marine robotics applications requiring either a longer duration of operability or a deeper submersion.
In addition, a Gigabit ethernet wet-mate underwater connector is manufactured by Subconn, which, however, does not include a COTS standard RJ-45 jack for convenient connection to a standard ethernet cable from the submersible side of the bulk-head connector.
Disadvantageously, the conventional water-resistant USB-connectors are bulky and not rated for long term submersion or depth. Transmission joints (glands) simply pass data across but do not allow a disconnect/swapping of devices and therefore fail to solve the fundamental need for user-friendly underwater high-speed data and/or power transmission using Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) standard connections.
Underwater connecting systems for various applications constitute a long-lasting need in data communication. For example, underwater camera systems require high-speed data communication ability to function for long periods and more than 1 m depth of submersion. Additionally, networked computing and sensing is increasingly important to underwater robotics with an associated need for high-speed transfer of information. This includes the requirement for large quantities of data collected underwater to be easily off-loaded on the surface equipment from a computer in a pressure vessel without unsealing the vessel. Furthermore, numerous devices utilize Power over ethernet and USB-C/Thunderbolt connections requiring high power through-put without compromising data transfer. These are also needed for connecting to and/or charging underwater systems. Further, flexible plug-and-play architectures for connecting swappable compatible devices are not currently available for underwater systems.
It would be highly desirable to provide a connector system for submersible electronic equipment/systems that would be capable of a direct connection to standardized Commercial Off-The Shelf (COTS)-compatible data communication cables and connectors suitable for indefinite submersion and adaptable to full ocean depth.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a connector system capable of a direct connection of standardized Commercial Off-The Shelf (COTS)-compatible data communication cables and connectors with submersible electronic equipment/systems.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a connector system for coupling with submersible electronic equipment and suitable for indefinite submersion, as well as adaptable to full ocean depth.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a Dry-Mate Connector System (DMCS) which utilizes mechanical design components that enclose standard COTS connector/cable hardware to enable a convenient removable connection between a sealed pressure vessel and external devices.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide the DMCS which would be compatible with various COTS connector and cable standards including:
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a connector system which would be suitable for submerged and surface applications including, but not limited to, data offload, power transfer/charging, and tethering between electronic equipment in a sealed housing and external equipment.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a connector system suitable for underwater and surface applications including:
Another object of the present DMCS is to include a keying/alignment mechanism such as an insert or inserts, to ensure proper alignment of COTS connectors as the components are mated.
Still another object of the present invention DMCS is to include a locking mechanism to ensure that, once mated, the components of the connector system cannot separate and remain locked, and pressure sealed.
A further object of the present DMCS is to include a dummy plug that allows sealing of a DMCS connector when it is not being used to connect to external equipment.
Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide the underwater connector system utilizing functional dummy plugs which may include one or more of the following elements: a data storage device, an antenna, a camera, a visual display, an acoustic transducer, an environmental sensor, a vacuum port, an actuator, storage media, and/or a hydrophone or a hydrophone array.
Still another object of the subject invention is a method of sealing a DCMS bulkhead connector to a bulkhead or surface, sealing in-line connectors to bulkhead connectors and sealing dummy/function plugs to a bulkhead connector.
A further object of the present invention is to provide the dry mate connector system having the applicability for underwater vessel to underwater vessel and/or underwater vessel to surface vessel cables.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide the dry mate connector system capable of supporting the simultaneous transmission of power and high-speed data communication via existing standards/protocols, such as Power over ethernet (POE), USB-C or Thunderbolt.
The underlining principle of the present invention addresses a so-called “dry mate” connection system (DMCS) solution which obviates the limitations of conventional underwater connectors and access ports for high-speed data communication and transfer. Dry-mate terminology, in the context of the present disclosure, encompasses the cables or connectors which may be connected/disconnected in the air, i.e., when dry, and once mated, the DMCS would be suitable for operation sustained for months or years-long duration and at the depth submersion greater than 10 in.
The subject DMCS preferably includes embodiments that utilize a novel mechanical design with bulkhead and bore O-ring seals, potting compounds, alignment systems, and locking mechanisms. In one of preferred embodiments, the DMCS comprises (a) a bulkhead connector for being sealed externally to (wet side of) a pressure vessel/housing with an internally mounted COTS connector, or cable, that connects internally to the inside (dry side) of the housing, and (b) a compatible in-line connector with internally mounted cable with a COTS connector at its end. The in-line connector has an O-ring seal designed to mate and seal with the wet side of the bulkhead connector such that the mate (coupling) creates a simultaneous connection between the COTS connector at the end of the cable in the in-line connector and the COTS connector at the wet side of the bulkhead connector. This connection provides a COTS compatible underwater high-speed feed-thru to the equipment inside (dry side) of the pressure vessel/housing. The terms vessel, pressure vessel and housing may be used herein interchangeably to refer to an equipment enclosure that is designed to be pressure sealed allowing use with vacuum or submersion in a liquid.
It is envisioned that some embodiments of the subject DMCS would include components to align the COTS connector in the in-line connector with its mate in the bulkhead connector as the in-line connector mates with the bulkhead connector.
The embodiments of the DMCS may also include:
The subject DMCS bulkhead connector permits the following benefits:
In one of preferred embodiments, the subject DMCS bulkhead connector system uses a Female Bulkhead USB-C Connector (FBUC) configuration. The FBUC configuration utilizes an O-ring face seal to the bulkhead of a sealed pressure vessel/housing, a USB-C connector, and a wet side bore with an internal sealing surface.
A plastic insert with internally stabilized and positioned male-to-female USB-C COTS adapter is contemplated in the subject FBUC configuration to facilitate the alignment male USB-C connector in the male in-line connector with the female USB-C connector in the female bulkhead connector during mating of male in-line connector (MILC) with the FBUC.
An alternative preferred embodiment of the subject connector system may utilize a male dummy plug with an external O-ring that seals the dummy plug into the wet side bore of the FBUC configuration when the FBUC configuration is not in use with the MILC The dummy plug may be removed on the surface allowing the COTS connections for charging and data access to the sealed housing.
The DMCS provides the underwater maintenance of the integrity (keeping them dry) of COTS connectors and cables while eliminating the splicing requirement. This design provides the connection of the underwater devices to each other and to the surface equipment similar to the connection of the COTS compatible devices in air, i.e., plug-and-play.
Another preferred embodiment of the subject DMCS supports the connection of data storage (e.g. flash memory cards, SSDs and disk drives), providing additional storage space for underwater vehicles and sensing systems and facilitating data offload. This preferred embodiment of the subject DMCS is based on a dummy plug/cap approach that is adapted to include a storage device insertable into a card slot in a bulkhead connector, for example, connectors or slots for a USB thumb drive, microSD card, SD card, compact flash card or similar small storage device, are contemplated in this embodiment. Upon removal of the dummy plug/cap, access to the storage device would allow the storage device to be removed, or swapped, as needed by a user.
An alternative preferred embodiment of the subject DMCS may have the dummy plug seal disposed over a storage device inserted into a slot or connector in the bulkhead connector wet side. It is also envisioned that guides or marker lines would facilitate alignment of the dummy plug/cap with the bulkhead connector to facilitate insertion of a storage device into the compatible slot in the bulkhead connector.
Other embodiments of the dummy plug (also referred to herein as a function plug) where it has functioning equipment may include a data storage device, an antenna, a camera, a visual display, an acoustic transducer, an environmental sensor, a vacuum port, an actuator, and/or a hydrophone or hydrophone array. Function plugs differ from in-line connectors in that they do not include a COTS compatible cable for connecting a bulkhead connector to external equipment.
These and other objects and advantages of this invention will become more apparent from the detailed description of the invention and the associated drawings provided herein.
Each of the primary pressure vessel 103 and the secondary pressure vessel 102 may be used as an underwater system and/or as an air system, depending on the particular application of the present system. The DMCS is attached to a wall of the pressure vessel at a “wet side” of the pressure vessel, i.e., externally to a wall of the pressure vessel which may be submerged underwater. The DMCS provides a sealed connection between the wet side and a “dry side”, i.e., the interior of the pressure vessel, as will be detailed further herein.
Embodiments of the primary pressure vessel 103 may encompass electrical equipment that typically include power and computing electronics. As an example, but not to limit the scope of the present invention to the particular implementation presented in
The secondary pressure vessel(s) 102 is (are) frequently used in underwater systems for environmental, optical, and acoustic sensors. As an example, the secondary pressure vessel may include an underwater camera that requires a high-speed video link along with power over the cable 106. As an example of the communication means, various versions of ethernet or USB-C can be used in this system to provide both power and data communication.
In another embodiment of the present DMCS 100, the primary pressure vessel 103 may be accommodated with the DMCS 100-3 for being connected by the cable 108 to dry/atmospheric pressure electronic equipment, such as, for example, a laptop computer 105 (or several computers). A standard COTS (Commercial-Off-The-Shelf) connector can be provided on the computer 105 for connection with the cable 108. This communication provides a significant benefit as the DMCS 100 makes it possible to connect a standard dry-environment power supply, computer or a sensor to the still-sealed pressure housing 103 without having to disassemble or open up the pressure housing.
The cable 108 can also be used when the primary pressure vessel 103 is underwater with the cable acting as a tether from surface equipment to underwater equipment. When the primary pressure vessel 103 is on the surface (out of water), it is also envisioned that either of the DCMS 100-1 or 100-2 can be removed and a COTS cable can be directly connected to the DCMS 100 bulkhead connector detailed further herein.
The subject DMCS 100 provides plug-and-play functionality for a wide range of underwater applications. The DMCS is designed to provide both pressure vessel to pressure vessel connection and pressure vessel to atmospheric pressure equipment connection using different COTS cable/connector configurations.
The DMCS 100 is also capable of providing simultaneous data and power transfer which are particularly beneficial for topside data retrieval, programming and charging, as well as for bench testing/debugging of underwater systems.
The DMCS 100 embodiments addressed in the present disclosure, demonstrate possible uses for an underwater connector system to provide waterproof COTS connectivity for extended time periods and full ocean depth.
While some of the drawings described herein show a DMCS with COTS connectors and cables, such as USB-C, RJ-45 or coaxial connectors, other drawings show the DMCS without the connectors, where it is to be assumed that the embodiments addressed herein are applicable to any COTS connector or cable.
COTS connection standards applicable to the embodiments of the subject DMCS 100 include:
A bulkhead 150 is positioned in contact with the wall of the pressure vessel (as best shown in
The O-ring 123 provides a seal between the female bulkhead connector 125 and the bulkhead 150. For the through-hole 157, a nut 121 (which is disposed at the dry side 220) is threaded onto the shaft 113 on the dry side of the bulkhead 150 to retain the female bulkhead connector 125 and compress the face o-ring 123 against the bulkhead 150. For the threaded hole 155, the female bulkhead connector 125 is screwed directly into the hole 155 and tightened to compress the face O-ring 123 against the bulkhead 150.
The female bulkhead connector 125 includes a flat feature 149 and a groove 147 to allow pins (not shown) to guide alignment of the locking collar 135 as it is advanced to its locked configuration preventing separation of the mated in-line connector 130 and female bulkhead connector 125.
The in-line connector 130 mates to the bulkhead connector 125 via a bore seal O-ring 128 that sits in an O-ring groove 131 on the reduced diameter section/plug 132 of the in-line connector 130. In other embodiments, two O-rings may be used. The cable 133 is potted into the in-line connector 130 using epoxy, urethane, or other material to provide a complete sealed system. The potting compound 141 fills the in-line connector 130 around the cable 133 to completely seal the cable 133 and the DCMS 100 from water once the in-line connector 130 is mated with the female bulkhead connector 125.
Once the bore O-ring 128 seal is seated by pushing the in-line connector 130 into the female bulkhead connector 125, a locking collar 135 is advanced longitudinally over the male in-line connector 130 and a portion of the female bulkhead connector 125 is rotated to prevent longitudinal motion of the male in-line connector 130 with respect to the female bulkhead connector 125 to ensure that the bore seal remains sealed.
The in-line connector 130 includes a flat surface 143 on each side of the in-line connector 130. The flat surfaces 143 align with the flat surfaces/flats 149 formed on the bulkhead connector 125. In one of the preferred embodiments of the DMCS, as depicted in
For applications where a cable is not in use, the “dummy plug” 137 seals the female bulkhead connector 125. The dummy plug 137 can be removed when not in water to allow a COTS high-speed data and/or charging cable to connect to surface equipment, such as, for example, the laptop computer 105 of
The bore O-ring design for the dummy plug 137 is similar to the configuration shown for the in-line connector 130, with the O-ring 928 providing a bore seal when the dummy plug 137 is inserted into the bore 181 of the female bulkhead connector 125. As with the in-line connector 130, alternative embodiments of the dummy plug 137 might include two O-rings instead of a single O-ring 928.
The locking collar 139 is contemplated for use with the dummy plug 137. The locking collar is advanced on the dummy plug 137 and rotated to lock the longitudinal motion of the dummy plug 137 with respect to the female bulkhead connector 125 to prevent the inadvertent removal of the dummy plug 137 and to ensure it does not become unseated during underwater use including depth cycling. Additional details of the dummy plug 137 are shown in
The in-line connector 130, dummy plug 137, female bulkhead connector 125, and locking collars 135 and 139 may be manufactured out of metal, but may also be manufactured out of plastic. Key material considerations include strength and rigidity to ensure the O-rings remain sealed. Aluminum is suitable for shallow-water applications, while titanium or stainless steel may be used for deeper applications. Either a non-corroding metal (e.g., stainless steel) or a surface treatment (e.g. powder coating, anodization) may be used to reduce corrosion potential. The material of the connector preferably are matched to the material of the bulkhead to reduce galvanic potential.
The shell of the MILC 160U that is typically metal, has a flat portion 143U, a reduced diameter portion/plug 132U, O-ring groove 131U with O-ring 128U, and tapered leading edge 187U.
Further herein, the terminology “distal” will refer to the direction towards the dry side away from the wet side, the terminology “proximal” will refer to the direction towards the wet side away from the dry side. The terminology “taper” may refer to a filet or a chamfer.
The bore 177U serves as a “potting cup” to hold the potting material 141U around the COTS electrical cable 133U with sufficient diameter to ensure that the potting material 141U fully adheres to the cable 133U. For example, in some embodiments, a sufficient diameter is contemplated to be a minimum of 1.5× the cable diameter up to maximum diameter allowed within other design constraints.
The MILC potting cup 177U includes a taper 173U for improved adhesion of the potting material 141U to the shell 160U. The potting cup 177U is included in the design of the in-line connector 130U to provide sufficient epoxy coverage and structural integrity of the pot. A vacuum may be used in the potting process to ensure no gas bubbles are present in the final product. The interior of the MILC 130U shell 160U also includes a reduced diameter bore 171U which is larger than the diameter of the electrical connector 115U.
The O-ring 128U in the O-ring groove 131U of the plug 132U is selected to ensure a reasonable radius difference between the inner bore 171U and the groove 131U. The O-ring groove 131U is positioned distally on the bore plug surface 132U to provide a “sweep” of any water between the MILC and FBUC prior to un-mating of the MILC 130U with the FBUC 125U.
In some embodiments, a space between the COTS cable 133U and the bore 171U would contain a keyed (or alignment) insert, which in some embodiments is designed to facilitate alignment of the MILC 130U with the FBUC 125U so that the male USB-C connector 115U is aligned to guide its insertion into the male-female USB-C adapter 110U.
The plug 132U with bore O-ring 128U is designed to mate and seal into the bore 181U of the FBUC 125U. In the preferred embodiment shown in
The shell 165U of the FBUC 125U Includes a flat surface 149U, a threaded section 113U with a bore 117U, a bore 181U with bottom 191U and an O-ring groove 183U into which the O-ring 123U is placed.
In an embodiment shown in
The housing bulkhead 150 separates the wet side 200U from the dry side 220U of the DCMS 100U where the face seal O-ring 123U in the O-ring groove 183U of the FBUC 125U seals against the wet side surface 188U of the bulkhead 150 when the nut 121U is tightened over the threaded section 113U. It is also contemplated that some embodiments of the present invention would include marker lines on the outside of the FBUC 125U and MILC 130U which may be placed to guide alignment during the mating process.
In some embodiments, the space between the COTS connector and stepped-down bore 117U may contain a keyed and/or plastic insert, epoxy, tape, or other fill. For USB-C in particular, the male-female adapter 110U may be potted into the bore 117U or sealed into an insert that itself is potted or sealed into the bore 117U to provide water resistance of the FBUC 125U IP68 when unmated.
The length of the threaded section 113U should provide that the distal (female) edge of the male-female adapter 110U is flush to, or slightly extending past, the distal edge 197U of the bulkhead connector shell 165U to ensure clearance for mating of the dry side USB-C cable 193U with male USB-C connector 120U. To connect to dry-side electronics, the male end 120U of a USB-C cable 193U is connected into male-female adapter 110U. For example, a dimension for the threaded shaft 113U for the USB-C connector would be M14 or M15 thread for metric measurements, or a 11/16-18 thread for a standard size. The cable 193U extends into the dry side 220U and would connect to equipment therein.
Mating of the MILC 130U with the FBUC 125U sealed to the bulkhead 150 is carried out through the following steps:
1. MILC 130U is distally advanced with the flat portion 143U aligned with the flat portion 149U of the FBUC 125U. This will align the male USB-C connector 115U with the male-female USB-C adapter 110U inside of the FBUC 125U. The MILC 130U is advanced until the small diameter section/plug 132U lies within the bore 181U of the FBUC 125U.
2. Subsequently, the MILC 130U is advanced until the USB-C connector 115U engages the female USB-C adapter 110U of the FBUC 125U.
3. Mating process is completed when the in-line connector 130U is advanced to fully insert its male USB-C connector 115U into the female adapter 110U of the FBUC 125U with the O-ring 128U of the MILC 130U forming a bore seal with the inside surface of the bore 181U of the FBUC 125U.
For those DMCS embodiments adapted for shallow water (up to 100 in depth), an example diameter of 171U is 0.5 inches, for a clearance of 0.05 inches to the diameter of the bore O-ring groove 131U.
For a bore seal there is no difference between the design for internal versus external pressure, so this part is the same for vacuum and water depth applications. An example of an O-ring 128U for this application may be an 015 O-ring referred to in the Parker O-ring handbook, with the bore 181U on the FBUC 125U of 0.687 inches and the in-line connector 130U having a plug diameter 132U of 0.685 inches, an O-ring groove 131U with a diameter of 0.587 inches and a width of 0.095 inches.
The bore 181U sealing surface should match the specification for a male bore seal referred to in the Parker O-ring handbook, with a finish with a roughness average (RA) of less than 12 micro-inches to ensure a good seal. To achieve this finish using a standard drill is not guaranteed, so a finishing process, such as, for example, the lathe cutting, milling, and/or reaming, may be recommended.
Examples of dimensions that result in minimum thicknesses to improve performance include the dimensions T1, T2, T3, and T4, shown in
The use of the tapered portions 187U and 185U of the MILC and FBUC respectively will facilitate easier insertion of the MILC plug 132U into the bore 181U of the FBUC 125U. For example, a fillet radius of 1/16 inch or chamfer of 1/16 inch is sufficient on features 185U and 187U to ensure effective mating. A fillet radius or chamfer of ⅛″ is recommended for feature 173U.
The inner diameter of the bulkhead connector 117U is dictated by the maximum diameter of the COTS USB-C male-female adapter; for the presented test case, a diameter of 0.55 inches would be preferred.
In the present specification, the term “external pressure” indicates that the pressure on the wet side 200U is higher than the pressure on the dry side 220U, as would be the case in most underwater applications. The term “internal pressure” indicates the pressure on the wet side 200U is lower than the pressure on the dry side 220U, as would be the case in a vacuum.
In embodiments of the FBUC 125U, the face O-ring 123U would, for example, be a number 115 found in the Parker O-ring Handbook. The inner diameter of the face O-ring groove 183U should match the average inner diameter of the O-ring, 0.674 inches to provide best performance versus external pressure in water. The outer diameter of the O-ring groove 183U should be the inner diameter plus the O-ring cross-section W, for the 115 O-ring W=0.103. The depth of the O-ring groove 183U should be the indicated as a gland depth in the parker O-ring handbook, or 0.082 inches for a 115 O-ring.
The face containing the O-ring groove 183U must be finished smooth to less than 12 microinches to ensure a good seal. The O-ring groove itself should have edges broken to an approximate radius of 0.005 inches. The ideal taper of the face O-ring groove 183U is 0 to 5 degrees. To achieve best practice in face O-ring groove cutting, a customized trepanning bit with appropriate curvature and width should be used. An example of the outside diameter of a DMCS 100U may be about 1 inch.
For an internal pressure scenario, the outer diameter of the face O-ring groove 183U should match the average outer diameter of the O-ring, 0.880 inches for the 115 O-ring used for the USC-C connector. The remaining specifications and roughness requirements are the same as for the external pressure case.
The female bulkhead connector 125E includes a shell 165E having a bore 181E, a distal surface 191E, flat surface 149E, and a threaded section 113E. The O-ring 123E is disposed in the O-ring groove 183E and is sealed against the bulkhead 150 of a pressure vessel when the nut 121E is tightened to compress the O-ring 123E against the wet side 200E surface of the bulkhead 150. A female-female RJ-45 adapter 110E is inserted in the bore 117E inside of the threaded section 113E of the female bulkhead connector 125E.
The in-line connector 130E includes a COTS ethernet cable 133E (e.g., CAT5, CAT6, or CAT8) with an RJ-45 connector 115E with the locking tab removed. The cable 133E is potted into the potting cup/bore 177E and reduced diameter bore 179E in the in-line connector 130E using potting material 141E.
A strain relief (not shown) may be added to further stabilize the ethernet cable 133E during and after the potting process. The male RJ-45 connector 115E is offset such that it protrudes beyond the tapered (i.e. filleted or chamfered) edge 187E of the in-line connector 130E. The proximal edge of a female-female RJ-45 adapter 110E is aligned such that it is flush with the distal end of the bulkhead connector bore 191E.
The bulkhead 150 separates the wet side 200E and the dry side 220E. On the dry side 220E, an ethernet cable 193E with male RJ-45 connector 120E may be used to connect to electronics on the dry side 220E, e.g., computers or sensors. In some embodiments, the outside diameter of the female bulkhead connector may be 1-2 inches.
The shell 160E of the in-line connector 130E may be fabricated from a metal. In some embodiments, the shell 160E may include flats 143E as shown in
The bore 177E serves as a “potting cup” to hold potting material around the ethernet cable 133E with a sufficient diameter to ensure a fully sealed pot (for example 1.5×the cable diameter), a taper 173E (e.g., a filet or chamfer) at the bottom of the potting cup may be included to improve adhesion of the potting material around the cable 133E. In some embodiments, a space between the cable 133E and stepped-down bore/hole 179E would contain a keyed or stabilizing plastic insert, epoxy, tape, or other fill.
A tapered (e.g. fileted or chamfered) edge 185E in the female bulkhead connector 125E is provided to improve the insertion of the in-line connector 130E plug 132E into the bore 181E of the female bulkhead connector 125E during mating.
The shell 165E of the female bulkhead connector 125E is typically made of metal or hard plastic. In some embodiments, space between the ethernet female-female RJ-45 adapter 110E and the stepped-down bore 117E may contain a keyed and/or stabilizing plastic insert, epoxy, tape, or another filling material. A dimension for the threaded shaft 113E may be a M20 thread in metric system, or a ⅞-14 thread for a standard size.
The mating of the in-line connector 130E with the female bulkhead connector 125E is carried out through the following steps:
The wet side 200E of the DCMS 100E is fully sealed from the dry side 220E when the in-line connector 130E is fully mated with the female bulkhead connector 125E that is sealed to the bulkhead 150 via O-ring 123E. In this state, the plug 132E is sealed into the bore 181E with O-ring 128E, and the cable 133E is potted into the bore 177A of the in-line connector 130E with epoxy or another potting compound 141E.
Other aspects of the DMCS 100E may utilize features shown in
In some embodiments, the groove 131E is positioned distally on the plug 132E such that the O-ring 128E “sweeps” out any water between in-line connector and bulkhead connector during disassembling.
The in-line connector 130A includes a COTS coaxial cable 133A with a female coaxial cable slip-on connector 115A. The cable 133A is potted into the potting cup/bore 177A and reduced diameter bore 179A in the in-line connector 130A using potting material 141A. A strain relief (not shown) may be added to further stabilize the coaxial cable 133A during and after the potting process. The female coaxial cable connector 115A potted material 141A with the distal end aligned with the distal end of the shell 150A having a tapered (i.e. filleted or chamfered) edge 187A.
The proximal edge of a male-male coaxial cable adapter 110A is aligned such that it is flush with the distal end of the bulkhead connector bore 191A. The bulkhead 150 separates the wet side 200A and the dry side 220A. On the dry side 220A, a coaxial cable 193A with female coaxial slip-on or screw-on connector 120A may be used to connect to electronics on the dry side 220A, e.g., data acquisition systems or sensors. In some embodiments, the outside diameter of the DMCS 100A may be between 0.5 and 1 inch.
The shell 160A of the in-line connector 130A may be fabricated from a metal. In some embodiments, the shell 160A has flattened portions 143A similar to the embodiment shown in
The bore 177A serves as a “potting cup” to hold potting material around the coaxial cable 133A with sufficient diameter to ensure a fully sealed pot (for example 1.5×the cable diameter). A taper 173A (e.g., a filet or chamfer) at the bottom of the potting cup 177A may be included to improve adhesion of potting material around the cable 133A. In some embodiments, the space between the cable 133A and the stepped-down bore/hole 179A would contain a keyed or stabilizing plastic insert, epoxy, tape, or other filling material.
A tapered (e.g., fileted or chamfered) edge 185A in the female bulkhead connector 125A is designed to improve guidance of the in-line connector 130A plug 132A into the bore 181A of the female bulkhead connector 125E.
The shell 165A of the female bulkhead connector 125A may be fabricated from a metal or a hard plastic. In some embodiments, the space between the male-male coaxial cable adapter 110A and the stepped-down bore 117A would contain a keyed and/or stabilizing plastic insert, epoxy, tape, or other fill 142A. A typical dimension for the threaded shaft 113A would be a M12 thread if metric system, or a 7/16-20 thread for a standard size.
The mating of the in-line connector 130A with the female bulkhead connector 125A (sealed to the bulkhead 150) is carried out through the following steps:
The wet side 200A is fully sealed from the dry side 220A when the in-line connector 130A is fully mated to the female bulkhead connector 125A, that is sealed to the bulkhead 150 via O-ring 123A as the plug 132A is sealed into the bore 181A with O-ring 128A, and the cable 133A is potted into the bore 177A of the in-line connector 130A with epoxy or other potting compound 141A.
Other aspects of the DMCS 100A may utilize features shown in
In some embodiments, the O-ring groove 131A is positioned distally on the plug 132A such that O-ring 128A “sweeps” out any water between in-line connector and bulkhead connector during disassembling.
The shell 165 also has a flat portion 149 used for alignment with a locking collar such as the locking collar 135 of
Another important feature of the female bulkhead connector 125 is the taper 185 that facilitates smooth O-ring compression for the in-line connector 130 or dummy plug 137 of
To create an effective bore seal, the thickness T6 of the bulkhead 150 must be at least twice the width W5 of the O-ring groove 583. The O-ring groove 583 is positioned on the bulkhead connector plug/shaft 550 such that the O-ring 523 is fully compressed within the bulkhead hole 157.
The nut 121 screwed onto thread 509 is not a required feature for O-ring compression, but is a preferred method of ensuring the connector remains in place within the bulkhead 150. In an alternative embodiment, no nut is used, but a vacuum is utilized to hold the pressure vessel closed.
A tapered portion 585 of the shell 565 facilitates an easier insertion of a couplable connector such as the in-line connector 130 of
The interior surface of the hole 157 is the bore sealing surface that matches the specification for a male bore seal found in the Parker O-ring handbook, with a finish having a roughness average (RA) of less than 12 microinches to ensure a sufficient seal. To achieve this finish, a finishing process such as lathe cutting/boring, milling, and/or reaming is preferred. The wall thickness T5 behind the bore O-ring groove 505, is the minimum dimension that will dictate the O-ring 523 and the thread size based on the desired maximum water depth.
The shell 660 of the female in-line connector 630 may be fabricated from a metal or a rigid plastic. The shell 660 has a bore/potting cup 601 of sufficient diameter to ensure pot coverage and that can contain bottom taper. The shell 660 also includes a bore 603 with the bore surface 605, taper (filet or chamfer) 607, a proximal bore surface 609, and an optional electrical connector mating taper (chamfer or fillet) 611. Specifications and dimensions for the bore surface 605 are similar to that of the surface of the bore 181 of female bulkhead connector 125 of
Preferred dimensions for the face seal features of the male bulkhead connector 625 are identical for to those used for the female bulkhead connector 125 of
The O-ring 128U is inserted in the O-ring groove 131U located near the distal end of the reduced diameter portion/plug 132U of the shell 160U. The plug 132U has a tapered distal end 187U to facilitate insertion into the bore 681U of the female in-line connector 630U. The female in-line connector 640U is configured with a taper 621U, shell 630U, USB-C cable 633U and a potting cup/bore 601U potted with potting material 641U.
The mating of the male in-line connector 130U and the female in-line connector 640U involves aligning the male USB-C connector 115U with the female USB-C connector 626U as the plug 132U is inserted into the bore 681U that, due to the tapers 187U and 621U, will gradually compress the O-ring 128U as the two connectors are brought together. Full mating occurs when the plug 132U is maximally advanced where the male USB-C connector 115U is connected into the female USB-C connector 626U, and the O-ring 128U forms a waterproof bore seal against the outside of the bore 681U. It is contemplated that some embodiments of the present connector system would include features to promote proper alignment of the USB-C connectors 115U and 626U as shown in
Alternative locking configurations are envisioned herein that may include the use of internal threads, latch strap, pins, screw or vacuum for preventing the mated connectors from relative longitudinal motion once mated.
Various embodiments of dummy cap and plug assemblies may include a single or two piece locking collar and plug to provide a secured seal to a bulkhead or in-line connector. In cases where the dry-side pressure is less than the wet-side pressure, a user may prefer to forgo the locking collar as the pressure differential will retain the dummy cap or plug. Male dummy plugs are used to seal to a female bulkhead or male in-line connector while female dummy caps are used to seal to a male bulkhead or male in-line connector.
The bore surface 952 has the distal O-ring groove 958 with the O-ring 959 and tapered feature 956. It is also envisioned that one, or more, guidelines can be added to the dummy plug 957 to assist in guiding the locking collar 139 over the dummy plug 957.
The female bulkhead connector 125 is similar to that shown in
The male dummy plug 137 has a bore 917, the reduced diameter portion/plug 932 with the distal O-ring 928 in the O-ring groove 931, a proximal cylinder 914, a groove 913 to improve grip for removal and a distal taper (filet or chamfer) 916. The distal taper 916 ensures smooth mating with the female bulkhead connector 125 as the plug 932 is inserted into the bore 181 of the female bulkhead connector 125.
The male bulkhead connector 625 has a taper 685, bore 647 and a threaded section 613 that can be screwed into the threaded hole 155 in the bulkhead 150 and tightened to compress the O-ring 623 in the O-ring groove 683 to form a face seal to the wet side 230 of the bulkhead 150. The male bulkhead connector 625 has a reduced diameter section/plug 632 having a bore seal O-ring 628 in an O-ring groove 631 designed to form a bore seal against the outside of the bore 903 in the dummy cap 637 when the dummy cap 637 and male bulkhead connector 625 are mated.
Also shown is an embodiment of a MILC 130U aligned for mating with the female dummy plug 937U. A COTS USB-C cable 133U is potted with a potting material 141U such as epoxy or urethane into the potting cup/bore 177U of the MILC 130U. The male USB-C connector 115U of the cable 133U is offset such that it protrudes beyond the tapered (filleted or chamfered) edge 187U of the MILC 130U. The shell of the MILC 160U may be fabricated from a metal. External features of the shell 160U include a reduced diameter/plug 132U and an O-ring 128U in O-ring groove 131U.
The bore O-ring 128U in the MILC 130U mates to the inner bore 993 of the female dummy cap 937U with the connector 115U designed to fit in the hole 996 when the dummy cap 937U is mated over the in-line connector 130U.
In some preferred embodiments, the tapered features 187U and 997 improve guidance of the dummy cap 937U into the MILC 130U, ensuring gradual compression of the O-ring 128U.
Prior to potting, a plastic strain-relief collar 1013U can be attached to the cable. This feature provides positioning and strain relief for the cable 1033U and helps prevent separation of the pot from the cable. Prior to potting, the in-line connector and cable must be prepared according to the manufacturer instructions of the potting compound (e.g. epoxy or urethane). With cable strain relief 1013U, structural adhesives (e.g. 3M DP604NS, 3M DP460) are viable options. Without a strain relief collar, softer urethanes or epoxies (e.g., 3M scotch cast 2131, DP420) may be used to improve performance and to lower the likelihood of separation between the cable 1033U and the pot 1041U.
Potting material 1141U secures the cable 1133U with the USB-C connector 1115U, and fully seals the connector 1115U from the main bore 1177U that is filled with oil 1125U. The potting material is filled slightly above the distal bore surface 1119U of the main bore 1177U, such that most of the main bore 1177U may be filled with oil. A scalloped plastic strain relief 1111U is fitted around the cable 1133U to support, seal and center a plastic tube 1105U to the cable. The collar 1111U includes an oil channel 1157U that allows the oil 1125U to flow from the main bore 1177U to into the plastic tube 1105U. A plastic sealing collar 1165U seals the plastic tube 1105U to the shell 1160U.
To provide suitability for deep water, the in-line connector 1130U forms one end of an oil-filled underwater cable with the oil 1125U filling the main bore 1177U and the lumen 1150U of the plastic tube 1105U. A threaded oil port 1107U into the shell 1160U of the USB-C in-line connector deep water shell 1160U is used for insertion of the oil 1125U. The plug is sealed in by a sealing screw 1109U which typically has an O-ring 1155U or gasket. The shell 1160U is otherwise similar to 160U shown for typical application in
To fill the cable 1150U with oil 1125U of
The use of an oil filled structure/tube to improve deep water performance of cables is often applied in current marine engineering. It is applied here to allow the present invention dry mate connector system to function up to full ocean depth of 6000 m.
The female USB-C bulkhead connector 1225U has a shell 1265U with taper 1285U and bore 1281U.
In some embodiments, the distal female USB-C connector 1212U can be used to connect to a USB-C adapter or cable (not shown) inside (the dry side) of a pressurized vessel/housing to provide power and/or data communication between equipment in the vessel and external equipment. The shell 1265U of the female bulkhead connector 1225U also includes the bore 1281U, taper 1285U, locking slot 1247U, threaded section 1213U and an O-ring 1223U in an O-ring groove 1283U.
In some embodiments, the distal female or male USB-C connector 1212U can be used to connect to a USB-C adapter or cable (not shown) inside (the dry side) of a pressurized vessel/housing to provide power and/or data communication between equipment in the vessel and external equipment. The shell 1265U of the female bulkhead connector 1225U also includes the bore 1281U, taper 1285U, locking slot 1247U (not shown), threaded section 1213U, flat section 1243U, and an O-ring 1223U in an O-ring groove 1283U.
The insert 1205U shown in
The plastic insert 1205U may be shaped in various configurations depending on application and internal electrical connector. The use of an insert means a single DMCS female bulkhead connector form can be adapted to multiple internal electrical connector types.
The advantage of the preferred embodiment DMCS 1300U is that any misalignment in rotation or in centering of the USB-C connector 115U results either in complete mating failure as shown in
It is also contemplated that in some embodiments, such as the DMCS 1300U, printed or inscribed markers (such as a line) may be placed on the exterior of the male in-line connector 130U and female bulkhead connector 1225U to assist the user in properly aligning the connectors. In other embodiments, flat areas on the sides of DMCS connectors, such as the areas 143 on the in-line connector 130 and 149 of the female bulkhead connector 125 of the DMCS 100 of
The shells 1465M of the female bulkhead connector 1425M and 1460M of the male in-line connector 1430M are similar to the connector shells shown in
In
It is also envisioned that embodiments of the present DMCS would include guidelines marked on the outside of the male in-line connector 1430M and female bulkhead connector 1425M or flat portions, as shown in
Keying using inserts for alignment of asymmetric COTS connectors (e.g. micro-USB, ethernet) is contemplated in the present system to avoid damaging the COTS connectors during mating as any significant misalignment in rotation or in centering of the USB-C electrical connector may result either in complete mating failure (i.e. the connector will not connect) or, if the misalignment is slight, the inserts will facilitate alignment. For USB-C connectors, this method may be applied to provide backwards compatibility.
The dummy plug 1505A includes an antenna 1501A with a slip-on female SMB connector 1515A. The antenna is potted with potting material 1541A (e.g. urethane or epoxy) into the bore/potting cup 1517A of the dummy plug 1505A. The dummy plug 1505A is shown mated via a bore seal O-ring 1531A in O-ring groove 1528A to bulkhead connector 125A containing a male-male coaxial adapter 110A. The dry-side coaxial cable 120A may be connected inside a pressure housing on the dry side of the bulkhead 150 to a GPS unit, cell modem or other device that requires an antenna 1501A.
It is also contemplated herein that a functional dummy plug with an alignment guide could house the microSD card that is inserted with the dummy plug mating into the card slot 1553S. Embodiments are envisioned of the DMCS 100S that include other forms of storage, including:
The DMCS 100S is valuable in underwater sensing applications to aid in data offload specially in the case of very large amounts of data.
The dummy plug 137V with a bore 1571V includes a bore O-ring 128V and is shown being mated to the bulkhead connector 125V with a bore 171V. It is envisioned that the dummy plug 137U can also be used with other embodiments of the female bulkhead connectors shown herein where application of positive pressure of vacuum is required. Not shown, but envisioned, is an adapter that can replace the screw 1521V having a valve for access to the pressure vessel and sealing before underwater use.
While embodiments of the present invention have been shown with and without an internal COTS cable and/or connector, it is envisioned that any of the features described for embodiments with COTS connectors are applicable to those embodiments without an internal COTS cable or connector. In addition, features shown for a particular COTS cable and/or connector system, e.g., USB-C are applicable to the current COTS standards described herein as well as new standards when and if they occur.
While embodiments shown typically have female COTS connectors associated with female bulkhead connectors and male COTS connectors associated with male in-line connectors, it is also envisioned that embodiments of the present invention may have male COTS connectors associated with female bulkhead connectors and female COTS connectors associated with male in-line connectors as well as female or male COTS connectors associated with male bulkhead connectors and female or male COTS connectors associated with female in-line connectors. In addition, while the embodiments addressed herein are presented as utilizing a single bore seal O-ring, it is also contemplated that two or more O-rings may be applied to the inner sealing surface of the DMCS.
It is also envisioned that locking collars such as shown in
While different diameter DCMS bulkhead connector embodiments have been shown here, it is also envisioned that these could be limited to a single or a small number of different diameters that would allow for standardization of the hole sizes in the bulkheads of pressure vessels/housing for a wide range of applications. For example, in a single pressure vessel, on one mission, the DCMS USB-C system 100U shown in
The term COTS cable is referred to herein as an electrical cable with at least one COTS connector. A COTS adapter means an electrical adapter that can connect one COTS connector to another including male-male, female-female and male-female where the COTS connector type need not be the same at each end.
Various other modifications, adaptations, and alternative designs are also contemplated in light of the above teachings. Therefore, it should be understood at this time that, within the scope of the appended claims, the present invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.
This Utility patent application is based on the provisional Patent Application No. 63/310,927 filed on 16 Feb. 2022.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63310927 | Feb 2022 | US |
