Abstract: A submersible connector having redundant bladders, each filled with a dielectric liquid. An inner bladder contains an electrical contact, and an insertion sleeve of the inner bladder is pinched closed by a spring. An outer bladder is disposed around the inner bladder, and also has an entrance sleeve that is pinched closed independently of the inner bladder. With this arrangement, the redundant bladders are constructed so as to provide independent penetrable seals.

Abstract: A connector plug half includes a telescopic cover sleeve which can be pushed by a connector receptacle half during mating to a receded position to thereby deploy radially outward one or more flexible tubes, each having at the ends thereof an optical contact. The telescoping movement opens a dielectric chamber in which the optical contacts are maintained. The connector receptacle half includes one or more optical receptacle contacts in a peripheral dielectric chamber. An internal cover sleeve is telescoped to a receded position in the connector receptacle during mating to thereby join the two dielectric chambers when the optical connection is made. The dielectric chambers remain free of contamination by fluid external to the connector halves.