Abstract: An end seal assembly is mounted in a conduit or feedthrough body with a through bore of stepped diameter between its ends into which a fiber or wire-carrying metal cable extends. An inner end of the cable is stopped against a shoulder in the through bore, with at least one fiber or wire extending from the cable end out through the second end of the seal body. An end seal is seated at the outlet end of the seal body and has a through bore through which the or each fiber extends. The through bore is filled with epoxy material. The end seal is of a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion approximately equal to that of the epoxy material.

Abstract: A bulkhead feedthrough assembly has a first end for releasable mating engagement with an underwater cable, a second end for releasable mating engagement in a bulkhead opening, and a through bore for guiding a plurality of leads from the cable through the bulkhead opening. A seal member is releasably mounted in the bore, and has a plurality of through bores equal to the number of leads, each lead extending through a respective bore. The seal member in an unstressed condition has an outer diameter greater than the feedthrough bore diameter, and each of the seal member through bores has an unstressed diameter less than the diameter of the respective lead, so as to resist leakage of seawater past the seal member.

Abstract: An underwater electro-optical connector assembly has a plug unit containing at least one contact element in a bore within the plug body and a receptacle unit containing at least one contact element in a bore aligned with the plug bore when the two parts are mated together. Each of the bores terminates in an enlarged, recessed seat at the front or mating face of the respective unit, and a seal member is movably mounted in each seat. Each seal member has a through bore aligned with the respective bores in the two units when in an open position, and offset from the contact element bores in a closed position so as to seal the bores until the parts are connected. Portions of each seal member project outwardly from the front face to make a good seal when the two front faces are pushed together.

Abstract: An underwater connector assembly includes releasably mateable plug and socket units, each unit having at least one bore for receiving an optical or electrical lead connected to a terminal at a forward end of the bore, the terminals being mated when the units are connected together. A shaft extends from one terminal through the bore to form an annular chamber between the shaft and bore. An annular seal of resilient material is mounted in the annular chamber between the shaft and bore. The seal has an inner diameter less than the outer diameter of the shaft and an outer diameter greater than the bore diameter, and engages over a smooth, continuous outer cylindrical surface of the shaft, allowing the shaft to slide relative to the seal on mating of the plug and receptacle units while maintaining sealing engagement between the seal and shaft.

Abstract: An adapter, mateable between two electrical connectors, has a shell with an internal chamber, and electrically-conductive socket assemblies extending through the chamber. The chamber has a vent to the external environment. A piston in the end of each of the socket assemblies is moveable between an extended position and a depressed position. Each socket assembly has one or more socket assembly vents. A flexible bladder within the chamber, filled with dielectric fluid, encases a portion of each socket assembly in which the socket assembly vents are located. The chamber vent allows communication of fluid between the chamber and the external environment. One end of each socket assembly has a contact that is engageable with a respective contact of the first electrical connector, and the other end of each socket assembly has a contact that is engageable with a respective contact of the second connector.

Abstract: An underwater electrical or optical connector assembly has a plug unit containing at least one contact element in a bore within the plug body and a receptacle unit containing at least one contact element in a bore aligned with the plug bore when the two parts are mated together. Each of the bores terminates in an enlarged, recessed seat at the front or mating face of the respective unit, and a seal member is movably mounted in each seat. Each seal member has a through bore aligned with the respective bores in the two units when in an open position, and offset from the contact element bores in a closed position so as to seal the bores until the parts are connected. Portions of each seal member project outwardly from the front face to make a good seal when the two front faces are pushed together.

Abstract: A connector sealing mechanism for, and a method for mating a plug unit and receptacle unit of, an electrical, fiber-optic, or hybrid electro-optical connector unit. The connector unit and connector sealing mechanism are adapted for use in underwater and harsh environments, such as high pressure environments. The connector sealing mechanism is used to open and close a passage through the connector unit, the sealing mechanism having an open position and a closed position. The sealing mechanism includes a moveable gate body that is moveable in a lateral, as opposed to axial, direction within the connector unit. The gate body has a bore hole that is substantially aligned with the passage in the connector unit when in the open position. The sealing mechanism also has a gate key for moving the gate body laterally within the connector unit from the open position to the closed position.

Abstract: An underwater optical or electrical connector has a plug unit containing at least one contact probe and a receptacle unit containing at least one contact member. Each unit has an end wall having an opening aligned with the respective contact probe or member, and the units are adapted to be coupled together with the end wall openings in alignment and the probe projecting through the aligned openings into contact with the contact member. A seal member is rotatably mounted behind each end wall and the end wall and seal members are relatively rotatable between sealed positions in which each end wall opening is sealed and open position in which a port in each seal member is aligned with the respective end wall opening. A biasing device in each unit pushes an overlying portion of each seal member through the end wall opening to seal the opening in the closed position.

Abstract: A connector sealing mechanism for, and a method for mating a plug unit and receptacle unit of, an electrical, fiber-optic, or hybrid electro-optical connector unit. The connector unit and connector sealing mechanism are adapted for use in underwater and harsh environments, such as high pressure environments. The connector sealing mechanism is used to open and close a passage through the connector unit, the sealing mechanism having an open position and a closed position. The sealing mechanism includes a moveable gate body that is moveable in a lateral, as opposed to axial, direction within the connector unit. The gate body has a bore hole that is substantially aligned with the passage in the connector unit when in the open position. The sealing mechanism also has a gate key for moving the gate body laterally within the connector unit from the open position to the closed position.

Abstract: A submersible connector for use in an underwater environment. The submersible connector has a receptacle and a plug, which are mated together. The receptacle has a shell, an inside chamber, a circuit contact, an outside chamber, and a stopper. The chambers both contain dielectric fluid. When demated, the stopper is disposed in the inside and outside chambers, and those chambers are open to one another, permitting free flow of dielectric fluid therebetween. The plug has a conductive plug probe. As the plug probe is inserted into the receptacle, it first enters the outside chamber. The outside chamber has an end-seal and is closed-off from the outside environment by the stopper in contact with the end-seal, when demated, and by the plug probe in contact with the end-seal, when mated. The plug probe is inserted farther into the outside chamber, it forces dielectric fluid into the inside chamber, which has a flexible bladder that expands with increases in volume in the inside chamber.

Abstract: An underwater electrical connector of the plug and receptacle type intended for use in environments characterized in having high or variable pressures, including a fluid-filled bladder that contains the receptacle and has a single port or a plurality of ports for receiving electrical probes. The chamber has a movable dielectric stopper and the ports comprise a seal having radially constricting force that forms a pressure-tight seal on the stopper. The probe is inserted into the seal, pushing the stopper to a retracted position with the seal forming a pressure-tight seal on the probe. The chamber has a plurality of innerconnecting dielectric bath chambers with a wiping seal positioned therebetween, for bathing and wiping the stopper and the probe as the probe moves against the stopper to the electrical contact position. This also provides a single chamber with two wipers.

Abstract: An electrical connector has a female portion with tubular socket assemblies extending into it that are coated with a thin dielectric film over their surfaces with the exception of their internal electrical contact bands. The socket assemblies and the interior of the female portion are immersed in a dielectric fluid, the pressure which is equalized to that of the surrounding environment. Spring-biased pistons are located within openings in resilient seals at the open ends of the socket assemblies to seal the interior of the socket assemblies against the environment. When the portions are mated, pins on the male portion are wiped by the resilient seals and depress the pistons past the contact bands as they enter the socket assemblies. The pins are also coated with the dielectric film with the exception of thier conductive tips, which contact the contact bands. The thin dielectric coating allows the connector to be reduced in size.

Abstract: An underwater electrical connector of the plug and socket type intended for use in underwater environments, including a dielectric fluid-filled bladder having a sealed port with a movable dielectric stopper that moves from the first position of sealing the port to a second position of exposing electrical sockets to a probe having multiple electrical contacts. The probe is moved through the port and against the stopper, pushing the stopper to a retracted position where the electrical contacts electrically mate with the sockets. A plurality of wipers are positioned in the bladder with at least one between each of the electrical sockets, which wipers seal against the outer surface of the probe forming separate sealed, wiper chambers enclosing the electrical connection between each of the contacts and sockets. The outer diameter of the stopper is smaller than the inner diameter of the wipers, providing dielectric fluid communication passage between the several chambers.

Abstract: A submersible connector of the plug and receptacle type intended for use in environments characterized in having high or variable pressures includes a fluid-filled bladder into which open a plurality of ports for receiving a plurality of electrical probes. The internal environment of the bladder protects electrical contacts with which the probes mate to form electrical circuits. The integrity of the bladder environment is maintained by use of an end seal providing a radial constricting force on each of the ports, which acts to form a pressure-tight seal on a probe inserted into the port to complete an electrical connection. The integrity of the internal bladder environment is maintained when the probe is withdrawn by means of a plurality of socket assemblies, internal to the bladder, each associated with a respective one of the ports and including a movable stopper which initially protrudes through the socket assembly into the port.

Abstract: A low-loss, underwater-mateable optical fiber connector is provided which permits connection between a pair of optical fibers through a fiber-to-fiber butt junction effected by a pair of connector units. Each connector unit houses a fluid-tight interior chamber. A fiber junction contained in one chamber includes an alignment device holding the terminal end of one fiber. The other interior chamber contains a fiber guide and transport mechanism which, when actuated by the joinder of the connector units, provides a fluid-resistant, pressure compensated channel between the chambers and advances the terminal end of the other fiber through the channel to the junction where it is guided into the alignment device to be butt-joined with the one fiber.

Abstract: An underwater electro-optical connector including male and female connector units, each having a longitudinal terminal socket for accepting the electro-optically conductive probe of a mating cable terminal unit. Each terminal socket has provision for forming electrical and optical connections with a terminal unit probe when the probe is inserted into it. Each probe has a central, electrically conductive tube which accepts a jacketed, buffered optical fiber and has a distal end. An optically conductive interface is provided on each probe distal end to provide an optical connection with the terminal socket into which the probe is inserted. Each probe is connected to an optical and one or more electrical conductors of a hybrid electro-optical cable. The cable terminal units mate with respective connector units, and the connector units are joined to provide, with the terminal units, an optical connection and one or more concentric elecrical connections between the terminated cables.

Abstract: A coaxial plug-and-socket type electro-optical connector for connection underwater. The male portion of the connector has an elongate alignment probe which includes a forward portion with an axially-tapered opening. A longitudinal electrically conductive probe mounted coaxially in the tapered opening has a forward tip housing an optically transmissive interface. The female portion of the connector has an elongate alignment probe mounted coaxially in it. The female portion alignment probe has a conically-shaped outer surface which fits into the male alignment probe's tapered opening to align the male and female portions. An electrically conductive receptacle is contained in an axially bored channel of the female probe; the receptacle has a socket which accepts the forward tip of the conductive probe. An optically transmissive interface is positioned at the rear of the socket entry and faces the male portion optical interface when the connector portions are joined.

Abstract: A plug and socket type connector for making underwater electrical and/or fiber optical connections. The female part of the connector contains one or more sockets enclosed in a dielectric fluid filled bladder having a penetrable seal. The optical index of refraction of the fluid is controlled. The male part of the connector has an extended probe of round cross-section which penetrates the seal to mate with the sockets and complete the electrical and/or fiber optic connections. The penetrable seal is specially designed to accommodate repeated insertion and withdrawal of the probe without loss of fluid compound or water leakage. The seal includes an elastomeric sleeve integrally molded to one end of the bladder. The sleeve extends axially through a flat slit in a surrounding elastomeric grommet. A tensioned elastomeric constricting ring surrounds the grommet and squeezes the sleeve into a flattened closed condition upon withdrawal of the probe.

Abstract: A plug and socket type electrical connector for connection underwater. The female part of the connector contains a socket element enclosed in a dielectric fluid filled chamber which is sealed by a penetrable seal element. The plug or male part of the connector has an extended contact probe of round cross-section which penetrates the seal element to enter the socket and complete the connection, the two connector parts having housings with a threaded connection for securing the connector. The penetrable seal is specifically designed to accommodate repeated insertion and withdrawal of a male probe of round cross-section without loss of dielectric fluid or water leakage. The seal design does not restrict the male probe size, making the connector particularly adaptable for use with a probe having multiple electrical contacts arranged coaxially. It is further adaptable for use with coaxial cable having a central conductor and a concentric shield, the connector maintaining the integrity of the shielded cable.

Abstract: A plug with blade type contacts is shown in which such contacts enter a receptacle via self-sealing slits to matingly engage contacts in a dielectric filled chamber wherein adjacent receptacle contacts, and hence adjacent plug contacts engaging them, are separated by plates extending radially from a central flexible member to the chamber wall. The plates in the example shown are integral with a central sleeve or tube, and are prevented from movement out of contact separating position via interference relations of portions of the plates and portions of the receptacle housing or contacts. For foreign conductive matter entering the fluid and which might otherwise be able to bridge adjacent contacts, the plates constitute barriers to prevent such bridging and degradation of electrical integrity that would occur therefrom. For pressure compensation in use of plates and tube that are rigid, holes are provided in the lateral surface of the tube intermediate adjacent plates.