Mining cable coupler connectors and related assemblies and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016308289-A1
Application number	US-201615133799-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 20, 2016
Priority date	Apr 20, 2015
Publication date	Oct 20, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A connector assembly for use with a mining cable coupler includes a first connector and a second connector. The first connector includes a front portion including a plug and a rear portion including a barrel configured to receive a first conductor. The second connector includes a front portion including a socket having a channel defined therein and a rear portion including a barrel configured to receive a second conductor. An annular groove is defined in an inner surface of the channel. An annular spring held in the annular groove. The channel is sized and configured to receive the plug such that the plug resiliently contacts the spring to electrically connect the first conductor received in the first connector barrel and the second conductor received in the second connector barrel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A connector assembly for use with a mining cable coupler, the assembly comprising:
a first connector comprising a front portion including a plug and a rear portion including a barrel configured to receive a first conductor; a second connector comprising a front portion including a socket having a channel defined therein and a rear portion including a barrel configured to receive a second conductor, wherein an annular groove is defined in an inner surface of the channel; and an annular spring held in the annular groove; wherein the channel is sized and configured to receive the plug such that the plug resiliently contacts the spring to electrically connect the first conductor received in the first connector barrel and the second conductor received in the second connector barrel.

2 . The connector assembly of claim 1 wherein each of the first and second connectors is monolithic.

3 . The connector assembly of claim 2 wherein:
the first connector comprises a central portion between the front portion and the rear portion, the central portion comprising a threaded region on an outer surface thereof, the threaded region configured to threadingly engage with a fastener such that the fastener is held around the central portion of the first connector; and
the second connector comprises a central portion between the front portion and the rear portion, the central portion comprising a threaded region on an outer surface thereof, the threaded region configured to threadingly engage with a fastener such that the fastener is held around the central portion of the second connector.

4 . The connector assembly of claim 1 wherein each of the first and second connector barrels comprise a plurality of shear bolt holes configured to receive shear bolts for securing ends of the first and second conductor in the first and second connector barrels, respectively.

5 . The connector assembly of claim 1 in combination with:
the first conductor comprising the first conductor end held in the first connector barrel; and
the second conductor comprising the second conductor end held in the second connector barrel.

6 . The combination of claim 5 wherein:
each of the first and second conductor ends comprise a plurality of strands; and
a shielding mesh layer is wrapped around the plurality of strands of each of the first and second conductor ends to secure the strands together.

7 . The connector assembly of claim 1 wherein the spring is a canted coil spring.

8 . The connector assembly of claim 1 wherein the spring is silver-plated.

9 . The connector assembly of claim 1 wherein a plurality of spaced apart annular grooves are defined in the inner surface of the socket channel and a spring is held in each of the plurality of annular grooves.

10 . The connector assembly of claim 1 wherein:
the first connector comprises a central portion between the front portion and the rear portion and the front portion and central portion are threadingly engaged with one another; and
the second connector comprises a central portion between the front portion and the rear portion and the front portion and central portion are threadingly engaged with one another.

11 . A mining cable coupler assembly comprising:
an outer housing comprising:
a first tube shaped housing having first and second opposite ends;
a second tube shaped housing having first and second opposite ends with an elongated annular slot defined in an outer wall of the first end;
wherein the first and second housings are coupled at least in part by the first end of the first housing being received in the annular slot of the second housing;
a first connector held in the first housing; and a second connector held in the second housing; wherein:
the first connector comprises a rear portion including a barrel configured to receive a first conductor, a front portion comprising one of a plug and a socket, and a central portion between the rear portion and the front portion;
the second connector comprises a rear portion including a barrel configured to receive a second conductor, a front portion comprising the other one of a plug and a socket, and a central portion between the rear portion and the front portion;
the first and second connectors are coupled by the plug of one of the first and second connectors being received in the socket of the other one of the first and second connectors.

12 . The mining cable coupler assembly of claim 11 wherein:
the first housing comprises an annular projection extending inwardly from the outer wall between the first and second ends, a central channel defined by the annular projection, a first end channel defined by the outer wall between the first end and the annular projection, and a second end channel defined by the outer wall between the second end and the annular projection; and
the second housing comprises an annular projection extending inwardly from an outer wall between the first and second ends, a central channel defined by the annular projection, a first end channel defined by the outer wall between the first end and the annular projection, and a second end channel defined by the outer wall between the second end and the annular projection.

13 . The mining cable coupler assembly of claim 11 wherein:
the first connector is held in the first housing with the front portion of the first connector in the first end channel of the first housing and/or the first end portion of the second housing, the central portion of the first connector in the central channel of the first housing, and the rear portion of the first connector in the second end channel of the first housing; and
the second connector is held in the second housing with the front portion of the second connector in the first end channel of the second housing and/or the first end portion of the first housing, the central portion of the second connector in the central channel of the second housing, and the rear portion of the second connector in the second end channel of the second housing.

14 . The mining cable coupler assembly of claim 13 wherein:
each of the first and second connectors is a one-piece connector;
the central portion of the first connector includes a threaded region on an outer surface thereof and a first fastener is threadingly engaged with the threaded region; and
the central portion of the second connector includes a threaded region on an outer surface thereof and a second fastener is threadingly engaged with the threaded region.

15 . The mining cable coupler assembly of claim 14 wherein:
the first fastener is adjacent and/or abuts a first wall defined by the annular projection of the first housing and the rear portion of the first connector is adjacent and/or abuts a second, opposite wall of the annular projection of the first housing; and
the second fastener is adjacent and/or abuts a first wall defined by the annular projection of the second housing and the rear portion of the second connector is adjacent and/or abuts a second, opposite wall of the annular projection of the second housing.

16 . The mining cable coupler assembly of claim 13 comprising a plurality of the outer housings with one of the first connectors and one of the second connectors coupled and held in each one of the outer housings, wherein the plurality of outer housings are held together by a first base plate that engages the outer wall of each of the first housings and a second base plate that engages the outer wall of each of the second housings.

17 . The mining cable couple

Assignees

• Tyco Electronics Corp
• Tyco Electronics Canada Ulc
• Tyco Electronics Ind Y Com Chile Ltda

Inventors

• Kumar Senthil A
• Johnson Barry James
• Darritchon Juan

Classifications

• H01R13/187

  with spring member in the socket · CPC title

• H01R4/58 Primary

  characterised by the form or material of the contacting members (H01R4/01 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01R24/20

  Coupling parts carrying sockets, clips or analogous contacts and secured only to wire or cable · CPC title

• H01R2105/00

  Three poles · CPC title

• H01R13/533

  Bases, cases made for use in extreme conditions, e.g. high temperature, radiation, vibration, corrosive environment, pressure (H01R13/52 takes precedence) · CPC title