Flexible Connector for High-Current Conductors

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to connectors and more particularly to flexible connections between high-current conductors that provide reliable connection to conductors that may be out of alignment with respect to each other in every conceivable way (various degrees of freedom).

2. Description of the Related Art

There are many different types of connectors, one general category of which is flexible connectors. One type of flexible connector utilizes a braided conductor. For high current applications, not only is this expensive, but additionally, the conductor can move around due to electromagnetic forces and the strands of the conductor can break due to vibration.

While the prior art arrangements may be useful to provide flexible connections of various types, the prior arrangements are either complicated or unreliable.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a flexible connection arrangement for high current conductors.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a flexible connection arrangement that is slidable, rotatable, twistable and translatable.

These and other objects of the present invention are efficiently achieved by the provision of a flexible connection arrangement for two conductors that accommodates all possible forms of misalignment between the two conductors. The connection arrangement utilizes spherical joints formed by facing hemispherical protuberances at each end of two movable links.

The invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the connection arrangement of the present invention;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are sectional views taken generally along the lines 2--2 and 3--3 of FIG. 1 respectively;

FIGS. 4-6 are respective front, top and right-side elevational views of a link member of the connection arrangement of FIGS. 1-3; and

FIGS. 7-9 are respective perspective, front elevational and bottom plan views of a conductor including features of the present invention for use in the connection arrangement of FIGS. 1-3, FIG. 9 being partly in section .

Referring now to FIGS. 1-3, the connection arrangement 10 of the present invention provides a flexible electrical connection between two conductors 12, 14, or alternatively between two other conductors or components 16, 18 which are respectively connected to the two conductors 12, 14, e.g. by a fastener 19 or the like connecting the conductor 14 to the conductor 18, the fastener 19 not being shown in FIG. 1 for clarity. The connection arrangement 10 includes two spherical joints 20, 22 each being defined by two portions of spherical surfaces that include outer spherical surfaces that are disposed on opposite sides of one of the two conductors 12, 14 at a respective slotted portion 30, 32 so as to face each other. In the specific illustration of FIGS. 1-3, and referring additionally now to FIGS. 4-6, the spherical joints 20, 22 are formed by protuberances 40, 42 on a link member 50, the protuberances 40, 42 being generally spherical portions that are approximate hemispheres. Specifically, two of the link members 50a, 50b are positioned such that the protuberances 40a, 40b and 42a, 42b face each other with the link members 50a, 50b being positioned on opposite sides of the conductors 12, 14. Each of the protuberances 40, 42 include respective central apertures 41, 43 formed therethrough. The link members 50a, 50b are assembled about the conductors 12, 14 via fasteners 60, 62 and biasing members 64, 66, 68 and 70. In the specific illustration, the biasing members 64, 66, 68 and 70 are conical springs and the fasteners 60, 62 are threaded bolts 80 cooperating with threaded nuts 82. One of the bolts 80 is positioned through the conical spring 66, the aperture 41a, through the slot 30, then through the conical spring 64, with the nut 82 threaded onto the bolt 80 and tightened so as to provide predetermined desirable compressive contact force between the two protuberances 40a, 40b that form the spherical joint 20 and the slot 30. The springs 64, 66, 68 and 70 thus provide suitable contact force and allow the joints to move. Electromagnetic forces resulting from high currents through the connector arrangement 10 serve to pull the link members 50a and 50b together. These electromagnetic forces are generally offset by the localized point contact blow-off forces. The contact surfaces are shown in FIG. 3, such that there are two contact points per hemispherical protuberance 40, 42 or four points for each spherical joint 20, 22.

Referring now additionally to FIGS. 4-9, the relative dimensions of the slots 30, 32 of the conductors 12, 14 and the external diameter of the protuberances 40, 42 of the link members 50 are arranged such that the external diameter 90 (FIG. 5) of the protuberances 40, 42 is somewhat larger than the width 94 of the slots 30, 32. The slots 30, 32 also include concave peripheral walls, i.e. flared outwardly, so as to provide suitable contact surfaces for the link members 50.

While there have been illustrated and described various embodiments of the present invention, it will be apparent that various changes and modifications will occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications that fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.