Connector assembly for internally-cooled Litz-wire cable

• US 4,963,694 A
• Filed: 06/05/1989
• Issued: 10/16/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Company LLC (Brookfield Asset Management Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corporation (Paramount Global (f/k/a ViacomCBS Inc.))
• Inventors: Alexion, Christopher C., Mamrose, Wesley, Hordubay, Thomas D., Slepian, Robert M., Walk, Steven R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nimmo, Morris H.
• Application Number:
  US07/361,205
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• Field of Search: 174/15.6, 174/15.7, 174/19, 496/196, 496/485
• US Class Current: 174/15.6
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/53 Bases or cases for heavy duty; Bases or cases for high voltage with means for preventing corona or arcing

Abstract

A connector assembly for transferring high-frequency current into or from a Litz-wire electrical cable having multiple conductor strands includes a transition connector component, a terminal connector component, and a coupling collar. The transition component has an annular groove which receives the splayed ends of the multiple conductor strands and makes electrical connection therewith by soldering of the conductor strand ends to the transition component at the groove. The transition component also has a central opening through it for providing flow communication with the internal coolant flow channel of the electrical cable. The terminal connector component has an orifice through it for establishing flow communication between the transition component opening and an external source of coolant. The terminal component also has a tab projecting from it for making an external electrical connection. The transition and terminal components are electrically connected together by fasteners. The collar has a housing of frusto-conical configuration for fitting over end portions of the conductor strands of the cable which have the ends in the annular splayed configuration. An end portion of the housing can be clamped to the Litz-wire cable. The collar housing and transition component have complementary threaded portions for attaching them together.

Claims

1. A connector assembly for transferring high-frequency current into or from an electrical cable having multiple conductor strands, said connector assembly comprising:

(a) a connector body;

(b) means on said body for receiving and making electrical connection with ends of the multiple conductor strands to be disposed in an annular splayed configuration of a diameter larger than the diameter of the cable to be connected; and

(c) means on said body for making an external electrical connection;

(d) said body having opposite axial ends and said receiving means being an annular groove formed in one end of said body for receiving the conductor strand ends to be received in the annular splayed configuration and a bonding material for electrically connecting the ends to the body at said groove.

2. The connector assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said annular groove is defined by an outer cylindrical surface and an inner frustoconical tapered surface which intersects said cylindrical surface.

3. The connector assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said external electrical connection making means is a tab attached to and projecting from the opposite end of said body.

4. A connector assembly for transferring high-frequency current into or from an electrical cable having multiple conductor strands and an internal coolant flow channel through said cable, said connector assembly comprising:

(a) a connector body;

(b) means on said body for receiving and making electrical connection with ends of the multiple conductor strands to be disposed in an annular splayed configuration of a diameter larger than the diameter of the cable to be connected;

(c) means defining a passage through said body for providing flow communication between an external source of coolant and the internal coolant flow channel of the electrical cable; and

(d) means on said body for making an external electrical connection;

(e) said body having opposite axial ends and said receiving means being an annular groove formed in one end of said body for receiving the conductor strand ends to be received in the annular splayed configuration and a bonding material for electrically connecting the ends to the body at said groove.

7. A connector assembly for transferring high-frequency current into or from a Litz-wire electrical cable having multiple conductor strands and an internal coolant flow channel through said cable, said connector assembly comprising:

(a) a transition connector component having a body with opposite ends, means on one of said ends of said transition component body for receiving and making electrical connection with ends of the multiple conductor strands disposed in an annular splayed configuration, and means defining an opening through said transition component body for providing flow communication with the internal coolant flow channel of the electrical cable;

(b) a terminal connector component having a body, means defining an orifice through said terminal component body for establishing flow communication between said opening of said transition component body and an external source of coolant, and means on said terminal component body for making an external electrical connection;

(c) first complementary means on said respective transition and terminal component bodies for electrically connecting said bodies together;

(d) a coupling collar having a housing of frusto-conical configuration for fitting over end portions of the conductor strands of the cable to be connected which have the ends in the annular splayed configuration, and means on said housing for attaching said collar to the Litz-wire cable to be connected; and

(e) second complementary means on said respective collar housing and said transition component body for attaching said housing thereto.

5. The connector assembly as recited in claim 7, wherein said annular groove is defined by an outer cylindrical surface and an inner frustoconical tapered surface extending into said body from said one end thereof, said tapered surface intersecting with said cylindrical surface.

6. The connector assembly as recited in claim 7, wherein said external electrical connection making means is a tab attached to and projecting from the opposite end of said body.

8. The connector assembly as recited in claim 7, wherein said receiving means of said transition connector component is an annular groove formed in said one of said ends of the transition component body for receiving the conductor strand ends to be received in the annular splayed configuration and a bonding material for electrically connecting the ends to the transition component body at said groove.

13. The connector assembly as recited in claim 13, wherein said second complementary means on said transition component and said collar housing are interengagable threaded portions for attaching said transition component and collar together.

9. The connector assembly as recited in claim 14, wherein said annular groove is defined by an outer cylindrical surface and an inner frustoconical tapered surface extending into said transition component from said one end thereof, said tapered surface intersecting with said cylindrical surface.

10. The connector assembly as recited in claim 13, wherein said external electrical connection making means is a tab attached to and projecting from the terminal component.

11. The connector assembly as recited in claim 13, wherein said first complementary means on said bodies of said transition and terminal components include complementary flat end surfaces and alignable holes formed therein for receiving fasteners to electrically connect said components together.

12. The connector assembly as recited in claim 11, wherein said holes in said flat end surface of said transition component are greater in number than said holes in said flat end surface of said terminal component.

14. The connector assembly as recited in claim 13, wherein said orifice defined through said terminal component body extends in orthogonal relation to said opening defined through said transition component body and has an internally threaded end portion for threadably receiving a fitting of the external source of coolant.

15. A connector assembly for transferring high-frequency current into or from an electrical cable having multiple conductor strands, said connector assembly comprising:

(a) a connector body;

(b) means on said body for receiving and making electrical connection with ends of the multiple conductor strands to be disposed in an annular splayed configuration of a diameter larger than the diameter of the cable to be connected; and

(c) means on said body for making an external electrical connection;

(d) a coupling collar for fitting over end portions of the conductor strands of the cable to be connected having the ends in the annular splayed configuration, said collar having a main housing and an end portion with means for attaching to the cable to be connected, said main housing having a frusto-conical configuration; and

(e) complementary means on said collar and connector body for attaching them together.

16. A connector assembly for transferring high-frequency current into or from an electrical cable having multiple conductor strands and an internal coolant flow channel through said cable, said connector assembly comprising:

(a) a connector body;

(b) means on said body for receiving and making electrical connection with ends of the multiple conductor strands to be disposed in an annular splayed configuration of a diameter larger than the diameter of the cable to be connected;

(c) means defining a passage through said body for providing flow communication between an external source of coolant and the internal coolant flow channel of the electrical cable;

(d) means on said body for making an external electrical connection;

(e) a coupling collar for fitting over end portions of the conductor strands of the cable having the ends in the annular splayed configuration, said collar having a main housing and an end portion with means for attaching to the cable, said main housing having a frusto-conical configuration; and

(f) complementary means on said collar and connector body for attaching them together.