Plug-and-socket connection for water-cooled, current-bearing lines for tools

• US 6,471,530 B1
• Filed: 10/05/2001
• Issued: 10/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: A Raymond Et Compagnie
• Original Assignee: A Raymond Et Compagnie
• Inventors: Nurdin, Yannick, Tischmacher, Christian, Gimbatti, Michel, Hengel, Christian, Bremont, Michel, Lubert, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Paumen, Gary F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCCAMEY, ANN M
• Application Number:
  US09/958,234
• Time in Patent Office: 389 Days
• Field of Search: 439/196, 439/485
• US Class Current: 439/196
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/005 Electrical coupling combined with fluidic coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/533 Bases, cases made for use in extreme conditions, e.g. high temperature, radiation, vibration, corrosive environment, pressure H01R13/52 takes precedence

Abstract

A plug-and-socket connection for water-cooled, current-bearing lines, in particular, to bipolar, high-frequency current conductors for the induction heating of tools is provided. The plug-and-socket connection allows both the electric circuit for the power supply and the circuit for the cooling water to be rapidly and easily closed by hand, or to be interrupted, for example, for maintenance work. The plug-and-socket connection includes a female element and a male element which contain chambers and ducts opening into the chambers that supply the cooling water. The ducts come into contact with one another when the plug-and-socket connection is in the interconnected position. The chambers are in direct contact with the water tubes, which are provided for supplying the cooling water. The backflow of cooling water occurs via a direct connection between a water tube which supplies the male element with cooling water and another water tube which conveys the cooling water away from the female element. Two contact sockets of an electrical plug-and-socket connection are also fixed in the female element, whilst two contact pins which mate with the contact sockets are fixed in the male element. The contact sockets and contact pins are connected to electrical lines for the power supply. The lines are in turn guided through the water tubes.

Claims

1. A plug-and-socket connection for water-cooled, current-bearing lines for bipolar high-frequency current conductors used for the induction heating of tools, comprising:

a female element having a housing;

a chamber disposed within said female element housing;

at least one duct for transporting incoming cooling water opening into said female element chamber;

a water tube connected to said female element chamber, wherein said water tube transports cooling water for cooling the plug-and-socket connection;

a male element having a housing, wherein said male element is operatively connected to said female element;

a chamber disposed within said male element housing;

at least one duct for transporting incoming cooling water opening into said male element chamber, wherein said female element ducts are operatively connected to said male element ducts in the interconnected state of the plug-and-socket connection;

a water tube connected to said male element chamber, wherein said water tube transports cooling water for the plug-and-socket connection;

wherein said male element water tube and said female element water tube are interconnected to provide a backflow of the cooling water between said male element water tube to supply cooling water to said male element and said female element water tube to transport the cooling water away from said female element, such that said interconnection bypasses said female element and said male element chambers;

a contact socket for an electric bipolar plug-and-socket connection mounted in said female element housing, wherein said female element housing includes a bore adjacent to said duct, and said contact socket is disposed within the contact socket bore;

a contact pin of said male element corresponds to said contact socket, wherein said contact pin projects from an end face of said male element housing into a bore in said male element housing adjacent to the ducts; and

an electric line for supplying power electrically connected to said contact sockets and said contact pins, wherein said electric line is guided therethrough said male and female element water tubes that supply and convey away the cooling water.

2. A plug-and-socket connection as set forth in claim 1, wherein said male element housing and said female element housing each contain three ducts, wherein said ducts are arranged 120°

apart, such that said female element ducts are aligned with said male element ducts in the interconnected state of the plug-and-socket connection, and the bores for the electric contact sockets and the electric contact pins and the bore for the connections of the water backflow, are also offset relative to one another by 120°

, and are respectively arranged between said ducts.

3. A plug-and-socket connection as set forth in claim 1, wherein said electric lines, which are guided inside said water tubes that supply and convey away the cooling water and said shorter metal tubes that open into said chambers and are connected to said water tubes, include six wires divided into two groups of three wires each that are electrically connected to said contact sockets and said contact pins respectively, at said female and male element chambers.

4. A plug-and-socket connection as set forth in claim 1 further comprising:

a mounting ring disposed in annular grooves on both said female element housing and said male element housing to maintain connection of said female element and said male element when the plug-and-socket connection is interconnected, and for mounting said female element and the male element onto a carrier plate.

5. A plug-and-socket connection as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a retaining ring having a locking mechanism to secure the connection of said female element and said male element when the plug-and socket-connection is interconnected.

6. A plug-and-socket connection as set forth in claim 5 wherein said locking mechanism is a bayonet lock or a screw-type lock.

7. A plug-and-socket connection as set forth in claim 1 further comprising:

a closure piece for sealing said female element chamber positioned relative to a housing wall, wherein said closure piece contains two openings;

a shorter metal sleeve disposed in one of the openings, wherein said shorter metal sleeve opens into said female element chamber;

a longer metal sleeve disposed in another one of the openings, wherein said longer metal sleeve extends through said female element chamber and into a bore in said female element housing positioned adjacent to the said female element chamber and aligned with said opening,

wherein said female element water tubes for supply and backflow of cooling fluid fit onto an end of said metal sleeve that projects from said closure piece; and

a clamp for securing said female element water tube onto said metal sleeve.

8. A plug-and-socket connection as set forth in claim 7, wherein the bore includes an inner bore defined by a step in a wall of the bore and an outer bore, and said longer metal sleeve in the female element extends into the inner bore section.

9. A plug-and-socket connection as set forth in claim 8 further comprising:

a closure piece for sealing said male element chamber positioned relative to a housing wall, wherein said closure piece contains two openings,

a shorter metal sleeve disposed in one of the openings, wherein said shorter metal sleeve opens into said male element chamber,

a longer metal sleeve disposed in another one of the openings, wherein said longer metal sleeve extends through said male element chamber and into a bore in said male element housing positioned adjacent to said male element chamber and aligned with the opening,

wherein said male element water tubes for supply and backflow of cooling water fit onto an end of the metal sleeve that projects from said closure piece; and

a clamp for securing said male element water tube onto said metal sleeve.

10. A plug-and-socket connection as set forth in claim 9, wherein an end of said longer metal sleeve on the male element projects a predetermined distance from the bore, and said projecting end fits into the outer bore section in said female element when the plug-and-socket connection is interconnected, and is sealed therein relative to the wall by a ring seal.

11. A plug-and-socket connection as set forth in claim 10, further comprising:

a tubular projection extending a predetermined distance beyond an end of said metal sleeve for said male element wherein said tubular projection fits over an end section of said female element housing when the plug-and-socket connection is interconnected;

an integrally formed contact pin projecting from an end face of the male element housing into said tubular projection; and

a ring seal for sealing said tubular projection relative to an end face of the female element housing when the plug-and-socket connection is interconnected.

12. A plug-and-socket connection for a current-bearing line comprising:

a female element having a housing;

a chamber disposed within said female element housing;

at least one duct for transporting incoming cooling fluid opening into said female element chamber;

a fluid tube connected to said female element chamber, wherein said fluid tube transports cooling fluid for cooling the plug-and-socket connection;

a male element having a housing, wherein said male element is operatively connected to said female element;

a chamber disposed within said male element housing;

at least one duct for transporting incoming cooling fluid opening into said male element chamber, wherein said female element ducts are operatively connected to said male element ducts in the interconnected state of the plug-and-socket connection;

a fluid tube connected to said male element chamber, wherein said fluid tube transports cooling fluid for the plug-and-socket connection;

wherein said male element fluid tube and said female element fluid tube are interconnected to provide a backflow of the cooling fluid between said male element fluid tube to supply cooling fluid to said male element and said female element fluid tube to transport the cooling fluid away from said female element, such that said interconnection bypasses said female element and said male element chambers;

a contact socket for a plug-and-socket connection mounted in said female element housing, wherein said female element housing includes a bore adjacent to said duct, and said contact socket is disposed within the contact socket bore;

a contact pin of said male element corresponding to said contact socket, wherein said contact pin projects from an end face of said male element housing into a bore in said male element housing adjacent to the ducts; and

an electric line for supplying power electrically connected to said contact sockets and said contact pins, wherein said electric line is guided therethrough the male and female element fluid tubes that supply and convey away the cooling fluid.

13. A plug-and-socket connection as set forth in claim 12 wherein the cooling fluid is water.

14. A plug-and-socket connection as set forth in claim 12, wherein said electric lines include six wires divided into two groups of three wires each that are electrically connected to said contact sockets and said contact pins respectively, at the female and male element chambers.

15. A plug-and-socket connection as set forth in claim 12 further comprising:

a mounting ring disposed in annular grooves on both said female element housing and male element housing to securely connect said female element and said male element when the plug-and-socket connection is interconnected, and for mounting the female element and the male element onto a carrier plate.

16. A plug-and-socket connection as set forth in claim 12 further comprising:

a closure piece for sealing said female element chamber positioned relative to a housing wall, wherein said closure piece contains two openings;

a shorter metal sleeve disposed in one of the openings, wherein said shorter metal sleeve opens into said female element chamber;

a longer metal sleeve disposed in another one of the openings, wherein said longer metal sleeve extends through said female element chamber and into a bore in said female element housing positioned adjacent to the said female element chamber and aligned with said opening, wherein said female element fluid tubes for supply and backflow of cooling fluid fit onto an end of said metal sleeve that projects from said closure piece.

17. A plug-and-socket connection as set forth in claim 16, further comprising a clamp for securing said female element fluid tube onto said metal sleeve.

18. A plug-and-socket connection as set forth in claim 16, wherein the bore includes an inner bore defined by a step in a wall of the bore and an outer bore, and said longer metal sleeve in the female element extends into the inner bore.

19. A plug-and-socket connection as set forth in claim 12 further comprising:

a closure piece for sealing said male element chamber positioned relative to a housing wall, wherein said closure piece contains two openings,

a shorter metal sleeve disposed in one of the openings, wherein said shorter metal sleeve opens into said male element chamber,

a longer metal sleeve disposed in another one of the openings, wherein said longer metal sleeve extends through said male element chamber and into a bore in said male element housing positioned adjacent to said male element chamber and aligned with said opening, wherein said male element fluid tubes for supply and backflow of cooling fluid fit onto an end of the metal sleeve that projects from said closure piece.

20. A plug-and-socket connection as set forth in claim 19 further comprising a clamp for securing said male element fluid tube onto said metal sleeve.

21. A plug-and-socket connection as set forth in claim 19, wherein an end of said longer metal sleeve on the male element projects a predetermined distance from the bore, and said projecting end fits into the outer bore section in the female element when the plug-and-socket connection is interconnected.

22. A plug-and-socket connection as set forth in claim 21 further comprising a ring seal for sealing said longer metal sleeve within the bore.

23. A plug-and-socket connection as set forth in claim 21, further comprising:

a tubular projection extending a predetermined distance beyond an end of said metal sleeve for said male element wherein said tubular projection fits over an end of said female element housing when the plug-and-socket connection is interconnected; and

an integrally formed contact pin projecting from the end face of said male element housing into said tubular projection.

24. A plug-and-socket connection as set forth in claim 23 further comprising a ring seal for sealing said tubular projection relative to an end face of the female element housing when the plug-and-socket connection is interconnected.

25. A plug-and-socket connection as set forth in claim 12, wherein said male element housing and said female element housing each contain three ducts, such that said female element ducts are aligned with said male element ducts in the interconnected state of the plug-and-socket connection.

26. A plug-and-socket connection as set forth in claim 25, wherein said ducts are arranged 120°

apart.

27. A plug-and-socket connection as set forth in claim 26 wherein the bores for the electric contact sockets and the electric contact pins and the bore for the connections of the water backflow, are offset relative to one another by 120°

, and are respectively arranged between said ducts.

28. A plug-and-socket connection as set forth in claim 12 further comprising a retaining ring having a locking mechanism to secure the connection of said female element and said male element when the plug-and socket-connection is interconnected.

29. A plug-and-socket connection as set forth in claim 28 wherein said locking mechanism is a bayonet lock or a screw-type lock.