EP-4735783-A1 - SENSOR CONNECTOR WITH BAYONET COUPLING

Abstract

A bayonet coupling sensor-connector system is provided. A bayonet coupling ring is affixed to a sensor through press-on, screw-on, or similar attachment method. A mating bayonet coupling nut is provided on the connector with straight or angled cable configuration. Slotted outside surface of the bayonet coupling nut provides hand-manipulated mating or unmating allowing placement and/or replacement of sensors easily in the field. Conductive parts and/or conductive coating may allow electromagnetic interference (EMI) resistant coupling to the sensor. Other environmental protection measures may also be provided in the connector. Shrink-wrapped cable coupling to the connector may allow in-field assembly, while overmolded configuration may provide robust pre-assembled connectors. A slotted shielding ring inserted into a conductive housing of the connectors around the shield of the cable may provide continuous shielding between the cable and the connector.

Inventors

• HAGMANN, BERND
• WERDER, GERHARD
• Richter, Sebastian

Assignees

• ITT Cannon GmbH
• ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, LLC

Dates

Publication Date

20260506

Application Date

20230629

Claims (20)

1. 1. A bayonet coupling connector assembly comprising: a bayonet coupling ring to be affixed onto a connector with outer thread for locking, the bayonet coupling ring comprising: a circular sidewall including a first opening to accept the connector with the outer thread, a second opening opposite the first opening to accept one or more wire connections; and one or more pins on an outside surface of the sidewall; and a bayonet connector comprising: a bayonet coupling nut to mate with the bayonet coupling ring; a conductive housing inside the bayonet coupling nut; and an insulator inside the conductive housing, the insulator to contain one or more wires; and a cable assembly comprising the one or more wires and a shield surrounding the one or more wires.
2. 2. The bayonet coupling connector assembly of claim 1, further comprising: a slotted shielding ring surrounding the shield, the slotted shielding ring to be inserted into the conductive housing to provide continuous shielding connection between the cable assembly and the bayonet connector.
3. 3. The bayonet coupling connector assembly of claim 2, wherein at least one of the conductive housing and the bayonet coupling nut are made of a conductive material or coated with a conductive material.
4. 4. The bayonet coupling connector assembly of claim 2, wherein the bayonet coupling ring is made of a conductive material or coated with a conductive material.
5. 5. The bayonet coupling connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the bayonet coupling ring comprises three pins affixed onto the outside surface of the sidewall, the three pins spaced equally.
6. 6. The bayonet coupling connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the bayonet coupling ring comprises two or more pins affixed onto the outside surface of the sidewall at preset locations to provide a keyed coupling between the bayonet coupling ring and the bayonet connector.
7. 7. The bayonet coupling connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the bayonet coupling nut comprises one or more L-shaped holes matching a size and location of each of the one or more pins.
8. 8. The bayonet coupling connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the cable assembly and the bayonet connectors are affixed together through shrink wrapping or overmolding.
9. 9. The bayonet coupling connector assembly of claim 8, wherein the overmolding is made from a soft plastic component, a hard plastic component, or a combination thereof.
10. 10. The bayonet coupling connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the cable assembly and the bayonet connectors are affixed together in a straight configuration or an angled configuration.
11. 11. The bayonet coupling connector assembly of claim 1, wherein an inside surface of the sidewall at the first opening includes an inner thread to match the outer thread of the connector with the outer thread.
12. 12. The bayonet coupling connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the connector with the outer thread is part of a sensor.
13. 13. A bayonet coupling ring for a sensor-connector assembly comprising: a circular sidewall including a first opening to accept a wire end of a sensor, a second opening opposite the first opening to accept one or more wire connections; and one or more pins on an outside surface of the sidewall, wherein the bayonet coupling ring is affixed to the wire end of the sensor through a press- on coupling or a threaded coupling; a number and a type of the one or more wire connections match a number and a type of wires of the sensor; and a number and a location of the one or more pins match a number and a location of L-shaped holes on a bayonet coupling nut of a connector to mate with the bayonet coupling ring.
14. 14. The bayonet coupling ring of claim 13, wherein at least the sidewall is made from a conductive material to provide shielding continuity from the connector to the sensor.
15. 15. The bayonet coupling ring of claim 13, wherein the one or more pins comprise three equally spaced pins affixed onto the outside surface of the sidewall.
16. 16. The bayonet coupling ring of claim 13, wherein the one or more pins comprise two or more pins affixed onto the outside surface of the sidewall at preset locations to provide a keyed coupling between the bayonet coupling ring and the connector.
17. 17. A method for assembling a bayonet coupling sensor-connector assembly comprising: fastening a bayonet coupling ring onto a wire end of a sensor, wherein the bayonet coupling ring comprises a circular sidewall and one or more pins on an outside surface of the sidewall; passing one or more wires of a cable assembly through a conductive housing and an insulator of a connector; affixing wire connections matching wire connections of the sensor onto the one or more wires; arranging the insulator, the conductive housing, and the affixed wire connections inside a bayonet coupling nut of the connector; and mating the bayonet coupling ring and the bayonet coupling nut to couple the sensor and the connector.
18. 18. The method of claim 17, further comprising: pressing a slotted shielding ring around a shield of the cable assembly into an opening of the conductive housing to affix the cable assembly with the connector and provide continuous shielding between the cable assembly and the connector.
19. 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising: further affixing the connector and the cable assembly though straight or angled shrink wrapping.
20. 20. The method of claim 18, further comprising: further affixing the connector and the cable assembly though straight or angled overmolding.

Description

SENSOR CONNECTOR WITH BAYONET COUPLING BACKGROUND [0001] Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted as prior art by inclusion in this section. [0002] Sensors are used in a wide range of scientific, industrial, military, and other systems to detect and measure a variety of conditions such as temperature, gas levels, light levels, pressure, etc. While the use of sensors enables accurate detection of environmental conditions, early detection of problems, and so on, their placement and replacement may present challenges in complex environments (e.g., heavy machinery or difficult to access environments). In conventional settings, sensors are typically wired through a cable containing one or more wires and the cable routed to remote analysis/detection devices. While wireless sensors are available, their use may be limited due to electromagnetic circumstances (e.g., noisy environments) or cost considerations. SUMMARY [0003] The present disclosure generally describes various structures to provide sensorconnector systems with bayonet coupling. [0004] According to some examples, a bayonet coupling sensor-connector assembly may include a bayonet coupling ring to be affixed onto a sensor, a bayonet connector, and a cable assembly. The bayonet coupling ring may include a circular sidewall including a first opening to accept a wire end of the sensor, a second opening opposite the first opening to accept one or more wire connections; and one or more pins on an outside surface of the sidewall. The bayonet connector may include a bayonet coupling nut to mate with the bayonet coupling ring; a conductive housing inside the bayonet coupling nut; and an insulator inside the conductive housing, the insulator to contain one or more wires. The cable assembly may include the one or more wires and a shield surrounding the one or more wires. [0005] According to further examples, a bayonet coupling ring for a sensor-connector assembly may include a circular sidewall including a first opening to accept a wire end of a sensor, a second opening opposite the first opening to accept one or more wire connections; and one or more pins on an outside surface of the sidewall. The bayonet coupling ring may be affixed to the wire end of the sensor through a press-on coupling or a threaded coupling. A number and a type of the one or more wire connections may match a number and a type of wires of the sensor. A number and a location of the one or more pins may match a number and a location of L- shaped holes on a bayonet coupling nut of a connector to mate with the bayonet coupling ring. [0006] According to yet other examples, a method for assembling a bayonet coupling sensor-connector assembly may include fastening a bayonet coupling ring onto a wire end of a sensor, where the bayonet coupling ring comprises a circular sidewall and one or more pins on an outside surface of the sidewall; passing one or more wires of a cable assembly through a conductive housing and an insulator of a connector; affixing wire connections matching wire connections of the sensor onto the one or more wires; arranging the insulator, the conductive housing, and the affixed wire connections inside a bayonet coupling nut of the connector; and mating the bayonet coupling ring and the bayonet coupling nut to couple the sensor and the connector. [0007] The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0008] The foregoing and other features of this disclosure will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only several embodiments in accordance with the disclosure and are, therefore, not to be considered limiting of its scope, the disclosure will be described with additional specificity and detail through use of the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 illustrates a sensor-connector system with bayonet coupling in different assembly stages; FIG. 2A illustrates perspective and cross-sectional views of a bayonet coupling ring for a sensor; FIG. 2B illustrates a perspective view of an example sensor; FIG. 2C illustrates the bayonet coupling ring and the sensor separate and assembled; FIG. 3A illustrates various components of a sensor-connector system with bayonet coupling in an exploded view; FIG. 3B illustrates a perspective view of the connector and slotted shielding ring; FIG. 4A and 4B illustrate right-angled and straight connectors of a sensor-connector system with bayonet coupling before and after shrink-wrapping; and FIG. 4C illustrates right-angled a