QUICK DISCONNECT CONNECTOR FOR PLASMA ARC TORCH

• Main Authors: ISAAC GRATZIANI, NICHOLAS A. SANDERS
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 18.04.1991
• Edition: 5
• Subjects: CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PLASMA TECHNIQUE; PRODUCTION OF ACCELERATED ELECTRICALLY-CHARGED PARTICLES OR OFNEUTRONS; PRODUCTION OR ACCELERATION OF NEUTRAL MOLECULAR OR ATOMICBEAMS; SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; TRANSPORTING; WELDING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM

A quick disconnect connector for both electrical power and gas flow to a plasma arc torch has a plug that includes at least one pin contact and a mating receptacle that includes at least one socket contact that receives the pin contact axially. Both contacts have a central axial passage that conducts the gas flow at a sufficient rate to cool the contacts when they are conducting a large heavy operating current, typically 20 to 1,000 amperes, D.C. For high voltage operation, each contact is closely surrounded by a barrier sleeve of a dielectric material which is supported in an insulating body filling the plug or receptacle. The sleeved contacts are mounted to pivot independently of one another about a central mounting boss for self-alignment on mating. O-rings seal the sleeves to the insulator bodies to restrict the gas to a connection zone of the connector. The sleeve barrier axial length and that of the insulating bodies exceed the minimum tracking distance at the high voltages (typically 5 KV) and high frequencies (typically 2-3 mHz) associated with start-up of the torch.