High pressure electrical insulator

Abstract

An insulator device which couples a metallic gas delivery tube to a line leading to a detector device which requires cooling gas for operation. The insulator device of the present invention comprises a molded dielectric insulator, molded about two separated metallic end components, each of the metallic components including a nut portion to allow the insulator to be connected, on one hand to the detector device line, and on the other hand to the metallic gas delivery tube. The two metallic components are separated by a gap in order to provide the necessary electrical isolation between the two metallic end components. One metallic end component includes a built-in check valve which permits gas to flow only in the desired direction while preventing gas flow in the opposite direction. In a preferred arrangement, the metallic end components are shaped to minimize the extent of the gas force on the two metallic end components which normally would force them slightly apart so that the gas can bleed through the insulator along the outside surface thereof, thus separating the molded insulator portion from the metallic end components at their interface boundary as it goes along. The forces tending to separate the metallic end components within the connector are substantially reduced by virtue of the new shape which presents a minimum cross-sectional area to the pressurized gas in a region where the gas may apply its pressure.