Patent ID: 7360796

Claim:
An electrical connector subassembly for interconnecting adjacent tubular drill rods of a drilling system used in drilling bore holes in earth formations, said connector subassembly comprising: a first electrically isolated component comprising a mandrel and a first coupler; a second electrically isolated component comprising a gap housing and a second coupler; the first electrically isolated component being adapted on one end to connect to a first tubular drill rod; the second electrically isolated component being adapted on one end to connect to a second tubular drill rod; said mandrel having an outer surface which tapers inwardly in stepwise manner in a direction towards the gap housing; said gap housing having an inner surface which tapers inwardly in stepwise manner in a direction towards the second coupler; said mandrel being telescopically received in said gap housing; and a plurality of insulator sleeves electrically separating said first and second electrically insulated components; one of said insulator sleeves being located over a first of the taper steps of the mandrel and sandwiched between the first and second electrically isolated components, providing an exterior gap between the edges of the spaced apart first and second electrically isolated components, the exterior gap having a width of less than 50 cm; others of said insulator sleeves being received on the next ones of the taper steps of the mandrel and sandwiched between the respective taper step of the mandrel and the mating taper step of the gap housing.