U.S. patent number 3,697,930 [Application Number 05/057,728] was granted by the patent office on 1972-10-10 for solderless coaxial connectors.
This patent grant is currently assigned to John Schroeder. Invention is credited to James W. Shirey.
United States Patent |
3,697,930 |
Shirey |
October 10, 1972 |
SOLDERLESS COAXIAL CONNECTORS
Abstract
Solderless prong and coaxial cable splice connectors for coaxial
shielded cables, having a hollow body member provided with a prong
or, alternately, with a connecting member contacting the stripped
end of the cable inner conductor bent in form of a loop disposed in
a transverse plane. The prong, or the connecting member, is
electrically insulated from the remaining of the body member which
is electrically connected to the outer tubular braided conductor of
the cable having its end clamped between a dielectric washer having
preferably inner threads for gripping the outer surface of the
inner insulation of the coaxial cable and a shoulder portion of the
hollow body member.
Inventors: |
Shirey; James W. (Lakeland,
MI) |
Assignee: |
Schroeder; John (Howell,
MI)
|
Family
ID: |
27369321 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/057,728 |
Filed: |
July 23, 1970 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
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769773 |
Aug 28, 1968 |
3573712 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
439/322; 439/583;
439/930 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01R
9/0521 (20130101); Y10S 439/93 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H01R
9/05 (20060101); H01r 013/54 () |
Field of
Search: |
;339/89,177,205
;85/32,36 ;151/7 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: McGlynn; Joseph H.
Parent Case Text
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
The present application is a continuation-in-part of application
Ser. No. 769,773, filed Aug. 28, 1968, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,573,712.
Claims
I claim:
1. In a connector for mounting on the end of a coaxial shielded
cable of the type having an inner conductor surrounded by a tubular
dielectric material in turn surrounded by an outer tubular braided
conductor in turn surrounded by a dielectric material covering,
wherein said connector comprises:
an electrically conductive hollow sleeve member having a first
longitudinal bore adapted to accept the coaxial cable, a second
longitudinal bore of enlarged diameter provided with an internal
thread and an annular abutment surface disposed between said first
and second bores;
a dielectric washer disposed surrounding the dielectric material
surrounding the inner conductor, the end of the tubular conductor
being fanned out radially so as to be normally engaged between one
side of said dielectric washer and said annular abutment in the
hollow sleeve member, the projecting end of the inner conductor
being bent over on the other side of said dielectric washer;
a plug member comprising a cylindrical body and a coaxially
disposed electrically conductive elongated prong member having a
rearward flat surface and being electrically insulated from said
body, said body being provided with a thread on the peripheral
surface thereof for engagement with the internal thread in the
hollow sleeve member, the relative length of said plug member and
said hollow sleeve member being such that when the plug member is
threaded tight into the hollow sleeve member said inner conductor
is clamped between said dielectric washer and the rearward flat
surface of said electrically conductive elongated prong member in
said plug member and said outer tubular braided conductor is
clamped between said side of said dielectric washer and the annular
abutment surface of said hollow sleeve member;
a forwardly disposed enlarged diameter shoulder portion on the
periphery of the end of said hollow sleeve member engaging said
plug member; and
a collar member having a rearwardly disposed inwardly extending
shoulder portion for engagement with the enlarged diameter shoulder
portion of said hollow sleeve member, said collar member having an
internal thread for engagement with an external thread of a
receptacle for said prong member;
the improvement characterized by said dielectric washer having a
bore provided with a thread for gripping engagement with the
tubular dielectric material surrounding the inner conductor of said
coaxial shielded cable.
2. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said dielectric washer has a
peripheral surface provided with serrations.
3. A coaxial cable splice connector for joining the ends of a pair
of coaxial cables of the type having an inner conductor surrounded
by an inner dielectric material in turn surrounded by an outer
tubular braided conductor in turn surrounded by an outer dielectric
material, said splice connector comprising:
an electrically conductive hollow sleeve member having a first
longitudinal bore adapted to accept the first of said coaxial
cables, a second longitudinal bore of enlarged diameter provided
with an internal thread and an annular abutment surface disposed
between said first and second bores;
an electrically conductive hollow plug member having a longitudinal
bore adapted to accept the second of said coaxial cables, and an
end provided with external threads for engagement with the internal
threads of said hollow sleeve member;
a first dielectric washer, disposed surrounding the inner conductor
proximate the end of the first said coaxial cables, the end of the
outer tubular braided conductor of said coaxial cable being fanned
out radially so as to be normally engaged between a side of said
first dielectric washer and the annular abutment in said hollow
sleeve member, the projecting end of the inner conductor of said
first coaxial cable being bent over on the other side of said first
dielectric washer;
a second dielectric washer disposed surrounding the inner conductor
proximate the end of the second of said coaxial cables, the end of
the outer tubular braided conductor of said second coaxial cable
being fanned out radially so as to be normally engaged between a
side of said dielectric washer and the end of the hollow plug
member, the projecting end of the inner conductor of said second
coaxial cable being bent over on the other side of said second
dielectric washer; and
a cylindrical plug member disposed between the first dielectric
washer and the second dielectric washer, said cylindrical plug
member having an outer tubular portion of a dielectric material and
an inner cylindrical portion of an electrically conductive
material;
whereby when the hollow plug member is threaded tight into the
hollow sleeve member with the external threads of said hollow plug
member engaged with the internal threads of said hollow sleeve
member, the first dielectric washer, the cylindrical plug member,
and the second dielectric washer are tightly clamped inside the
longitudinal bore of enlarged diameter of the hollow sleeve member
and the end of the hollow plug member, with the fanned out end of
the outer tubular braided conductor of the first coaxial cable
disposed in clamped engagement between said annular abutment
surface and said first dielectric washer, the bent over end of the
inner conductor of said first coaxial cable disposed in clamped
engagement between said first dielectric washer and said
cylindrical plug member, the bent over end of the inner conductor
of said second coaxial cable disposed in clamped engagement between
said cylindrical plug member and said second dielectric washer and
the fanned out end of the outer tubular braided conductor of said
second coaxial cable disposed in clamped engagement between the end
of said hollow plug member and said second dielectric washer.
4. The connector of claim 3 wherein at least one of said dielectric
washers is disposed surrounding the dielectric material surrounding
said inner conductor.
5. The connector of claim 4 wherein at least one of said dielectric
washers is provided with internal threads for firmly gripping the
inner dielectric material of the coaxial cable associated
therewith.
6. The connector of claim 5 wherein said dielectric washer has a
peripheral surface provided with serrations.
7. The connector of claim 3 wherein the hollow sleeve member is
provided with a knurled surface on at least a portion of the outer
surface thereof.
8. The connector of claim 7 wherein the hollow plug member is
provided with a knurled surface on at least a portion of the outer
surface thereof.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the broad field of electrical
connectors and more particularly to improved connectors for use
with flexible coaxial cables of the type consisting of an inner
central conductor, of solid or stranded current conductive metal
wire, covered by a cylindrical layer Of dielectric material, such
dielectric material being in turn covered by a cylindrical tubular
metallic braid which forms the outer conductor of the cable. The
outer tubular conductor is generally in turn covered with a
cylindrical layer of insulation, made of a material having in
addition good mechanical and weather resistant properties.
Such coaxial cables are used very extensively today for connection
between an aerial for propagation or reception Of high frequency
radio waves and the input of a radio receiver or the output of a
radio transmitter. Connectors are available for connecting coaxial
cables to the aerial terminals or to the radio apparatus terminals,
or, by way of a coaxial cable splice connector for connecting
separate lengths of coaxial cables. Such connectors include a body
portion having a hollow prong into which the inner conductor of the
coaxial cable is introduced and crimped or soldered; the outer
tubular braided connector, after removal of a portion of the
outermost insulating covering, is provided with means for either
clamping such outer conductor in electrical contact therewith or
for soldering the outer braided conductor to the connector
body.
The soldered and/or crimped connections effectuate both the
adequate electrical connection and the mechanical securing of the
coaxial cable in appropriate position when the connector is
attached by means of a threaded ring or collar member to the
externally threaded surface of an appropriate receptacle for the
prong. Such an arrangement, as available in the previous art, has
many inconveniences as it requires, for mounting of the connector
upon the end of a coaxial cable, the availability of a soldering
iron and a certain degree of skill on the part of the person
attaching the connector upon the end of the cable. Additionally, in
view of the heat required for properly soldering the inner
conductor to the hollow prong and the outer tubular braided
conductor to the connector sleeve, heat damage may affect the
insulating quality of the dielectrics in the cable and in the
connector, and such soldered connections do not generally
effectuate good mechanical connections. Where crimping is used to
effectuate electrical and mechanical connections between the
conductors of the cable, such as the inner conductor and a portion
of the connector such as the hollow prong, special tools are
required, and the crimping operation has a tendency to stress the
materials and reduce their normal tensile strength.
A solderless coaxial cable prong connector and a union connector
are disclosed in copending application Ser. NO. 769,773, now U.S.
Pat. No. 3,573,712 which eliminate the use of a soldering iron. In
such solderless coaxial cable plug connectors, a dielectric washer
forming part of each connector structure is slipped over the inner
insulation of a properly dressed coaxial cable thus radially
fanning out the outer braided conductor of the coaxial cable behind
the dielectric washer. The inner conductor of the coaxial cable is
then bent into a loop slightly larger in diameter than the diameter
of the center hole of the dielectric washer on the other side of
the dielectric washer thus holding the dielectric washer securely
in place, so as to permit clamping of all the elements by means of
the prong body, or alternately of the union body threaded into the
hollow connector body. However, the natural resiliency of the outer
braided conductor may tend to push the dielectric washer off the
end of the coaxial cable, thus hindering a tight mechanical and
electrically conductive assembly of the connector. The present
invention provides a dielectric washer having a threaded bore for
engagement with the outer surface of the cable inner insulation and
a simplified assembly for a splice connector eliminating the union
element therein.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has for its principal object to provide a
coaxial cable prong connector and a splice connector having
substantially all the advantages of the prior art connectors with
respect to weather proofing and clamping of the tubular braided
conductor, while providing means whereby the inner conductor is
firmly clamped and anchored in an appropriate axial position and in
electrical contact with the connector prong or connector
member.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a coaxial
cable connector wherein the mechanical and electrical connections
respectively between the inner conductor of a coaxial cable and the
prong body or connecting member, and between the outer tubular
braided conductor of the cable and the body of the connector, are
effected by way of rigid mechanical clamping means, without
resorting to soldering of the diverse conductors with the
appropriate portions of the connector.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a
solderless coaxial connector construction having all the structural
and electrical advantages of soldered connectors, which permits to
effectuate strong mechanical and electrical connections with a
coaxial cable, which only requires the use of simple and easily
available tools such as a pocket knife and a pair of pliers at
most, which is simple to manufacture with a few parts of simple
configuration, which is easily and sturdily assembled, and which
may be made in any appropriate type of material permitting strong
mechanical connections and adequate lossless electrical connections
.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be
apparent to those skilled in the art from the detailed description
hereinafter of a few examples of embodiments thereof, when such
description is read in conjunction with the attached drawings
wherein like numerals refer to like or equivalent parts and in
which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a partial exploded view of a typical coaxial cable, with
an end thereof properly dressed previously to attaching thereto a
coaxial cable prong connector according to an example of the
present invention, with parts of the prong connector disposed in
order of installation;
FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the plug connector of
FIG. 1 after assembly;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view from line 3--3 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but showing the prong connector
mounted upon an appropriate conventional input or output female
receptacle;
FIG. 5 shows a partial exploded view of a coaxial cable splice
connector according to the present invention, showing a solderless
coaxial cable splice connector for joining the ends of two coaxial
cables together, with the ends of the coaxial cables properly
dressed and with parts of the connector disposed in order of
installation;
FIG. 6 is a view after assembly of the splice connector of FIG. 5;
and
FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of the coaxial cable splice
connector of FIGS. 5 and 6.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIG. 1
thereof, a typical coaxial cable 10 comprises an inner conductor 12
made of a solid wire or, alternately, made of stranded wire of an
electrically conductive metal such as copper or the like,
surrounded by an insulation in the form of a cylindrical layer 14
of dielectric material such as polyethylene or Teflon, or the like,
which is in turn surrounded by a cylindrical tubular metallic braid
conductor 16, forming the outer conductor of the cable. The outer
tubular braided conductor 16 is generally in turn surrounded by a
tubular or sleevelike covering 18 of a weather resistant material
such as a rubber or a polyvinyl plastic.
Typical of such coaxial cables are RG/U 58 coaxial cable having an
outer diameter of 0.208 inch, RG/U 59 having an outer diameter of
0.255 inch, etc.
Preparatory to attaching the connector of the invention at the end
of the coaxial cable 10, the cable is dressed by removing the outer
covering 18 from approximately one-half inch from the end of the
cable, as shown. The outer tubular braided conductor 16 and the
inner dielectric layer 14 are cut off at about one-fourth inch from
the end of the cable, such that, as shown, about one-fourth inch of
the center inner conductor 12 is exposed and about
seven-thirty-seconds to one-fourth inch of the outer tubular
braided conductor 16 is exposed. A hollow metallic sleeve member 20
and a metallic collar member 22, forming part of the prong
connector of the invention, are threaded over the cable 10, as
shown. The end of the tubular braided conductor 16 is subsequently
pushed back or radially fanned out as shown at 17, thus exposing a
portion of the inner insulator 14.
A dielectric insulating washer 28 having inner bore threads 29 and
preferably serrations 31 on its outer surface to facilitate
handling of the dielectric washer 28 is then threaded over the
inner dielectric insulation layer 14 on the end of the cable 10
into a firm mechanical engagement such that the fanned out end
portion 17 of the tubular braided conductor 16 is firmly disposed
between the insulator washer 28 and the end of the outer covering
18 of coaxial cable 10. The exposed end of the inner conductor 12
is subsequently bent and formed in a small radius loop 30 disposed
in a transverse plane (FIGS. 2 and 3).
The prong connector according to the present invention further
includes a plug member 34 made of a dielectric material and forming
a hollow body member 36 provided with a longitudinally disposed
bore 38 having an enlarged diameter portion 40. The periphery of
the rearward portion of the hollow body member 36 is threaded as
shown at 42 and the forward portion thereof forms an enlarged
diameter shoulder portion 44 having a knurled peripheral surface
46. The inner longitudinal bore portion 38 of the dielectric hollow
body member 36 is adapted to receive, under press fit, the body
portion 54 of a prong 56 having an enlarged shoulder rearward
portion 58 adapted to engage the enlarged inner diameter bore
portion 40 of the insulating hollow body member 36 and forming an
anterior electrical contact and mechanical clamping surface 62.
The plug member 34 is screwed into the hollow sleeve member 20 as
shown in FIG. 2, by engaging the thread 42 of the plug member 34
with a corresponding inner thread 64 on the internal bore 66 of the
forward end of the hollow sleeve member 20. The hollow sleeve
member 20 has a reduced diameter bore 68 adapted to engage the
peripheral surface of the insulating covering 18 of the cable and
defining an inner annular transverse abutment surface 70. When the
plug member 34 is tightly screwed into the hollow sleeve member 20,
as shown in FIG. 2, the bent over looped end 30 of the inner
conductor 12 is thus tightly secured by being clamped between the
rearward end surface 62 of the prong 56 and the forward surface of
dielectric washer 28, thus affording a continuous electric path
from the inner conductor 12 to the prong 56, while, at the same
time, a strong mechanical and electrical connection is effected
between the hollow sleeve member 20 and the outer braided conductor
16, by way of the braided conductor 16 being securely clamped at
its fanned out end portion 17 between the annular abutment surface
70 of the hollow sleeve member and the dielectric washer 28
securedly threaded on the end of the inner insulation 14.
The collar member 22 has an internal bore 72 provided with an
internal thread 74 proximate the forward end thereof, and is formed
with a rearwardly disposed inwardly extending shoulder portion 76
adapted to engage the rearward surface of an outwardly extending
flange portion 77 formed on the end of the sleeve member 20 when
the connector is used to securely fasten the plug member with the
prong 56 inserted in the usual manner in the recess 78 of a
receptacle 80 forming the terminal of the equipment, not shown, to
which cable 10 is electrically connected, as shown in FIG. 4. The
recess 78 is insulated by means such as, for example, an insulating
sleeve 82 from the body of the receptacle 80 and the peripheral
surface thereof is provided with a thread 84 adapted to engage the
thread 74 within the collar member 22. In this manner, a solid
mechanical attachment of the coaxial cable 10 is accomplished by
means of the prong connector of the invention, while a continuous
electrical path is effected from the inner conductor 12 of the
cable to the recess 78 of the receptacle and from the outer tubular
braided conductor 16 of the cable to the body 80 of the
receptacle.
In order to facilitate manipulation of the prong connector of the
invention, a portion of the peripheral surface of the collar member
22 is preferably provided with a knurled surface as shown at 86 in
FIG. 1, and a portion of the rearward end of the hollow sleeve
member 20 is also provided with a knurled surface as shown at 88 in
FIG. 1. Knurled surface 88 on the hollow sleeve member 20 causes an
expansion of the metal where such knurled surface is formed, which
in turn causes an increase of diameter of the hollow sleeve member,
as shown at 90 in FIG. 2, or alternately, the hollow sleeve member
may be provided with a slightly enlarged rear end portion 90 of a
diameter larger than the bore 92 formed by the shoulder portion 76
of the collar member 22.
As shown in FIGS. 5--7, the principles of the present invention may
be adapted to a coaxial cable splice connector for connecting
together the separate ends of a pair of coaxial cables 10a and 10b.
The ends of the coaxial cables 10a and 10b are properly dressed, as
previously explained, by removing the outer insulation coverings
18a and 18b approximately one-half inch from the ends of the
cables. The outer tubular braided conductors 16a and 16b and the
inner dielectric layers 14a and 14b are cut off at about one-fourth
inch from the ends of the cables such that about one-fourth inch of
the inner conductors 12a and 12b is exposed and about one-fourth
inch of the outer tubular braided conductors 16a and 16b is
exposed.
The end of the cable 10a, for example, is passed through a hollow
metallic sleeve 104. The sleeve 104, as best shown in FIG. 7, has a
longitudinal bore 106 having an internal diameter corresponding to
the outer diameter of the coaxial cable 10a and provided with an
enlarged diameter bore portion 108, such that an annular shoulder
abutment 110 is formed at the junction between the two bore
portions. The end of the enlarged diameter bore portion 108 is
internally threaded as shown at 112.
The end of the cable 10b is passed through a hollow metallic plug
114 having a longitudinal bore 116 accepting the cable 10b
therethrough. One end of the hollow plug 114 has a reduced diameter
portion 117 provided with an external thread 118 for engagement
with the internal thread 112 of the hollow sleeve 104.
In order to improve finger grip on both the hollow sleeve 104 and
the hollow plug 114, a portion of the peripheral surface of the
hollow sleeve 104 is preferably provided with a knurled surface as
shown at 120, at FIGS. 5 and 6 and the peripheral surface of the
hollow plug 114 is also provided with a knurled surface as shown at
122.
The ends of the outer tubular braided conductors 16a and 16b of
cables 10a and 10b, respectively, are radially fanned out as shown
at 17a and 17b, and the dielectic washers 28a and 28b, of identical
construction, and each provided with an internally threaded bore
29a and 29b and an outer surface having serrations as shown at 31a
and 31b are threaded on the exposed ends of the cable inner
insulators 14a and 14b. In this manner, the dielectric washers 28a
and 28b are securely held in position over the coaxial cable inner
dielectric layers 14a and 14b, respectively, with the outer braided
conductors 16a and 16b of the cables maintained in a radially
fanned out configuration. The ends of the inner conductors 12a and
12b are bent over and formed into small radius loops 30a and 30b,
respectively, disposed in a transverse plane.
The hollow sleeve 104 is then slipped towards the end of the
coaxial cable 10a such that the fanned out end portion 17a of the
outer tubular braided conductor 16a engages the annular shoulder
abutment 110 formed between the enlarged bore portion 108 and the
reduced portion 106 of the sleeve 104, thus providing an
electrically conductive path between the tubular braided conductor
16a and the body of the hollow sleeve 104, the dielectric washer
28a being situated within the enlarged bore portion 108 of the
hollow sleeve 104. A cylindrical plug member 124 made of an
electrically conductive metallic slug 126 substantially centrally
disposed within a dielectric ring 128 substantially of the same
diameter as the reduced diameter portion 117 and the dielectric
washers 28a and 28b, is then inserted into the bore 108 of the
hollow sleeve 104, such that the face of the slug 126 engages the
surface of the loop 30a formed at the end of the inner wire 12a of
the cable 10a. To complete the assembly, the hollow plug 114 is
tightly screwed into the end of the hollow sleeve 104. After the
splice connector of the invention is assembled, as shown at FIG. 7,
the fanned out end portion 17b of the outer threaded conductor 16b
of the coaxial cable 10b is firmly clamped between the annular end
face 130 of the hollow plug 114 and the corresponding face of the
dielectric washer 28b, and the fanned out end portion 17a of the
tubular braided conductor 16a of the coaxial cable 10a is securely
clamped between the annular shoulder portion 110 of the hollow
sleeve 104 and the face of the dielectric washer 28a, thus insuring
a continuous electrical path between the outer braided conductors
of the respective cables, through the body of the hollow sleeve 104
and the hollow plug 114. The small radius loop 30b on the inner
conductor 12b of the cable 10b is securely clamped between the
dielectric washer 28b and one surface of the metallic slug 126,
while the second radius loop 30a is similarly clamped between the
other end of the metallic slug 126 of the cylindrical plug member
124 and the face of the dielectric washer 28a, thus providing a
continuous electric path between the inner conductors 12a and 12b
of the respective coaxial cables. The continuous electric path
between the inner conductors 12a and 12b is properly insulated from
the hollow sleeve 104, and the clamping of the diverse conductors
by way of the elements of the splice connector of the invention
results in a strong mechanical connection between the two cables
providing separate continuous electric paths between the separate
conductors of the cable, proper insulation of an electric path from
the other, and adequate weather protection of the connection.
Although not shown at FIGS. 5-7, if so desired, the internal bore
116 of the hollow plug member 114 and the reduced diameter bore
portion 106 of the hollow sleeve 104 may be provided with a thread,
substantially alike the thread 68 of the hollow sleeve member 20 of
the prong connector of FIGS. 1-4, for gripping the outermost layer
of insulation of the respective coaxial cables.
The diverse elements forming the solder less prong connector of
FIGS. 1-4 and the diverse elements forming the splice connector
assembly of FIGS. 5-7 have obviously appropriate dimensions, and
the dielectric washers have appropriate thickness, that insure
proper clamping of the diverse elements in assembly and proper
clamping of the separate cable conductors to provide a strong
mechanical assembly and safe electrically conductive paths.
It is obvious that the structures described in the foregoing
description and in the accompanying drawings are given by way of
illustration only, and various different modifications and
embodiments may be made by those skilled in the art without
departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the
following claims.
* * * * *