Coaxial Cable Connector

Abstract

A coaxial cable connector for securing the inner and outer conductors of the cable. A connector housing has a radially deformable inner conductor seizing member, a radially deformable outer conductor seizing member and a radially deformable contact member interconnecting the inner conductor seizing member and the outer conductor seizing member. A gland nut is rotated in the housing, thereby applying an axial force to the seizing members and causing the inner conductor and the outer conductor seizing members to contract radially, while simultaneously causing the contact member to expand.

Description

The invention relates in general to a coaxial cable connector and, more particularly, to an electrical connector which can be readily secured to the center and outer conductors of a coaxial cable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

With the advent of community antenna television systems (CATV), coaxial cables have been utilized to interconnect a master antenna to homes in a given area by utilizing a coaxial cable. The cable is normally brought into the home and terminated in a connector which, in turn, may be mated with a connector electrically connected to the television set in the home. To perform such an operation both rapidly and simply, it is necessary that the electrical connector be able to engage the cable and securely captivate the cable conductor in the connector.

In prior art arrangements, the insulation was removed between the layers of the inner and outer conductors and the bared central conductor inserted in the connector. Then the two parts of the connector were rotated with respect to each other; both the inner and outer conductors were secured to the connector by means of captivating surfaces. In one arrangement, a spring like member was utilized to assure that the captivating surfaces exerted sufficient pressure on the captivating member of the inner conductor. Such an arrangement was complex and rather expensive. In an alternative arrangement, the captivating member was utilized to secure the inner conductor as well as being utilized itself to secure the outer conductor. However, such an arrangement did not perform an adequate captivation of both the inner or outer conductors. A third arrangement which utilized separate captivating members for securing the inner and outer conductors simultaneously, was found to be inadequate in view of the fact that the captivating forces tended to counteract each other.

In order to overcome the attendant disadvantages of prior art captivating electrical connectors, the present invention provides a rapid, simple arrangement for readily securing both the inner and outer conductors to an electrical connector. An end nut is provided which exerts a forward force on captivating members mounted within the connector. The captivating members are moved radially and thereby secure the connector to the inner and outer conductors. Moreover, a clamping adapter may be provided which allows different diameter cables to be secured to the connector.

The advantages of this invention, both as to its construction and mode of operation will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts an exploded view of the connector in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates an assembled view of the electrical connector of FIG. 1 prior to securing the cable to the connector; and

FIG. 3 shows the connector with a cable fully secured thereto.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 a preferred embodiment of the electrical connector in accordance with the invention. The connector 12 is formed of a main housing portion 14. Mounted in the front end of the main housing is an insert made of inert plastic insulating material 16 such as Teflon which is used to insulate the main housing 14 from a central contact member 18. Also mounted in the housing rearwardly from the front end thereof is a bushing 22 which may be made of a plastic insulating material such as molded Delrin and is split so as to allow compression thereof.

Mounted rearwardly of the portion 22 is a tapered ground bushing 24 which is also split. Mounted within the rear half of the bushing 24 and extending rearwardly thereof is a cable sleeve locking member 26 which is normally angularly split along a diagonal so as to allow compression thereof. To the rear of the sleeve 26 is a compression seal housing bushing 28 having mounted along the inner surface thereof a rubber compression member 32. To the rear of the member 28 a compression member 32 is an O-ring housing member 34 having a O-ring seal 36 mounted along the central outer surface of the housing 34. Finally, threadably secured to the rear end of the main housing 14 is gland nut 38.

In addition, optionally, an adapter ring may be mounted within the member 26 for accommodating different diameters of coaxial cables. The connector may be mounted on a bulkhead having an opening therethrough, the opening being sufficient to insert the front end of the connector therein. A bulkhead O-ring rubber sealing member 40 can be provided to provide a sealing surface between the front end of the bulkhead and the housing 14. The connector is typically utilized to connect a coaxial cable 50 to equipment mounted in the bulkhead.

As can be seen in greater detail in FIG. 2, the housing 14 has a forward facing shoulder 52 defining the front opening 54 therein. A front bore portion 56 in the housing terminates at its front end at a rearward facing shoulder 58, the rearward facing shoulder also defining the rear end of the opening 54. An enlarged diameter rear bore portion 62 is interconnected to the front bore portion 56 by a rearward facing tapered surface 64. The rear end of the bore portion 62 may be threaded as at 66. Further, a dimpled key 68 may be formed at approximately the middle of the bore portion 62.

The outer surface of the housing 14 is threaded at its front end as at 72 with the threads terminating at an annular groove 74 and the rear end of the annular groove being defined by a forward facing shoulder 76. The annular groove 74 provides a mounting surface for the O-ring rubber seal member 40.

The insert 16 contains a reduced diameter forward bore portion 82 and an enlarged diameter rear bore portion 84, the junction of the bore portions 82 and 84 defining a rearward facing shoulder 86 in the insert. Further, the outer surface of the insert 16 contains a reduced diameter front portion 88 and an enlarged diameter rear portion 92 with the junction of the portions 88 and 92 forming a forward facing shoulder 94. The front face 96 of the insert is formed such that it is flush with the forward facing shoulder 52 of the housing 14 when the insert 16 is mounted in the housing 14. Further, the shoulder 58 of the housing abuts the shoulder 94 of the insert, thus allowing the insert 16 to be correctly positioned within the housing when inserted from the rear end thereof.

The central contact member 18 is formed of a forward, solid, reduced diameter contacting portion 102 which extends forwardly from the insert 96 and a central, solid, enlarged diameter portion 104, the junctions of the portions 102 and 104 forming a forward facing shoulder 106 which abuts the rearward facing shoulder 86 when the contact 18 is mounted therein. Further, the rear end of the contact member 18 contains a rearward opening tubular socket portion 108 extending rearwardly from the central portion 104. The tubular portion 108 may have a bore 112 formed therein and can be slotted as at 114 so as to allow contraction of the socket portion 108, as well as being threaded at the rear end of the bore so as to facilitate grasping of a central conductor of a coaxial cable.

The bushing 22 contains a front bore portion 122 which extends from the front surface 124 of the bushing 22 to a forward facing tapered shoulder 126. The diameter of the bore portion 122 is approximately equal to the outer diameter of the tubular socket 108. The shoulder 126 defines the front end of a reduced diameter central bore portion 128 whose rear end is defined by a rearwardly facing tapered shoulder 132. An enlarged diameter rear bore portion 134 in the bushing extends from the rear surface 136 of the bushing to a rearward facing shoulder 138, with the rearward facing tapered shoulder 132 terminating at the shoulder 138.

The outer surface of the bushing 22 tapers outwardly as at 142 from the front surface 124 of the bushing to an outer cylindrical surface 144. The front end of the surface 142 is such that the bushing 22 can be inserted from the rear of the housing and the front surface 124 will be flush approximately with the junction of the bore portion 56 and the tapered surface 64. The surface 142 tapers at a greater angle than the surface 64 so that a gap actually exists between the two surfaces where the rear diameter portion 144 is formed in the bushing. The outer diameter of the portion 144, moreover, is less than the bore portion so 62 of the housing so a gap also exists therebetween. Further, the bushing 22 is split lengthwise as at 146 so as to allow contraction of the bushing, as will be explained hereinafter.

An outer diameter 152 of the tapered ground bushing 24 is slightly less than the opening of the bore portion 62 and contains a forward facing shoulder 154 and a rearward facing shoulder 156. Moreover, an opening 158 in the bushing 24 flares outwardly to the rear from the front surface 154 to the rear surface 156. The bushing, when inserted in the housing, has its front surface 154 abutting the rear surface 136 of the bushing 22. Further, the bushing 24 may also be split as at 160 to allow expansion of the bushing 24 for a grounding connection to bore portion 62.

The cable sleeve locking member 26 is internally threaded as at 162 from its front surface 164 to its rear surface 166. Further, the front outer surface tapers forwardly inwardly as at 168 with the rear end of the surface defining the junction with the cylindrical outer surface 170 of the member 26. The tapered surface 168 is such that it mates with the rearward tapered surface 158 of the bushing 24 when the connector is assembled. Further, the member 26 is split as at 171 to allow the member to contract.

The compression seal housing bushing 28 contains a reduced diameter forward bore portion 172 and an enlarged diameter rear bore portion 174, the junction of the bore portions 172 and 174 defining a rearward facing shoulder 176. Further, the front surface 178 of the bushing 28 abuts the rear surface 166 of the locking member 26. The outer diameter of the bushing 28 is slightly less than the bore 62 with the bushing 28 having a keyway 180 on its outer surface which engages dimpled key 68 with the key utilized to prevent rotation of bushing 28. This, in turn, prevents rotation or twisting of coaxial cable 50 when gland nut 38 is tightened.

The cylindrical rubber compression member 32 has an outer diameter approximately equal to the rear bore portion 174 and an inner diameter approximately equal to the forward bore portion 172. The front surface 182 of the rubber compression member 32 abuts the rearward facing shoulder 176 and the rear surface 184 may extend slightly to the rear of the rear surface of the bushing 28 during assembly.

The O-ring housing member 34 contains a bore 186 approximately equal to the bore 172 of the bushing 28 and has a forward facing surface 188 which abuts the rear facing surface 184 of the compression member 32 and a rear facing surface 192. The O-ring housing member 34 further contains a pair of outwardly extending flange members 194, 196 which terminate slightly before the bore portion 62 and provide containing surfaces between which the O-ring seal 36 can be mounted.

The gland nut 38 has a bore 202 therethrough which is approximately equal in diameter to the bore 186 and has a forward facing surface 204. The outer surface of the gland nut is threaded as at 206 near the front end thereof so as to allow the gland nut to be threadably mated with the inner threads 66 of the main housing. Further, the gland nut is enlarged at its rear end 208 so as to provide a gripping surface for rotating the gland nut.

The coaxial cable 50 which is to be secured to the connector contains an outer conductor 212 which is spaced from an inner conductor 214 by means of an insulating layer 216. The front end of the outer conductor 212 and the insulating layer 216 is removed from the cable so that the inner conductor 214 extends forward of the remainder of the cable.

The cable 50 is inserted into the connector housing as shown in FIG. 3 so that the inner conductor 214 is inserted into the tubular socket portion 108 until the front surface of the insulating layer 216 and outer conductor 212 abut the rearward facing shoulder 138 of the bushing 22. Then the gland nut 38 is rotated which initially causes the housing member 34 to move forward and compress the rubber compression member 32 until the front surface of the flange 194 abuts the rear surface of the housing bushing 28.

Further rotation of the nut 38 causes the bushing 28 to move forward with the front surface 178 abutting the rear surface 166 of the locking member 26. Further movement of the locking member 26 causes the locking member to compress as the tapered surface 168 rides up the tapered surface 158 of the ground bushing 24. Compression of the locking member 26 causes the threads 162 to be secured to the outer conductor 212 of the coaxial cable. Further, it should be noted that should a smaller diameter cable be used, an adapter ring could be mounted within the locking member 26 so as to utilize the same connector with the smaller diameter cable.

As the nut 38 is further rotated, the locking member 26 causes the bushing 24 to expand and, in turn, the bushing 22 to move forward. The expansion of bushing 24 provides a good ground connection with the bore portion 62 as was previously pointed out.

As the bushing 22 moves forward, the outer tapered surface 142 of the bushing abuts the tapered surface 64 of the housing and bushing 22 is compressed. Compression of the bushing 22 causes the bore surface 122 thereof to tighten around the socket portion 108 which, in turn, secures the threaded bore portion 112 to the inner conductor 214 of the cable.

Thus, as can be readily seen, the connector, when assembled, can be readily secured to both the inner and outer conductors of a coaxial cable. Operation is simple. The cable is merely bared at its outer layer and insulating layer and inserted into the connector. Then, the nut 38 is rotated until securing is completed.

Claims

What is claim is:

1. A coaxial cable for securing the inner and outer conductors of a cable to a connector comprising:

a connector housing member having a forwardly tapered inner surface;

a central contact member positioned in said housing member;

a radially deformable inner conductor seizing member having a forwardly tapered outer surface abutting said housing member tapered inner surface;

a radially deformable outer conductor seizing member;

a radially deformable contact member interconnecting said inner connector seizing member and said outer conductor seizing member; and

means for applying an axial force to said seizing members and causing said inner conductor and said outer conductor seizing members to contract radially while simultaneously causing said contact member to expand, said inner conductor seizing member compressing said central contact member.

2. A coaxial cable connector in accordance with claim 1 wherein said radially deformable contact member has a tapered inner surface and said outer conductor seizing member has a tapered outer surface abutting said inner surface, axial movement of said radially deformable member and said outer conductor seizing member causing said tapered surfaces to move with respect to each other and thereby compress said outer conductor seizing member.

3. A coaxial cable connector in accordance with claim 1 wherein said radially deformable contact member expands radially outwardly forming a grounding connection between said cable outer conductor and said connector housing.

4. A coaxial cable connector in accordance with claim 1 wherein said inner conductor seizing member, said outer conductor seizing member and said radially deformable contact member are all split, allowing radial deformation of said members.

5. A coaxial cable connector in accordance with claim 1 wherein said central contact member includes a socket member for insertion of said cable inner conductor therein, said inner conductor seizing member being radially deformable around said socket member compressing said socket member around said inner conductor.

6. A coaxial cable connector in accordance with claim 1 wherein said central contact member extends forwardly from the end of said housing member.