Connector producing a biasing force

• US 10,186,790 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2017
• Issued: 01/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PPC Broadband Incorporated (Belden Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PPC Broadband Incorporated (Belden Inc.)
• Inventors: Ehret, Trevor, Haube, Richard A., Montena, Noah P., Zraik, Souheil
• Primary Examiner(s): Hammond, Briggitte R
• Application Number:
  US15/601,455
• Publication Number:
  US 20170256871A1
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5025 one or more pieces being of resilient material
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5202 Sealing means between parts of housing or between housing part and a wall, e.g. sealing rings
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/62 Means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts or for holding them in engagement
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/622 Screw-ring or screw-casing H01R13/623 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/48 utilising a spring, clip, or other resilient member H01R4/52 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors of trolley lines B60M1/28
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/16 for manufacturing contact members, e.g. by punching and by bending
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/20 for assembling or disassembling contact members with insulating base, case or sleeve
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/26 for engaging or disengaging the two parts of a coupling device structural association with two-part coupling device H01R13/629
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/05 for coaxial cables
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/0521 Connection to outer conductor by action of a nut
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/0527 Connection to outer conductor by action of a resilient member, e.g. spring
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49174 Assembling terminal to elongated conductor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49204 Contact or terminal manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49208 by assembling plural parts

Abstract

A connector includes, in one embodiment, a first component, a coupling element configured to engage the first component, and a second component configured to engage the first component. The second component, in one embodiment, is configured to produce a spring, pushing or biasing force.

Claims

1. A coaxial cable connector comprising:

a coupler portion configured to engage an interface port, the coupler portion having a rearward facing coupler surface relative to a rearward direction away from the interface port when the coupler portion engages the interface port;

a post portion rotatably attached to the coupler portion, the post portion having a rearward facing post surface relative to the rearward direction away from the interface port when the connector is installed on the interface port; and

a body portion configured to engage the post portion when the connector is in an assembled state, the body portion comprising;

a biasing portion comprising a forward facing body surface relative to a forward direction toward the interface port, the forward facing body surface configured to exert a biasing force against the rearward facing coupler surface of the coupler portion when the connector is assembled so as to biasingly maintain the rearward facing coupler surface of the coupler portion in contact with the rearward facing post surface of the post portion during operation of the connector; and

a groove portion configured to allow the biasing portion to deflect in an axial direction.

2. The connector of claim 1, wherein the coupler portion is configured to move between a first position, when the coupler portion is partially threaded on the interface port, and a second position, when the coupler portion is fully threaded on the interface port.

3. The connector of claim 1, wherein the rearward facing coupler surface comprises a radial contact surface.

4. The coaxial cable connector of claim 1, wherein the forward facing body surface of the biasing portion extends a radial distance to engage the rearward facing coupler surface of the coupler portion.

5. The coaxial cable connector of claim 1, wherein the biasing portion cooperates with the groove portion to permit a deflection necessary to bias the coupler portion against the flange of the post portion.

6. The coaxial cable connector of claim 1, wherein the biasing portion includes a resilient portion configured to flex between an un-deformed state and a deformed state.

7. The coaxial cable connector of claim 1, wherein the coupler portion threadably engages the interface port and wherein the forward facing body surface is configured to bias the coupler portion forward when the coupler portion threadably disengages the interface port.

8. The coaxial cable connector of claim 1, wherein the biasing force comprises a constantly applied spring force when the coupler portion is not fully tightened on the interface port.

9. The coaxial cable connector of claim 1, wherein the coupler portion includes an inward lip defining a forward facing coupler surface relative to a forward direction toward the interface port, wherein the rearward facing post surface is defined by an outwardly projecting flange of the post portion, and wherein the biasing portion of the body portion is configured to bias the forward facing coupler surface against the rearward facing post surface to biasingly prevent separation between the post and coupler portions and biasingly maintain a ground path between the post and coupler portions during operation of the connector.

10. A connector body for a coaxial cable connector configured to connect a coaxial cable to an interface port, comprising:

a biasing portion comprising a forward facing body surface configured to exert a biasing force against a rearward facing surface of a port engaging portion when the connector is assembled so as to biasingly maintain the rearward facing surface of the port engaging portion in contact with a rearward facing post surface of a post portion and biasingly maintain a ground path between the port engaging portion and the post portion during operation of the connector;

a groove portion configured to allow the biasing portion to deflect in an axial direction; and

wherein the connector body is configured to be biasingly maintained in contact with the rearward facing surface of the port engaging portion during operation of the connector.

11. The connector body of claim 10, wherein the forward facing body surface of the biasing portion extends a radial distance to engage the rearward facing surface of the port engaging portion.

12. The connector body of claim 10, wherein the biasing portion cooperates with the annular groove to permit a deflection necessary to bias the port engaging portion against a flange of a post portion.

13. The connector body of claim 10, wherein the biasing portion includes a resilient portion configured to flex between an un-deformed state and a deformed state.

14. The connector body of claim 10, wherein the port engaging portion comprises a coupler portion that threadably engages an interface port, and the forward facing body surface is configured to bias the coupler portion forward when the coupler portion threadably disengages from the interface port.

15. The connector body of claim 10, wherein the port engaging portion comprises a coupler portion that includes an inward lip defining a forward facing coupler surface relative to a forward direction toward an interface port, the post portion is configured to engage the inward lip of the coupler portion so as to bias the coupler portion against the interface port and biasingly maintain ground contact between the coupler portion and the interface port during operation of the connector.

16. The connector body of claim 10, further comprising a cable receiving portion configured to accept a prepared end of the coaxial cable.

17. A connector comprising:

a coupler portion having a threaded portion configured to engage an interface port and move between a first position, where the coupler portion is partially threaded on the interface port, and a second position, where the coupler portion is fully threaded on the interface port, the coupler portion having a rearward facing coupler surface;

a body portion comprising a biasing portion comprising a forward facing body surface relative to the forward direction toward the interface port, the forward facing body surface configured to exert a biasing force against the rearward facing coupler surface of the coupler portion when the connector is assembled and when the coupler portion engages the interface port so as to biasingly maintain a ground path between the coupler portion and the interface port during operation of the connector; and

wherein the body portion further comprises a groove portion configured to allow the biasing portion to deflect in an axial direction and generate the biasing force against the rearward facing coupler surface of the coupler portion.

18. The connector of claim 17, wherein the biasing force is axially exerted against the coupler portion in an axially forward direction.

19. The connector of claim 17, wherein the biasing force is exerted against the connector body in an axially rearward direction.

20. The connector of claim 17, wherein the biasing portion includes a resilient portion configured to flex between an un-deformed state and a deformed state.

21. The connector of claim 17 wherein the coupler portion includes an inward lip defining a forward facing coupler surface relative to a forward direction toward the interface port and a post portion rotatably attached to the coupler portion, and the post portion includes a flange defining a rearward facing post surface relative to the rearward direction away from the interface port when the connector is installed on the interface port.

22. The connector of claim 21, wherein the biasing portion is configured to deflect axially so as to move the inward lip of the coupler portion toward the flange of the post portion until the coupler portion is fully threaded onto the interface port and the post portion makes constant physical and electrical contact with the interface port.

23. The connector of claim 21, wherein the coupler portion includes an internal wall extending axially rearward, and wherein the radial contact surface of the coupler portion is substantially perpendicular relative to the internal wall of the coupler portion.

24. The connector of claim 21, wherein the radial contact surface of the coupler portion is located axially rearward of the internal wall of the coupler portion.

25. The connector of claim 21, wherein the biasing portion is configured to exert a constant biasing force against the coupler portion.

26. The connector of claim 21, wherein the biasing portion is made of substantially non-metallic and non-conductive material.

27. The connector of claim 21, wherein the biasing portion is configured to exert a constant biasing force against the radial contact surface of the coupler portion when the connector is in the assembled state and when the coupler portion moves between the first position and the second position.