Connecting assembly for an end of a coaxial cable and method of connecting a coaxial cable to a connector
First Claim
1. A connecting assembly for an end of a coaxial cable, the connecting assembly comprising:
- a first element that is turned around a first axis in a first rotational direction to progressively tighten the first element to a connector;
a housing having an exposed surface that can be engaged by a user and turned around the first axis; and
the connecting assembly further comprising;
a) an axially elongated first groove in one component; and
b) an axially elongated first finger on a second component that resides within the first groove with the connecting assembly in a first state,with the connecting assembly in the first state, turning of the housing in the first rotational direction causes the first finger to cause driving of the first element in the first rotational direction with a torque up to a predetermined torque,whereupon continued turning of the housing in the first rotational direction with a torque exceeding the predetermined torque causes reconfiguration of the connecting assembly in a manner whereby;
i) the first finger moves circumferentially out of the first groove; and
ii) the housing moves in the first rotational direction a first circumferential distance without causing movement of the first element a corresponding first circumferential distance,wherein the first finger is reconfigured by being deformed primarily by radial material compression to allow the first finger to move circumferentially out of the first groove with the connecting assembly in the first state and a torque applied to the housing that exceeds the predetermined torque.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A connecting assembly for an end of a coaxial cable and having a first element, that is turned around a first axis in a first rotational direction to progressively tighten the first element to a connector, and a housing. The connecting assembly further has: a) an axially elongated first groove in one component; and b) an axially elongated first finger on a second component that resides within the first groove with the connecting assembly in a first state. With the connecting assembly in the first state, turning of the housing in the first rotational direction causes the first finger to cause driving of the first element with a torque up to a predetermined torque. Continued turning of the housing with a torque exceeding the predetermined torque causes reconfiguration of the connecting assembly in a manner whereby the first finger moves circumferentially out of the first groove.
-
Citations
26 Claims
-
1. A connecting assembly for an end of a coaxial cable, the connecting assembly comprising:
-
a first element that is turned around a first axis in a first rotational direction to progressively tighten the first element to a connector; a housing having an exposed surface that can be engaged by a user and turned around the first axis; and the connecting assembly further comprising;
a) an axially elongated first groove in one component; and
b) an axially elongated first finger on a second component that resides within the first groove with the connecting assembly in a first state,with the connecting assembly in the first state, turning of the housing in the first rotational direction causes the first finger to cause driving of the first element in the first rotational direction with a torque up to a predetermined torque, whereupon continued turning of the housing in the first rotational direction with a torque exceeding the predetermined torque causes reconfiguration of the connecting assembly in a manner whereby;
i) the first finger moves circumferentially out of the first groove; and
ii) the housing moves in the first rotational direction a first circumferential distance without causing movement of the first element a corresponding first circumferential distance,wherein the first finger is reconfigured by being deformed primarily by radial material compression to allow the first finger to move circumferentially out of the first groove with the connecting assembly in the first state and a torque applied to the housing that exceeds the predetermined torque. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
4. (canceled)
-
11. (canceled)
-
18. A connecting assembly for an end of a coaxial cable, the connecting assembly comprising:
-
a first internally threaded element that is turned around a first axis in a first rotational direction to progressively threadably tighten the first element to a connector; a housing having an exposed surface that can be engaged by a user and turned around the first axis; an axially elongated first groove in one of the first element and housing; and an axially elongated first finger on the other of the first element and housing, the first finger having a circumferential surface residing within the first groove with the connecting assembly in a first state, the circumferential surface of the first finger and first groove nominally matched in shape as viewed in cross section taken transversely to the first axis, with the connecting assembly in the first state, turning of the housing in the first rotational direction causes the first finger within the first groove to drive the first element in the first rotational direction with a torque up to a predetermined torque, whereupon continued turning of the housing in the first rotational direction with a torque exceeding the predetermined torque causes reconfiguration of at least one of the first finger and surface bounding the first groove whereby;
i) the first finger moves circumferentially out of the first groove; and
ii) the housing moves in the first rotational direction a first circumferential distance without causing movement of the first element a corresponding first circumferential distance. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
-
-
23. A connecting assembly for an end of a coaxial cable, the connecting assembly comprising:
-
a first element that is turned around a first axis in a first rotational direction to progressively tighten the first element to a connector; a housing having an exposed surface that can be engaged by a user and turned around the first axis; and cooperating groove and finger means, provided one each on the first element and housing, for;
a) causing the first element to follow movement of the housing with the housing turned around the first axis with a torque up to a pre-determined torque; and
b) allowing the housing to move circumferentially relative to the first element with the housing turned around the first axis with a torque exceeding the predetermined torque.
-
-
24. (canceled)
-
25. A connecting assembly for a coaxial cable, the connecting assembly comprising:
-
a threaded element having a first axis for rotation in a first direction, the threaded element comprising; an internal passageway having internal threads; and an outer surface having a first groove bounded by a surface; and a housing having a first surface configured to be engaged by a user for rotation about the first axis, the housing having a housing internal passageway, the housing internal passageway at one end having an axial engagement portion for engaging the first groove, whereby turning the housing in the first direction causes the axial engagement portion to engage the first groove to cause the threaded element to move in the first direction with a predetermined torque, whereupon continued turning of the housing in the first direction with a torque exceeding the predetermined torque causes the axial engagement portion to rotatably move out of the first groove, wherein at least one of the surface bounding the groove and the axial engagement portion is reconfigured by being deformed primarily by radial material compression to allow the axial engagement portion to rotatably move out of the first groove as an incident of the housing being turned with a torgue exceeding the predetermined torque.
-
-
26. A connecting assembly for an end of a coaxial cable, the connecting assembly comprising:
-
a first element that is turned around a first axis in a first rotational direction to progressively tighten the first element to a connector; a housing having an exposed surface that can be engaged by a user and turned around the first axis; and the connecting assembly further comprising;
a) an axially elongated first groove in one component; and
b) an axially elongated first finger on a second component that resides within the first groove with the connecting assembly in a first state,with the connecting assembly in the first state, turning of the housing in the first rotational direction causes the first finger to cause driving of the first element in the first rotational direction with a torque up to a predetermined torque, whereupon continued turning of the housing in the first rotational direction with a torque exceeding the predetermined torque causes reconfiguration of the connecting assembly in a manner whereby;
i) the first finger moves circumferentially out of the first groove; and
ii) the housing moves in the first rotational direction a first circumferential distance without causing movement of the first element a corresponding first circumferential distance,wherein the second component has a body and the first finger has axially spaced first and second ends and is cantilever mounted to the body by connection of the first end of the finger to the body so that the finger projects in an axial direction and the second end of the first finger can bend relative to the first end of the first finger in a radial direction to move into and out of the first groove.
-
Specification