Axial anti-rotation coupling

• US 20100099290A1
• Filed: 10/21/2008
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc. (ITT, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc. (ITT, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gastineau, Douglas Reid
• Granted Patent: US 7,845,963 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/321
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/622 Screw-ring or screw-casing H01R13/623 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/639 Additional means for holding or locking coupling parts together, after engagement, e.g. separate keylock, retainer strap

Abstract

A mechanism of low cost and easy mounting, provides resistance to rotation of a coupling nut (14) of an electrical connector about the barrel (12) of the connector, and provides a higher resistance to rotation in one direction (U) than the opposite direction (M). A toothed ring (44) with a circle of teeth, is fixed to the barrel. The mechanism includes a washer (42) with projections (70, 72) that engage the teeth of the ring to ride over them during nut rotation, and thereby provide resistance to nut rotation. The washer is bent to form a spring to bias its projections against the teeth of the toothed ring. The washer also has ears (75, 76) that fit into slots in the nut to prevent washer rotation relative to the nut. The teeth of the toothed ring have first sides that are steeper than its second sides to provide higher resistance to rotation in one direction.

Claims

1. An electrical connector that includes a barrel element for holding a contact-mounting body, a coupling nut element extending around said barrel element and rotatable on said barrel element about an axis, and a mechanism coupled to said barrel and nut elements that resists rotation of the nut element in at least a first direction of rotation about said axis, wherein a first of said elements has a ring of teeth and the second element has rearward-facing support surface portions facing said teeth, and said apparatus includes a washer held against rotation relative to a second of said elements and engaged with said teeth to resist but allow relative rotation of said elements, wherein:

said washer is bent to form a plurality of circumferentially-spaced rear resting locations that rest against said rearward facing surface portions, and said washer has a plurality of circumferentially-spaced front washer locations spaced forward of said rear resting locations;

each of said front washer locations has a forward-projecting bump for engaging said teeth.

2. The connector described in claim 1 wherein:

said second element forms said flat surface portions and said second element has at least one radial notch extending radially from one of said flat surfaces;

said washer has radially inner and radially outer circular edges, and said washer has at least one ear projecting radially outward from one of rear resting locations into said notch.

3. The connector described in claim 1 wherein:

said teeth each have radial width (X) and a constant shape between said edges;

said washer has radially inner and radially outer primarily circular edges that form an annular band between them, and said bends that form bumps each extends across the entire annular width (W) of the band.

4. The connector described in claim 1 wherein:

said first element is said barrel element, and said ring of teeth is axially slidable on said barrel element but is not rotatable about said axis relative to said barrel element.

5. A connector that comprises elements including a barrel for holding a contact-mounting body and a coupling nut extending around and rotatable about an axis on the barrel, said connector including a ring of teeth held against rotation relative to a first of said elements and a mechanism that engages said teeth and the second of said elements to resist coupling nut rotation, wherein:

said mechanism includes a washer with a washer hole lying on said axis, said washer having a plurality of bends at each of a plurality of locations that are angularly spaced about said axis to form projections that project axially into engagement with said teeth, and means for biasing said projections axially against said teeth.

6. The connector described in claim 5 wherein:

said bends each forms a loop that extends in a half circle, with the washer and each bend each having a width (W) equal to the radial width of the washer adjacent to the bend.

7. The connector described in claim 5, wherein:

said nut forms a pair of rearward-facing support surface portions;

said means for biasing comprises bends in said washer that form longitudinally-spaced (N) front resting locations (60, 62) on opposite sides of said axis that rest against said support surface portions, and said projections lie on laterally (L) opposite sides of said axis, with said longitudinal and lateral directions being perpendicular to each other.

8. Apparatus for use with barrel and nut elements of a connector to fit between the nut and barrel element and allow the nut element to turn about a connector axis that extends in front and rear directions while resisting such turning, wherein said apparatus includes a ring of forward-projecting teeth with the ring being rotatable fixed to a first of said elements and the second element has a support surface that faces rearward, wherein:

said apparatus comprises a washer with a primarily circular hole and with a washer axis lying on said connector axis, said washer having a greater radial width (W) than its thickness (T), said washer being bent to form a plurality of angularly spaced washer rear end parts resting on said support surface, a plurality of angularly-spaced washer front ends lying forward of said washer rear ends, and a plurality of inclined intermediate washer parts that each extends between one of said rear ends and one of said front ends, said washer front end parts each has a bend that forms a rearward projection for engaging said teeth.

9. The apparatus described in claim 8 wherein:

said bends that form rearward projections are primarily in the form of half circles that extend across the entire radial width (W) of said washer.

10. The apparatus described in claim 8 wherein:

said second element has a pair of notches extending radially from said support surface, and said washer has a pair of radially outwardly projecting ears that fit into said notches.

11. The apparatus described in claim 8 wherein:

said ring of teeth is slidable along said axis relative to said first element.