COAXIAL CABLE CONNECTOR HAVING A COLLAPSIBLE PORTION

• US 20120270439A1
• Filed: 04/25/2011
• Published: 10/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PPC Broadband Incorporated (Belden Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Belden Inc.
• Inventors: Tremba, Timothy Noel, Derenthal, Brian, Watkins, Harold, Hauver, Bruce
• Granted Patent: US 8,632,360 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/578
• 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 9/0524 Connection to outer conductor by action of a clamping member, e.g. screw fastening means H01R9/0515 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49208 by assembling plural parts

Abstract

A coaxial cable connector is configured to connect a coaxial cable to a mating connector. The coaxial cable connector includes a connector body having a forward end and a rearward end opposite the forward end, the rearward end configured to receive a coaxial cable; an annular post disposed at least partially within the connector body; and a sleeve configured to be received within the connector body and movable from a first position to a second position relative to the connector body. The sleeve includes a collapsible portion configured to collapse radially inward in an asymmetric fashion toward the post as the collapsible sleeve is moved from the first position to the second position.

Claims

1. A coaxial cable connector configured to connect a coaxial cable to a mating connector, the coaxial cable connector comprising:

a connector body having a forward end and a rearward end opposite the forward end, the rearward end configured to receive a coaxial cable;

an annular post disposed at least partially within the connector body; and

a sleeve configured to be received within the connector body and movable from a first position to a second position relative to the connector body;

wherein the sleeve comprises a collapsible portion configured to collapse radially inward in an asymmetric fashion toward the post as the collapsible sleeve is moved from the first position to the second position.

2. The connector of claim 1, wherein the collapsible portion comprises a first annular sidewall and a second annular sidewall.

3. The connector of claim 2, wherein the first and second annular sidewalls form a forward-tilting grasping member in the second position, the grasping member configured to retain the coaxial cable within the connector.

4. The connector of claim 2, wherein the first and second sidewalls form an annular space between the collapsible portion and the connector body in the first position.

5. The connector of claim 4, further comprising a seal member provided within the annular space.

6. The connector of claim 2, wherein the first annular sidewall and the second annular sidewall are non-symmetric about a joint formed between the first annular sidewall and the second annular sidewall.

7. The connector of claim 2, wherein the body comprises a shoulder portion configured to limit forward axial movement of the sleeve within the body.

8. The connector of claim 2, wherein the first and second sidewalls of the sleeve extend relative to a longitudinal axis of the connector at differing angles.

9. The connector of claim 1, wherein the body comprises one of a detent and a recess configured to engage and retain the sleeve in the first position, and subsequently engage and retain the sleeve in the second position after movement of the sleeve from the first position to the second position.

14. The connector of claim 2, wherein the first and second sidewalls each comprises a plurality of discrete generally non-coplanar inner surfaces.

15. The connector of claim 14, wherein the plurality of discrete generally non-coplanar inner surfaces comprises at least two different sized surfaces.

10. A coaxial cable connector configured to connect a coaxial cable to a mating connector, the coaxial cable connector comprising:

a connector body having a forward end and a rearward end opposite the forward end, the rearward end configured to receive a coaxial cable;

a nut coupled to the forward end of the body and configured to engage the mating connector;

an annular post disposed within the connector body; and

a sleeve received within the connector body and movable from a first position to a second position, the sleeve comprising first and second annular sidewalls;

wherein the first and second annular sidewalls are configured to deform radially inward and form a forward-tilting grasping member as the sleeve is moved from the first position to the second position; and

wherein the grasping member is configured to provide a compressive force on the coaxial cable.

11. The connector of claim 10, wherein the first and second annular sidewalls comprise inner and outer surfaces, the inner surfaces forming a first general V-shape and the outer surfaces forming a second general V-shape in the first position.

12. The connector of claim 10, wherein the second annular sidewall is relatively thicker than the first annular sidewall.

13. The connector of claim 10, wherein the connector body comprises a shoulder portion and a lip portion;

wherein the shoulder portion limits forward axial movement of the sleeve in both the first and second positions; and

wherein the lip portion limits rearward axial movement of the sleeve in both the first and second positions.

16. A method of assembling a coaxial cable connector to a coaxial cable, the coaxial cable connector comprising a body, a post provided within the body, and a sleeve extending from a rearward portion of the body, the coaxial cable comprising an inner conductor, an insulator surrounding the inner conductor, an outer conductor surrounding the insulator, and an outer jacket, the method comprising:

inserting the cable into a rearward portion of the connector such that the inner conductor and insulator are received within the post and the outer conductor and jacket are received within an annular bore between the post and the body; and

moving the sleeve axially forward within the body from a first position to a second position to asymmetrically collapse a collapsible portion of the sleeve;

wherein the sleeve forms a forward-tilting projection in the second position, the projection configured to provide a compressive force on the jacket and retain the cable within the connector.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the collapsible portion of the sleeve comprises first and second sidewalls coupled at a joint portion, the first and second sidewalls being asymmetric about the joint portion.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the first and second sidewalls form an asymmetric V-shape.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein each of the first and second sidewalls comprises a plurality of discrete generally non-coplanar inner surfaces.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the plurality of discrete generally non-coplanar inner surfaces comprises at least two different sized surfaces.