Quick-Locking Coaxial Connector

• US 20190020149A1
• Filed: 06/01/2018
• Published: 01/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wu, Jianping, An, Hongjuan, Zheng, Jien
• Granted Patent: US 10,651,593 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/15 Pins, blades or sockets having separate spring member for producing or increasing contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/46 Bases; Cases
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/622 Screw-ring or screw-casing H01R13/623 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/623 Casing or ring with helicoidal groove
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6275 Latching arms not integral with the housing H01R13/6276, H01R13/6277, H01R13/6278 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6277 comprising annular latching means, e.g. ring snapping in an annular groove
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6582 with resilient means for engaging mating connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2103/00 Two poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/38 having concentrically or coaxially arranged contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/40 specially adapted for high frequency

Abstract

A quick-locking male connector includes: an inner contact; an insulator, wherein the inner contact resides within the insulator; an outer contact, wherein the insulator resides within the outer contact; a spring basket with a plurality of spring fingers, the spring basket abutting a forward end of the outer contact; an elastic claw with at least radially-inward one tooth and a radially-outward nub, wherein the spring basket resides within the claw, and wherein a gap exists between the at least one tooth and the spring fingers; a connector body attached to the outer contact; and a coupling nut having at least one radially-inward extending nub. The coupling nut is movable between a rear unsecured position, in which the nub of the coupling nut is rearward of the nub of the claw, and a forward secured condition, in which the nub of the coupling nut engages the nub of the claw and forces the at least one tooth of the claw radially inward to engage with a thread of an outer conductor body of a mating female connector inserted into the gap between the spring fingers and the tooth of the claw. The spring fingers of the spring basket apply radially-outward pressure to the outer conductor body of the mating female connector.

Claims

1. A quick-locking male connector, comprising:

an inner contact;

an insulator, wherein the inner contact resides within the insulator;

an outer contact, wherein the insulator resides within the outer contact;

a spring basket with a plurality of spring fingers, the spring basket abutting a forward end of the outer contact;

an elastic claw with at least one radially-inward tooth and a radially-outward nub, wherein the spring basket resides within the claw, and wherein a gap exists between the at least one tooth and the spring fingers;

a connector body attached to the outer contact; and

a coupling nut having at least one radially-inward extending nub;

wherein the coupling nut is movable between a rear unsecured position, in which the nub of the coupling nut is rearward of the nub of the claw, and a forward secured condition, in which the nub of the coupling nut engages the nub of the claw and forces the at least one tooth of the claw radially inward to engage with a thread of an outer conductor body of a mating female connector inserted into the gap between the spring fingers and the tooth of the claw; and

wherein the spring fingers of the spring basket apply radially-outward pressure to the outer conductor body of the mating female connector.

2. The quick-locking male connector defined in claim 1, wherein the claw includes declining slots, and wherein the coupling nut has radially-inwardly extending teeth received in the declining slots.

3. The quick-locking male connector defined in claim 1, further comprising a push nut that encircles the connector body, and wherein forward movement of the push nut moves the coupling nut from the unsecured position to the secured position.

4. The quick-locking male connector defined in claim 3, further comprising a spring that engages the push nut and the claw and biases the claw toward the secured position.

5. The quick-lock male connector defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one tooth of the claw is a plurality of teeth.

6. The quick-lock male connector defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one nub of the coupling nut is a plurality of nubs.

7. The quick-lock male connector defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one nub of the claw is a plurality of nubs.

8. The quick-lock male connector defined in claim 1, in combination with an SMA-type female connector.

9. The quick-lock male connector defined in claim 1, wherein the spring fingers have no axial contact with the outer conductor body of the mating connector.

11. The quick-locking male connector defined in claim 9, further comprising a spring basket with a plurality of spring fingers, the spring basket abutting a forward end of the outer contact;

and wherein a gap exists between the at least one tooth and the spring fingers; and

wherein the spring fingers of the spring basket apply radially-outward pressure to the outer conductor body of the mating female connector.

10. A quick-locking male connector, comprising:

an inner contact;

an insulator, wherein the inner contact resides within the insulator;

an outer contact, wherein the insulator resides within the outer contact;

an elastic claw with at least one radially-inward tooth and a radially-outward nub, wherein the spring basket resides within the claw;

a connector body attached to the outer contact, the coupling nut including front and rear ridges in a radially outward surface and a recess between the front and rear ridges; and

a coupling nut having at least one radially-inward extending nub and rearwardly-extending fingers, the rearwardly-extending fingers including radially-inwardly extending projections;

wherein the coupling nut is movable between a rear unsecured position, in which the nub of the coupling nut is rearward of the nub of the claw and the projections are rearward of the rear ridge of the connector body, and a forward secured condition, in which the nub of the coupling nut engages the nub of the claw and forces the at least one tooth of the claw radially inward to engage with a thread of an outer conductor body of a mating female connector, and the projections of the coupling nut are positioned in the recess.

12. The quick-locking male connector defined in claim 10, wherein the claw includes declining slots, and wherein the coupling nut has radially-inwardly extending teeth received in the declining slots.

13. The quick-lock male connector defined in claim 10, wherein the at least one tooth of the claw is a plurality of teeth.

14. The quick-lock male connector defined in claim 10, wherein the at least one nub of the coupling nut is a plurality of nubs.

15. The quick-lock male connector defined in claim 10, wherein the at least one nub of the claw is a plurality of nubs.

16. The quick-lock male connector defined in claim 10, in combination with an SMA-type female connector.

17. The quick-lock male connector defined in claim 10, wherein the spring fingers have no axial contact with the outer conductor body of the mating connector.