CONNECTOR - UNIVERSAL

• US 3,680,034 A
• Filed: 07/17/1969
• Issued: 07/25/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Amphenol Corporation
• Original Assignee: Jerry Provinsky, Weichien Chow
• Inventors: Chow, Weichien, Provinsky, Jerry
• Primary Examiner(s): Leppink, James A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lewis, Terrell P.
• Application Number:
  US04/842,450
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: 285/32,65,66 287/103,104 339/47,48,49,89
• US Class Current: 439/289
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/28 Contacts for sliding cooperation with identically-shaped contact, e.g. for hermaphroditic coupling devices H01R24/84 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/622 Screw-ring or screw-casing H01R13/623 takes precedence

Abstract

A universal connector assembly for a co-axial cable, or air line, including a pair of identical units, each mounted one one of the line sections to be connected, one of them having an inner sleeve fitted over the ends of both line sections at the juncture when the units are connected, and an outer coupling ring connectable to a fixed element in the other unit; also center contact means for connecting the center conductor, including a button on each, and each button including radially flexible fingers penetrable into its own center conductor and self-biased into engagement with the other button.

Claims

1. A connector assembly for use in connecting a pair of line sections, including identical connector units on the sections, each unit including a threaded inner coupling sleeve surrounding the line section in spaced relation thereto and fixed axially thereon, and a threaded outer coupling ring on the inner coupling sleeve movable axially on the line section forwardly from a retracted position to an advanced position wherein it projects forwardly beyond the end of the inner coupling sleeve, a centering sleeve between the line section and the inner threaded coupling sleeve and closely fitting the line section, the outer coupling ring being threadable onto the inner coupling sleeve on the other line section, and when so threaded being operative for moving the centering sleeve into telescoping relation over adjacent portions of both line sections, whereby the outer coupling ring and the inner coupling sleeve on which it is threaded, and the centering sleeve in telescoping relation as stated, form a continuous composite component engaging both sections of the line and form an effective continuous rigid line of the sections.

2. A connector assembly according to claim 1 wherein the outer threaded member is threaded on the inner member of its own unit, and positionable axially rearwardly from the forward end thereof, whereby to enable threading of the outer member of either unit onto that inner threaded member of the other unit.

3. A connector assembly according to claim 1 wherein each inner threaded member is secured on its line section and has an axially forward terminal portion forming an effective forward end of the line section, the two line sections being arranged for alignment and end-to-end abutment of the inner threaded members, the outer threaded members being individually movable each beyond its own inner threaded member and into telescoping relation to the other, whereby to encompass the two inner threaded members to form a continuous effectively single line.

4. A connector assembly according to claim 1 wherein each unit includes a tubular body secured to the line section and having a plurality of circumferentially discontinuous radially outwardly extending projections, and the inner threaded member is secured to said projections.

5. A connector assembly according to claim 4 wherein the tubular body and inner threaded member together form a sub-unit fixed axially on the line section, and the centering sleeve is fixed to the outer coupling ring for movement axially therewith and movable into telescoping relation with the other line section when the connector units are connected.

6. A connector assembly according to claim 5 wherein the centering sleeve is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots receiving the projections on the tubular body.

7. A connector assembly according to claim 1 wherein each unit includes a tubular body secured to the line section and the coupling sleeve is connected to the tubular body, the coupling ring is mounted on the coupling sleeve and movable from its own coupling sleeve to the coupling sleeve in the other unit.

8. A connector assembly according to claim 1 and including means operative for normally retaining each outer coupling ring against rotation, and each means being manually actuatable for releasing the corresponding outer coupling ring, the outer coupling riNgs being fully rotatable when so released.

9. A connector assembly according to claim 8 wherein the retaining means includes an axially movable and non-rotatable reaction ring, means biasing the reaction ring forwardly into non-rotating engagement with the outer coupling ring when the latter is in retracted position.

10. A connector assembly for use in connecting a pair of line sections including identical connector units on the sections, each unit including a tubular body mounted on the end of the line section and having an axially forward end surface, the tubular body having a pair of circumferentially discontinuous projections extending outwardly and having external threads, a coupling sleeve telescoped over the tubular body and having inturned elements non-rotatingly engaging said projections and having external threads adjacent its forward end, and its forward end terminating no farther than the forward end of the tubular body, the tubular body and coupling sleeve thus forming a sub-unit fixed axially of the line section, an outer coupling ring mounted on the tubular body and movable axially thereof and thus axially of the line section and having at its forward end internal threads engaging the external threads at the forward end of the coupling sleeve, and having a retracted position removed from the forward end of the tubular body and also from the forward end of the external threads on the coupling sleeve, the outer coupling ring by threading on its related coupling sleeve being projectible beyond that coupling sleeve and thus beyond the end of the tubular body and thereby beyond the end of the line section, and by further movement threadable onto the external threads on the coupling sleeve in the other unit, whereby to secure the line sections together.

11. A connector assembly according to claim 10 and including a centering sleeve, wherein the tubular body and centering sleeve have interengaging conformations preventing relative rotational movement but enabling relative axial movement, and the centering sleeve is connected with the coupling ring and movable axially therewith.

12. A connector assembly according to claim 10 wherein the tubular body defines an axially forward end surface forming the effective end surface of the line section, and including a centering sleeve slidably mounted on the tubular body, the tubular body and centering sleeve having circumferentially discontinuous, interfitting projections and slots operatively preventing relative rotation but enabling axial relative movement therebetween, an outer coupling ring connected with the centering sleeve and movable axially therewith but movable rotationally relative thereto, and means on each line section including means fixed axially of the line section for operative cooperation by the coupling ring of the other unit for threading thereonto and correspondingly moving the centering sleeve telescopically over the other line section.

13. A connector assembly according to claim 12 wherein the line sections are of co-axial cable having an outer conductor on which the tubular body is mounted, and an inner conductor, and wherein each unit includes an annular insulator interposed axially between the tubular body and the line proper mechanically radially positioning the inner conductor relative to the outer conductor.

14. A connector assembly for use in connecting a pair of line sections, including identical connector units one on each of the sections, each unit including an inner tubular body telescoped over the end of the line section and having an inner annular shoulder engaging the end of the line section, and forming with the line section an effectively integral extension thereof, the tubular body having intermediate its ends a plurality of circumferentially spaced and discontinuous radially outwardly extending projections, a centering sleeve telescoped on the tubular body and having slots receiving said projections, a coupling sleeve telescoped over the centering sleeve and havIng connection with the projections on the tubular body preventing both rotational and axial movement, and together therewith forming a sub-unit fixed on the line section relative to axial movement thereof, the coupling sleeve also having external threads adjacent its forward end, the coupling sleeve in its fixed position having a forward end no farther forward than the exposed outer end of the corresponding tubular body, an outer coupling ring telescoped over the foregoing elements and having at its rearward end an internal flange engaging the centering sleeve, a retainer ring rearwardly of the internal flange and fitted in the centering sleeve to limit rearward movement of the coupling ring relative to the tubular body, the coupling ring having internal threads at its forward end engageable with the external threads on the forward end of the coupling sleeve, the parts being so dimensioned and proportioned that the coupling ring can be backed off the external threads on the forward end of the coupling sleeve, the coupling ring being threadable on the threads on the coupling sleeve throughout the threads on the latter and therebeyond and onto the threads of the coupling sleeve in the other unit, whereby to secure the two line sections together, and the outer coupling ring when being so threaded, carrying the centering sleeve forwardly beyond the axially outer end of the body and into telescoping relation with the tubular body in the other unit.

15. A connector assembly according to claim 14 wherein the radial projections on the tubular body together are no greater in circumference than onehalf of the circumference of the tubular body.

16. A connector assembly according to claim 15 wherein the tubular body has an internal rearwardly facing shoulder of annular configuration continuously engaging the forward end of the line section.

17. A connector assembly according to claim 16 wherein an annular insulator member is interposed between the internal shoulder on the tubular body and the forward end of the line section.

18. A connector assembly according to claim 17 wherein the line is a co-axial electrical cable, including an outer conductor and a center conductor, and wherein the annular insulator member is radially centered between the inner and outer conductors.

19. A connector assembly for use in connecting sections of a cable having forward end surfaces and having outer and center conductors, means mechanically and rigidly interengagingly connecting the outer conductors, the center conductors having axial, end-opening apertures, center contacts in the apertures and having forward end surfaces, and having abrupt rearward shoulders engaging the forward surfaces of the center conductors, and the center contacts having yieldable elements acting against the surfaces of the apertures therewithin operative for biasing the center contacts forwardly toward the position in which their forward end surfaces project forwardly beyond the forward end surfaces of the center conductors.

20. A connector assembly construction according to claim 19 wherein each aperture has a conical inner end surface, each center contact includes a button of tubular shape having a longitudinal split and axially inwardly extending fingers, the center conductor and center contact having interengaging conformations extending circumferentially and enabling relative axial movement into axially interlocking relation, and the dimensions of the aperture and fingers being such that the fingers interengage the conical surface and that interengagement biases the contact axially forwardly into engagement with the opposed contact.