Solderless prong connector for coaxial cable

• US 4,059,330 A
• Filed: 08/09/1976
• Issued: 11/22/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John Schroeder
• Original Assignee: John Schroeder
• Inventors: Shirey, James W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lake, Roy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Abrams, Neil
• Application Number:
  US05/712,955
• Time in Patent Office: 470 Days
• Field of Search: 339/177 R, 339/177 E, 339/221, 174/75 C, 174/88 C, 174/89
• US Class Current: 439/578
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/0518 Connection to outer conductor by crimping or by crimping ferrule
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49123 Co-axial cable
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49204 Contact or terminal manufacturing

Abstract

A solderless prong connector for permanent mounting on the end of a coaxial shielded cable of the type having an inner conductor surrounded by an inner dielectric sleeve in turn surrounded by a tubular braided conductor in turn surrounded by an outer dielectric sleeve. The connector has an electrically conductive tubular body member passed over the coaxial cable, the body member being provided with an enlarged inner diameter portion on one end in which is press-fitted a dielectric tubular plug wedging the cable outer dielectric sleeve and tubular braided conductor between the peripheral surface of the plug and the inner surface of the enlarged diameter bore of the conductive body member, with the end portion of the tubular braided conductor engaged with a portion of such bore surface. The cable inner conductor, having its end exposed, and the inner dielectric sleeve covering the inner conductor are disposed in a longitudinal bore in the plug, and a prong is press-fitted in the tubular plug bore such as to wedge the exposed end of the inner conductor between the peripheral surface of the prong and the inner surface of the plug bore, thus providing secure mechanical and electrical connections and forming water-tight seals. A coaxially disposed threaded collar engaging a shoulder portion of the conductive tubular body member fastens the plug to an appropriate coaxial female receptacle and provides electrical continuity between the cable braided conductor and the female receptacle housing.

Claims

1. A connector for mounting on the end of a coaxial shielded cable of the type having an inner conductor surrounded by an inner dialectric sleeve in turn surrounded by a tubular braided conductor in turn syrrounded by an outer dielectric sleeve, said connector comprising:

an electrically conductive tubular body member having a first longitudinal bore accepting the coaxial cable, a second longitudinal bore of enlarged diameter and an end portion at the end of said second bore provided with an enlarged outer diameter and inner diameter portion;

a dielectric tubular plug having a longitudinal bore accepting the inner dielectric sleeve of said cable, said tubular plug being inserted in said second bore of said tubular body member with the tubular braided conductor and the outer dielectric sleeve of said cable compressibly secured between the peripheral surface of said plug and the inner surface of said second bore with an exposed end portion of said tubular braided conductor engaged with said inner surface of said second bore, said dielectric tubular plug having an enlarged outer diameter end portion disposed in the enlarged inner diameter portion of the end portion of said tubular body member and compressibly securing the exposed end portion of said tubular braided conductor between the enlarged outer diameter end portion of said tubular plug and the enlarged inner diameter portion at the end of said tubular body member;

an electrically conductive prong member partially inserted in the longitudinal bore of said dielectric tubular plug, an exposed end portion of said inner conductor being secured between a cylindrical portion of the peripheral surface of said prong and the inner surface of said bore in said tubular plug; and

an electrically conductive collar member having a rearwardly disposed inwardly extending shoulder portion for engagement with the enlarged outer diameter portion of said tubular body member, said collar member having an internal thread for engagement with the external thread of a receptacle for said prong member.

2. The connector of claim 1 wherein said tubular body member has a second enlarged outer diameter end portion proximate the end of said first longitudinal bore for retaining the shoulder portion of said collar member between said first and second enlarged outer diameter end portions.

3. The connector of claim 2 wherein said second enlarged outer diameter end portion is provided by a knurled raised peripheral surface.

4. The connector of claim 1 wherein said prong member has a portion of its peripheral surface inserted in the longitudinal bore of said dielectric tubular plug provided with regularly disposed spline-like projections.

5. The connector of claim 1 wherein said collar member is provided with a knurled peripheral surface.

6. The connector of claim 1 wherein said tubular plug has a reduced diameter axially disposed integral projecting portion for internally engaging said tubular braided conductor for forcing a portion of said braided conductor and a corresponding peripheral portion of the cable outer dielectric sleeve compressibly in engagement with an annular inner surface of said body member between said first and second bores of said body member.

7. The connector of claim 6 wherein said tubular plug has a peripheral surface of a nominal outer diameter about equal to the diameter of the second bore in said body member for compressibly clamping the end of said braided conductor between said peripheral surface of nominal diameter and said second bore while compressibly contracting said tubular plug, said peripheral surface of nominal outer diameter having a portion of reduced outer diameter adjacent to said axially disposed integral projecting portion.

8. The method of providing with an electrical connector the end of a coaxial shielded cable of the type having an inner conductor surrounded by an inner dielectric sleeve in turn surrounded by a tubular braided conductor in turn surrounded by an outer dielectric sleeve, said electrical connector comprising:

an electrically conductive tubular body member having a first longitudinal bore accepting the coaxial cable, a second longitudinal bore of enlarged diameter and an end portion at the end of said second bore, provided with an enlarged outer diameter and inner diameter portion;

a dielectric tubular plug having a longitudinal bore accepting the inner dielectric sleeve of said cable, said tubular plug being inserted in said second bore of said tubular body member with the tubular braided conductor and the outer dielectric sleeve of said cable compressibly secured between the peripheral surface of said plug and the inner surface of said second bore with an exposed end portion of said tubular braided conductor engaged with said inner surface of said second bore, said dielectric tubular plug having an enlarged outer diameter end portion disposed in the enlarged inner diameter portion of the end portion of said tubular body member and compressibly securing the exposed end portion of said tubular braided conductor between the enlarged outer diameter end portion of said tubular plug and the enlarged inner diameter portion at the end of said tubular body member;

an electrically conductive prong member partially inserted in the longitudinal bore of said dielectric tubular plug, an exposed end portion of said inner conductor being secured between a cylindrical portion of the peripheral surface of said prong and the inner surface of said bore in said tubular plug, and an electrically conductive collar member having a rearwardly disposed inwardly extending shoulder portion for engagement with the enlarged outer diameter portion of said tubular body member, said collar member having an internal thread for engagement with the external thread of a receptacle for said prong member, said method comprising;

stripping the end of said cable such as to leave exposed a length of said inner conductor, a length of said inner dielectric sleeve and a length of said tubular braided conductor;

slipping over said end of said cable the electrically conductive tubular body member;

inserting said tubular plug under said tubular braided conductor with the end portions of said inner conductor and of said inner dielectric sleeve disposed within the bore of said plug;

press-fitting said tubular plug surrounded by the end portions of said tubular braided conductor and of said outer dielectric sleeve in the enlarged diameter bore of said electrically conductive tubular body member with the exposed end of said tubular braided conductor engaged with said bore; and

press-fitting an end of said prong member in the bore of said dielectric tubular plug with the exposed end of said inner conductor engaged with a surface portion of said prong member and the other end of said prong member projecting from the end of said tubular plug.