Coupling nut for an electrical connector

• US 4,478,473 A
• Filed: 09/30/1982
• Issued: 10/23/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amphenol Corporation
• Original Assignee: The Bendix Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Frear, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): MCQUADE, JOHN P
• Application Number:
  US06/431,969
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: 339/DIG. 2, 339/89 R, 339/89 C, 339/89 M, 339/90 R, 339/90 C, 285/82, 285/84, 285/86, 285/87, 285/92, 411/296, 411/299, 411/300
• US Class Current: 439/312
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/622 Screw-ring or screw-casing H01R13/623 takes precedence

Abstract

A coupling nut (300) comprises outer and inner coupling sleeves (320, 330) mounted for rotation about a connector shell (100) having a plurality of ratchet teeth (150) formed on the outer periphery of an annular shoulder thereof, a plurality of equiangularly disposed, radially biased, lock pins (350) being carried by inner coupling sleeve (330) during coupling and being adapted to be cammed radially inwardly by outer coupling sleeve (320) into a locked relation with the ratchet teeth.

Claims

1. A coupling nut for an electrical connector of the type having first and second shells (100, 200) connectable in end-to-end relation, one of said shells (100) including a plurality of ratchet teeth (150) arranged annularly and extending radially outward therefrom, the coupling nut including a cylindrical sleeve (330) captivated for rotation about said first shell (100) and provided with internal thread (310) for threadably connecting with complementary external thread (210) disposed on said second shell (200), rotation of the coupling nut drawing the shells (100, 200) together, said coupling nut characterized by:

said cylindrical sleeve (330) being provided with an opening (338), said opening being in register with and about said ratchet teeth (150);

a lock pin (350) having its cross-section clearance fit within said opening and constrained for only radial movement in said opening (338);

bias means (370) having a portion thereof disposed against said sleeve for constantly biasing said lock pin radially outward from engagement with said ratchet teeth; and

drive means (320,

     329) disposed for both rotational and axial movement relative to the cylindrical sleeve for driving the cylindrical sleeve in coupling and uncoupling directions and driving the lock pin radially inward and into engagement with the ratchet teeth.

2. The coupling nut as recited in claim 1, characterized by locking means (348, 346, 162, 340) for locking said lock pin (350) within respective ones of said ratchet teeth, said lock pin (350) being generally cylindrical and having a medial portion (351) disposed for reciprocation in said opening (338) and an end portion (352) disposed radially within said sleeve (330) and adapted to engage said ratchet teeth (150).

3. The coupling nut as recited in claim 2 wherein said cylindrical sleeve (330) includes an annular undercut (328) and said bias means (370) comprises a spring band (370) operatively associated therewith and with the outer surface of said cylindrical sleeve (330), said annular undercut (328) being disposed on the inner surface of said sleeve and circumposing said ratchet teeth.

4. The coupling nut as recited in claim 2, said drive means (320, 329) being characterized by a second sleeve (320) coaxially disposed and relatively rotatable about the first cylindrical sleeve (330), and said lock pin (350) having a generally dome-shaped head (352) disposed radially outward from the cylindrical sleeve (330) and adapted to be normally biased against said second sleeve (320) and a generally V-shaped tail (352) adapted to be driven radially inward towards the one shell (100) and fit within ones of said ratchet teeth.

5. The coupling nut as recited in claim 4, wherein said locking means (348, 346, 162, 340) comprises an elongated slot (340) disposed on one of said sleeves (330) being sized to receive and captivate a bayonet-type pin (348) disposed on the other of said sleeves (320).

6. The coupling nut as recited in claim 2, wherein six lock pins (350) are disposed generally equilangularly around said sleeve (330) in a clearance fit within like openings (338).

7. The coupling nut as recited in claim 5, characterized in that said slot (340) advances said bayonet-type pin (348) in a rotational directional contrary to the advance of said first thread (310).

8. An electrical connector of the type comprising a cylindrical shell (100) including an annular shoulder (140) having ratchet teeth (150) disposed on its periphery;

a first coupling sleeve (330) rotatably mounted to said shell (100), said first coupling sleeve (330) having a tubular forward portion (332) adapted to mate with a compatible shell; and

means for preventing rotational movement of the coupling sleeve (330) relative to shell (100), said means for preventing rotational movement of the coupling sleeve being characterized by;

said first coupling sleeve (330) including an opening (338) passing radially through the sleeve to register with said ratchet teeth;

a second coupling sleeve (320) disposed about the first coupling sleeve (330), the second coupling sleeve including an annular undercut (328) disposed around said opening (338);

a lock pin (350) disposed in said opening (338);

a band (370) comprised of resilient metal biasing against said first coupling sleeve (330) and connected to said lock pin (350) for normally biasing the lock pin radially outwardly against the second coupling sleeve (320); and

means (328) for driving the lock pin radially inward and into engagement with said ratchet teeth.

9. An anti-decoupling mechanism for an electrical connector assembly of the type having a pair of cylindrical mating shells (100, 200) and a coupling nut (300), one of said shells (100) including a plurality of ratchet teeth (150) arranged annularly and extending radially outwardly around said shell, the other of said shells (200) having a thread (210) on the outside surface thereof, said coupling nut being rotatably mounted about said one shell (100) and including a cylindrical coupling sleeve (330) provided with an internal thread (310) adapted to engage the thread (210) disposed on the other of said shells (200) so that when said threads (210, 310) are engaged rotation of the coupling nut in one direction draws the shells (100, 200) together, said anti-decoupling mechanism characterized by:

lock means (350, 370,

     340) for locking the coupling sleeve (330) from rotation relative to said one shell (100), said lock means including a lock pin (350) adapted to move radially between first and second positions, respectively, wherein the lock pin is disengaged and engaged with said ratchet teeth (150);

bias means (370) coupled to the lock pin for normally biasing the lock pin into the disengaged position; and

drive means circumposed about said coupling sleeve for driving the pin between said positions of engagement, said drive means comprising an operating sleeve (320) including an annular cavity defining an actuating cam (329), said bias means (370) being disposed intermediate said operating sleeve and coupling sleeve.