Apparatus and method for retaining an insert in an electrical connector
First Claim
1. In an electrical connector assembly of the type including a shell having a cylindrical inner wall, an insert, having a cylindrical outer periphery, disposed within an annular passageway defined by and located between the inner wall and the outer periphery of the insert, and retention means for retaining the insert within said shell, said retention means being characterized by an annular rentention member of deformable material being foldingly wedged radially between the shell and the insert, said retention member including a forward end portion and a rearward end portion with said forward end portion being longitudinally slotted and collapsingly folded axially and radially to be wedged interferencingly in the passageway, said retention member having the forward end portion substantially thinner than the rearward end portion and the rearward end portion defining a forwardly facing endwall, and said insert defining a shoulder leading to the passageway between the inner wall and the outer periphery whereby when the forwardly facing endwall abuts said shoulder during assembly the assembler knows that the assembly operation is complete.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A deformable plastic strip (44'"'"') is longitudinally slotted (60) along one edge to define a plurality of laterally separated longitudinal columns (62), cut, and then rolled into a tubular sleeve to form a retention member (44) which is configured to be coaxially driven into an annular passageway (72) formed between an insert (24) and a connector shell (10), engagement of the slotted end portion with an axial shell face (16) causing the columns to axially collapse in accordion like fashion and radially wedge themselves into the passageway whereby to interferencingly retain the insert in the shell.
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Citations
14 Claims
- 1. In an electrical connector assembly of the type including a shell having a cylindrical inner wall, an insert, having a cylindrical outer periphery, disposed within an annular passageway defined by and located between the inner wall and the outer periphery of the insert, and retention means for retaining the insert within said shell, said retention means being characterized by an annular rentention member of deformable material being foldingly wedged radially between the shell and the insert, said retention member including a forward end portion and a rearward end portion with said forward end portion being longitudinally slotted and collapsingly folded axially and radially to be wedged interferencingly in the passageway, said retention member having the forward end portion substantially thinner than the rearward end portion and the rearward end portion defining a forwardly facing endwall, and said insert defining a shoulder leading to the passageway between the inner wall and the outer periphery whereby when the forwardly facing endwall abuts said shoulder during assembly the assembler knows that the assembly operation is complete.
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5. A method of retaining a generally cylindrical insert within a shell having a generally cylindrical inner wall, the steps of the method comprising:
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forming an annular groove on the inner wall to provide a rearwardly facing axial face, reducing the cross-section of the insert to reduce the outer periphery and provide a collar that extends radially outward therefrom, the inner wall having a diameter dimensioned so as to clearance fit about the collar and define an annular passageway about the inner wall, and the insert being formed such that it defines a shoulder leading to the annular passageway defined by the insert, removing a plurality of strip portions from an elongated strip of plastically deformable non-conductive material to define a plurality of laterally separated longitudinally weakened columns, inserting the insert into the shell so that the collar is adjacent to the axial face, forming the strip into a retention member having a cross-section corresponding to that of the annular passageway, and the forming operation being such that the forward end portion is substantially thinner than the rearward end portion thereof, the rearward end portion defining a forwardly facing endwall, and inserting the retention member into the passageway a distance sufficient to have its front face engage the axial face with continued inserting being with an external force sufficient to cause the longitudinal columns to axially and radially collapse within the passageway and fold together in accordion like fashion to become interferencingly wedged between the insert and the shell with the forwardly facing endwall abutting the shoulder of the insert. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of retaining a generally cylindrical insert within a generally cylindrical shell, an outer diameter of the insert being slightly less than an inner diameter of the shell, the steps of the method characterized by:
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removing a cylindrical portion of one said shell and insert to provide an axial face facing axially rearward, said removed cylindrical portion leaving an axially extending annular passageway between said shell and insert, and further, said insert formed such that it defines a shoulder spaced from the inner wall of the shell leading to the annular passageway, forming a tubular sleeve from a piece of deformable non-conductive material, said tubular sleeve having a front face, a rear face and a forward end portion, the forward end portion being characterized by a plurality of generally equiangularly spaced, axially weakened, longitudinal column, and the sleeve being formed such that the forward end is substantially thinner than the rearward end, the rearward end defining a forwardly facing endwall, and inserting the forward end portion of the deformable sleeve into the annular passageway until its front face engages the axial face, the insertion force then being increased by an amount sufficient to cause the forward end portion of the columns to foldingly collapse therewithin in accordion-like fashion to form a radially folded wedged accordion portion therebetween, and the insertion being conducted until the forwardly facing endwall abuts the shoulder of the insert. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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- 12. An apparatus for retaining an insert within a connector shell, a cross-section of said insert being smaller than a cross-section of said shell whereby to define an annular passageway therebetween for receiving said apparatus with one said shell, said insert having an axial face at the end of said passageway and the insert defining a shoulder leading to the annular passageway, the apparatus characterized by an elongated strip of deformable plastic including a scalloped front face, a rear face, and a pair of lateral end faces, said scalloped front face comprising a plurality of slots which extend generally perpendicularly from the front face rearwardly towards the rear face whereby to define a plurality of axially weak laterally separated columns which are adapted to foldingly collapse in accordion-like fashion in the annular passageway upon engagement of the scalloped front face with the axial end face, and the strip having the forward portion substantially thinner than the rearward portion, the rearward portion defining a forwardly facing endwall for abutment against the insert shoulder upon insertion in the annular passageway.
Specification