Coaxial cable connector

• US 4,952,174 A
• Filed: 02/22/1990
• Issued: 08/28/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation (TE Connectivity Ltd. (United Kingdom))
• Original Assignee: Raychem Limited (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Mattis, John S., Sucht, Gayle A.
• Primary Examiner(s): McGlynn, Joseph H.
• Application Number:
  US07/485,798
• Time in Patent Office: 187 Days
• Field of Search: 439/578-585
• US Class Current: 439/584
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/05 for coaxial cables

Abstract

A coaxial cable connector is provided for installation and use with a prepared end of a coaxial cable. The connector comprises a body and a nut threadably tightenable to the body. The body includes a center pin chuck for engaging the center conductor of the cable when the nut assembly is tightened to the body. The nut defines an interior space including a mandrel assembly which is freely rotatable within the interior space until the nut is tightened to the body. The mandrel assembly includes an insulator cone for guiding the center conductor; it includes a clamping arrangement for engaging and clamping the center pin chuck as the nut is tightened to the body. The assembly further includes a mandrel which is slideably mounted under the cable outer metal jacket in a space provided after removal of a portion of the dielectric core incident to preparation of the cable end. A ferrule is slidably mounted over the outer jacket and the ferrule includes collet fingers disposed over a portion of the mandrel. The mandrel includes a ferrule collet closure for closing the collet fingers of the ferrule to cause them to compress the outer metal jacket against the portion of the mandrel as the nut is tightened to the body of the connector during installation of the connector to the prepared cable end.

Claims

1. A coaxial cable connector for installation and use with a prepared end of a coaxial cable including a center conductor, dielectric core disposed radially about the center conductor, an outer metal conductor jacket concentric with the center conductor and spaced therefrom by the dielectric core, and optionally an outer protective sheathing surrounding the outer metal jacket, the connector comprising:

a body and a nut threadably tightenable to the body,

the body including center pin chuck means for engaging the center conductor of the cable when the nut is tightened to the body,

the nut defining an interior space including a mandrel assembly freely rotatable within the interior space until the nut is tightened to the body,

the mandrel assembly including;

insulator cone means for guiding the center conductor and having clamping means for engaging and clamping the center pin chuck means as the nut is tightened to the body,

mandrel means slideably mounted under said outer metal jacket in a space provided after removal of a portion of said dielectric core incident to preparation of said end,

ferrule means slidably mounted over said outer jacket means and including collet fingers disposed over a portion of said mandrel means,

said mandrel means including ferrule collet closure means for closing the collet fingers of said ferrule means to cause them to compress said outer metal jacket against said portion of said mandrel means as said nut is tightened to said body during installation of said connector to said prepared cable end.

2. The coaxial cable connector set forth in claim 1 wherein said outer metal jacket, said insulator cone means, said mandrel means, and said ferrule means are substantially cylindrical and are aligned along a common longitudinal axis when the prepared cable end is inserted into the mandrel assembly of the nut, and wherein said collet closure means defines a converging inside conical closure surface which forces said collet fingers radially toward said longitudinal axis as said nut is tightened to said body.

3. The coaxial cable connector set forth in claim 2 wherein the converging inside conical closure surface defines a shallow angle relative to the collet fingers.

4. The coaxial cable connector set forth in claim 3 wherein the shallow angle is not substantially greater than about twenty degrees

5. The coaxial cable connector set forth in claim 2 wherein the collet fingers crimp into and deform the outer conductor jacket as the nut is tightened to the body.

6. The coaxial cable connector set forth in claim 1 further including body-nut sealing means for effectuating an environmental seal when said nut is tightened to said body during installation of said connector.

7. The coaxial cable connector set forth in claim 1 further comprising connector to cable seal means for effectuating an environmental seal between the outer protective sheathing and the nut when it is tightened to said body during installation of said connector.

8. The coaxial cable connector set forth in claim 7 wherein said connector to cable seal means comprises a sacrifically deformable elastomeric material disposed and compressed between an interior face of said nut and said ferrule means as said nut is tightened to said body.

9. The coaxial cable connector set forth in claim 8 wherein said mandrel means includes a spline region directly underlying said connector to cable seal means and causes said outer metal jacket to engage said spline region to prevent relative rotation of the cable and the connector after said nut has been tightened to said body.

10. The coaxial cable connector set forth in claim 1 wherein said body further includes a connector pin connected to said center pin chuck and a connection nipple connected to said outer metal jacket when said nut is tightened to said body, said connector pin and connection nipple enabling said cable connector to provide electrical connection to and from its said cable.

11. The coaxial cable connector set forth in claim 1 wherein said body and said nut define outer tool engagement surfaces enabling said nut to be tightened relative to said body.

12. The coaxial cable connector set forth in claim 1 wherein said ferrule collet closure means is press fit onto said mandrel means.

13. The coaxial cable connector set forth in claim 1 wherein said ferrule collet closure means is formed integrally with said mandrel means.

28. The coaxial connector as set forth in claim 2 wherein the insulator cone means of the mandrel assembly is located in the body.

29. The coaxial connector as set forth in claim 3 wherein the insulator cone means of the mandrel assembly is located in the body.

30. The coaxial connector as set forth in claim 9 wherein the insulator cone means of the mandrel assembly is located in the body.

14. A kit of parts for assembly into a coaxial cable connector for installation onto a prepared end of a coaxial cable including a center conductor, dielectric core disposed radially about the center conductor, an outer metal conductor jacket concentric with the center conductor and spaced therefrom by the dielectric core, and optionally an outer protective sheathing surrounding the outer metal jacket, the kit of parts comprising:

a body, a nut threadably tightenable to the body, and a mandrel assembly,

the body including center pin chuck means for engaging the center conductor of the cable when the nut is tightened to the body and electrical interface means enabling electrical connection to be made to the connector upon assembly and installation,

the body and the nut defining an interior space for receiving the mandrel assembly initially freely rotatable within the interior space and in locking engagement when the nut is tightened to the body,

the mandrel assembly including;

insulator cone means for guiding the center conductor and having clamping means for engaging and clamping the center pin chuck means as the nut is tightened to the body,

mandrel means slideably mounted under said outer metal jacket in a space provided after removal of a portion of said dielectric core incident to preparation of said end,

ferrule means slidably mounted over said outer jacket means and including collet fingers disposed over a portion of said mandrel means,

said mandrel means including ferrule collet closure means for closing the collet fingers of said ferrule means to cause them to compress said outer metal jacket against said portion of said mandrel means as said nut is tightened to said body during installation of said connector to said prepared cable end.

15. The kit of parts set forth in claim 14 wherein said outer metal conductor jacket, said insulator cone means, said mandrel means, and said ferrule means are substantially cylindrical and are aligned along a common longitudinal axis when the prepared cable end is inserted into the mandrel assembly during assembly of the connector, and wherein said collet closure means defines a converging inside conical closure surface which forces said collet fingers radially toward said longitudinal axis as said nut is tightened to said body.

16. The kit of parts set forth in claim 15 wherein the converging inside conical closure surface defines a shallow angle relative to the collet fingers.

17. The kit of parts set forth in claim 16 wherein the shallow angle is not substantially greater than about twenty degrees.

18. The kit of parts set forth in claim 14 wherein the collet fingers crimp into and deform the outer conductor jacket as the nut is tightened to the body.

19. The kit of parts set forth in claim 14 further including body-nut sealing means for effectuating an environmental seal when said nut is tightened to said body during installation of said connector.

20. The kit of parts set forth in claim 14 further comprising connector to cable seal means for effectuating an environmental seal between the outer protective sheathing and the nut when it is tightened to said body during installation of said connector.

21. The kit of parts set forth in claim 20 wherein said connector to cable seal means comprises a sacrifically deformable elastomeric material disposed and compressed between an interior face of said nut and said ferrule means as said nut is tightened to said body.

22. The kit of parts set forth in claim 21 wherein said mandrel means includes a spline region directly underlying said connector to cable seal means and causes said outer metal jacket to engage said spline region to prevent relative rotation of the cable and the connector after said nut has been tightened to said body.

23. The kit of parts set forth in claim 14 wherein the electrical interface means of the body includes a connector pin connected to said center pin chuck and a connection nipple connected to said outer metal jacket when said nut is tightened to said body, said connector pin and connection nipple enabling said cable connector to provide electrical connection to and from its said cable.

24. The kit of parts set forth in claim 14 wherein said body and said nut define outer tool engagement surfaces enabling said nut to be tightened relative to said body.

25. The kit of parts set forth in claim 14 wherein said ferrule collet closure means is press fit onto said mandrel means.

26. The kit of parts set forth in claim 14 wherein said ferrule collet closure means is formed integrally with said mandrel means.

31. The kit-of-parts set forth in claim 15 wherein the insulator cone means of the mandrel assembly is located in the body.

32. The kit-of-parts set forth in claim 22 wherein the insulator cone means of the mandrel assembly is located in the body.

33. The kit-of-parts set forth in claim 32 wherein the insulator cone means of the mandrel assembly is located in the body.

27. A method for connecting to a prepared end of a coaxial cable including a center conductor, dielectric core disposed axially about the center conductor, an outer metal conductor jacket concentric with the center conductor and spaced therefrom by the dielectric core, and outer protective sheathing surrounding the outer metal jacket, the method being practiced with a body and a nut of a connector which is fitted onto the prepared end, and including the following steps which are simultaneously carried out as the body and the nut are longitudinally tightened and compressed toward each other:

grasping an annular portion of the center conductor with a center conductor chuck,

biting into an annular portion of the outer metal conductor jacket with plural tines of a collet which is radially compressed toward an underlying mandrel within the body and nut, and

sacrificially deforming an elastomeric seal compressed between the collet and the nut to force it radially to bear against an annular region of the outer protective sheathing to cause the sheathing and the underlying region of the outer metal jacket to become compressed directly against a second, longitudinally ribbed annular region of the underlying mandrel.

34. A coaxial cable connector for installation and use with a prepared end of a coaxial cable including a center conductor, dielectric core disposed radially about the center conductor, an outer metal conductor jacket concentric with the center conductor and spaced therefrom by the dielectric core, and optionally an outer protective sheathing surrounding the outer metal jacket, the connector comprising:

a body and a nut threadably tightenable to the body;

the body including a center pin chuck means and an insulator cone means in combination for guiding, engaging, and clamping the center conductor of the cable when the nut is tightened to the body;

the nut defining an interior space including a mandrel assembly freely rotatable with the interior space until the nut is tightened to the body;

the mandrel assembly including;

mandrel means slideably mounted under said outer metal jacket in a space provided after removal of a portion of said dielectric core incident to preparation of said end;

ferrule means slideably mounted over said outer jacket means and including collet fingers disposed over a portion of said mandrel means;

said mandrel means including ferrule collet closure means for closing the collet fingers of said ferrule means to cause them to compress said outer metal jacket against said portion of said mandrel means as said nut is tightened to said body during installation of said connector to said prepared cable end.

35. A kit of parts for assembly into a coaxial cable connector for installation onto a prepared end of a coaxial cable including a center conductor, dielectric core disposed radially about the center conductor, an outer metal conductor jacket concentric with the center conductor and spaced therefrom by the dielectric core, and optionally an outer protective sheathing surrounding the outer metal jacket, the kit of parts comprising:

a body, a nut threadably tightenable to the body, and a mandrel assembly;

the body including a center pin chuck means and an insulator a--JJJ.LFZDRBhRLdNjRHRNXJNBNRNXBH cone means in combination for guiding, engaging, and clamping the center conductor of the cable when the nut is tightened to the body and electrical interface means enabling electrical connection to be made to the connector upon assembly and installation;

the body and the nut defining an interior space for receiving the mandrel assembly initially freely rotatable within the interior space and in locking enagement when the nut is tightened to the body;

the mandrel assembly including;

mandrel means slideably mounted under said outer metal jacket in a space provided after removal of a portion of said dielectric core incident to preparation of said end;

ferrule means slideably mounted over said outer jacket means and including collet fingers disposed over a portion of said mandrel means;

said mandrel means including ferrule collet closure means for closing the collet fingers of said ferrule means to cause them to compress said outer metal jacket against said portion of said mandrel means as said nut is tightened to said body during installation of said connector to said prepared cable end.