Longitudinally compressible coaxial cable connector

• US 5,466,173 A
• Filed: 09/17/1993
• Issued: 11/14/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications RF, LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Gilbert Engineering Company Incorporated (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Down, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): PIRLOT, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US08/123,006
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• Field of Search: 439/578-585, 439/675, 439/877-879, 439/394
• US Class Current: 439/584
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5205 Sealing means between cable and housing, e.g. grommet H01R13/5221 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/0518 Connection to outer conductor by crimping or by crimping ferrule

Abstract

A connector for securing the end of a coaxial cable to a selected device in a cable transmission system includes an outer member, a coupling member attached to an end thereof, and a securement element for mechanically and sealably engaging coaxial cable in response to a longitudinal compressive force.

Claims

1. A connector for securing a coaxial cable to a selected device, said connector comprising:

an outer member having a rearward end, a forward end, an outer surface and a bore defined by an inner surface, for receiving said coaxial cable;

a coupling member attached to said forward end of said outer member for securing said coaxial cable to a selected device; and

securement means carried by said outer member including a compression groove being deformable in a substantially uniformly radially inward direction, forming a continuous annular seal, mechanically and sealingly engaging said coaxial cable in response to a longitudinal compressive force.

2. A connector as claimed in claim 1 wherein said compression groove resides at a location nearer said rearward end than the forward end of said outer member.

3. A connector as claimed in claim 1, further including limit means for limiting deformation of said compression groove in said radially inward direction to a predetermined maximum.

4. A connector as claimed in claim 1 wherein said compression groove is formed in said outer surface of said outer member.

5. A connector as claimed in claim 4, wherein said compression groove includes a pair of opposed sides each intersecting the outer surface of said outer member to form a pair of spaced apart intersections, one of said intersections being urged in a direction toward the other of said intersections in response to said longitudinal compressive force.

6. A connector as claimed in claim 5, wherein said compression groove further includes a bottom extending between said sides and having a pair of opposed surfaces sloping generally radially inward to a central joint.

7. A connector as claimed in claim 5, wherein deformation in said radially inward direction is responsive to movement of one of said pair of intersections in the direction toward the other of said intersections.

8. A connector as claimed in claim 7, further including limit means for limiting said movement of one of said pair of intersections in the direction toward the other of said intersections.

9. A connector as claimed in claim 8, wherein said limit means includes a stop member for receiving the sides of said compression groove thereagainst.

10. A connector as claimed in claim 9, wherein said stop member includes a ring residing intermediate said sides and having a predetermined width.

11. A connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said securement means further includes an inner member coupled with said outer member and extending coaxially therewith, said inner member being receivable within said coaxial cable for opposing said compression groove as said compression groove is deformed in said radially inward direction.

12. A connector as claimed in claim 11, wherein said inner member includes an outer surface having an expanded portion coupled to said inner surface of said outer member by a friction fit.

13. A connector as claimed in claim 12, further including a layer of ductile metal deposited on said inner surface of said outer member and on said expanded outer surface of said inner member coupling said inner member to said outer member by a cold flowing together of said respective layers.

14. A connector for securing a coaxial cable to a selected device, said connector comprising:

an outer member having a rearward end, a forward end, an outer surface and a bore defined by an inner surface, for receiving said coaxial cable;

a coupling member attached to said forward end of said outer member for securing said coaxial cable to a selected device; and

securement means carried by said outer member for mechanically and sealingly engaging said coaxial cable in response to a longitudinal compressive force, said securement means including an intermediate member carried within said bore of said outer member and having an outer surface, an inner surface defining a bore for receiving said coaxial cable, an inner end and an outer end, and engagement means for constrictively, mechanically and sealingly engaging said coaxial cable in response to said longitudinal compressive force, thereby forming a continuous annular seal.

15. A connector as claimed in claim 14, wherein said intermediate member is frictionally coupled within said outer member.

16. A connector as claimed in claim 14, wherein said engagement means includes a compression groove formed in said outer surface of said intermediate member and being deformable in a substantially uniformly radially inward direction in response to said longitudinal compressive force.

17. A connector as claimed in claim 16, wherein said compression groove includes a pair of opposed sides each intersecting the outer surface of said outer member to form a pair of spaced apart intersections, one of said intersections being urged in a direction toward the other of said intersections in response to said longitudinal compressive force.

18. A connector as claimed in claim 17, wherein said compression groove further includes a bottom extending between said sides and having a pair of opposed surfaces sloping generally radially inward to a central joint.

19. A connector as claimed in claim 17, further including limit means for limiting said movement of one of said pair of intersections in the direction toward the other of said intersections.

20. A connector as claimed in claim 16, further including limit means for limiting deformation of said compression groove in said radially inward direction.

21. A connector as claimed in claim 20, wherein said limit means includes:

a shoulder proximate the forward end of said outer member for receiving an inner end of said intermediate member thereagainst;

a terminal portion of said intermediate member extending from the rearward end of said outer member and having an outwardly projecting flange; and

said flange being normally spaced from said rearward end of said outer member a predetermined distance and being urged against said rearward end of said outer member in response to said longitudinal compressive force.

22. A connector as claimed in claim 14, wherein said outer member includes:

a primary portion attached to said coupling member;

a secondary portion carried by said primary portion;

a cavity defined within said primary and secondary portions for captively retaining said intermediate member; and

said longitudinal compressive force being applied to said intermediate member in response to mutually inward movement of said primary and secondary portions along a common axis.

23. A connector as claimed in claim 22, further including sealing means for hermetically sealing one of said portions to the other of said portions in response to said mutually inward movement.

24. A connector as claimed in claim 22, further including sealing means carried within said cavity for hermetically sealing said cable within said outer member in response to said mutually inward movement.

25. A connector as claimed in claim 22, further including:

a first shoulder carried by said primary portion for receiving an end of said intermediate member thereagainst;

a second shoulder carried by said secondary portion for receiving another end of said intermediate member thereagainst; and

camming means interacting between said bodies for moving one of said shoulders in a direction toward the other of said shoulders.

26. A connector as claimed in claim 25, wherein said portions are threadably coupled with said inward motion of said shoulders imparted by relative rotation of said portions.

27. A connector as claimed in claim 22, further including limit means for limiting the mutual inward movement of said portions along said common axis.

28. A connector as claimed in claim 27, wherein said limit means includes:

a first abutment shoulder carried by one of said portions;

a second abutment shoulder carried by the other of said portions and opposing said first abutment shoulder; and

said first and second abutment shoulders normally being spaced apart a predetermined distance and urged into contact in response to said longitudinal compressive force.