Feed through coaxial cable connector

• US 5,609,501 A
• Filed: 05/03/1993
• Issued: 03/11/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Siemon Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Raychem Corporation (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Mattis, John, Sampson, Jeff, Ross, John A., McMills, Corey
• Primary Examiner(s): Pirlot, David L.
• Application Number:
  US08/057,575
• Time in Patent Office: 1,408 Days
• Field of Search: 439/433, 439/434, 439/578-585, 439/675, 439/877-891
• US Class Current: 439/578
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/0524 Connection to outer conductor by action of a clamping member, e.g. screw fastening means H01R9/0515 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/053 using contact members penetrating insulation

Abstract

A feedthrough coaxial cable connector includes a tubular mandrel body dimensioned to be pressed between a foil-bonded dielectric core and other elements of an outer conductor of the prepared end of the cable. The body has cable engagement surface which defines a knife edge projection therearound for engaging an outer conductor of the cable by creating shear stresses therein without actually shearing the outer conductor. A tubular shank portion extends from the cable engagement surface portion to a radial wall portion, and a jack engagement portion is coaxial about the exposed central conductor. The jack engagement portion achieves a tight friction fit upon a jack and may be formed as an inside compression collet. A radial compression providing structure causes an inside surface region of the outer conductor to bear directly against and bend over the knife edge portion. Preferably, a slideable shell is slideably positionable generally away from a connector end facing the outer surface of the jack to enable the jack engagement portion of the connector to slide over the outer surface of the jack, and slideably positionable toward the connector end so as to radially compress the radially diverging jack engagement portion against the outer surface of the jack to secure the connector thereto. A kit of parts including an expendable installation tool enables proper assembly of the cable connector without special skills or tools.

Claims

1. A feedthrough coaxial cable connector for connecting to a prepared end of a coaxial cable having an exposed solid-wire central conductor, the connector comprising:

a tubular mandrel body of a conductive material dimensioned to be pressed between a dielectric core and an outer conductor of the prepared end of the cable, the mandrel body including a cable engagement surface portion defining a projecting knife edge extended therearound for engaging an outer conductor of the coaxial cable, a tubular shank portion extending from the cable engagement surface portion to a radial walled portion, and a receptacle engagement portion coaxially extending forwardly from the radial wall portion and a coaxially disposed about the exposed center conductor and dimensioned to slide onto and contact in close fitting friction engagement an outer surface of a receptacle means with which the connector mates in use, and an exterior connector shell and radial compression means for compressing the inside surface of the outer conductor of the coaxial cable over the knife edge of the cable engagement surface of the mandrel body in order to place the outer conductor into shear stress and without shearing the outer conductor, the compression means including a resiliantly deformable elastomeric material, and wherein the receptacle engagement portion is dimensioned to diverge radially from the radial wall portion and further comprising slideable shell means disposed over at least the receptacle engagement portion of the mandrel body, slideably positionable generally away from a connector end facing the outer surface of the receptacle to enable the receptacle engagement portion of the connector to slide freely over the outer surface of the receptacle, the slideable shell means being slideably positionable toward the connector end so as to radially compress the radially diverging receptacle engagement portion against the outer surface of the receptacle and thereby lock the connector thereto.

2. The coaxial cable connector means set forth in claim 1 wherein the slideable shell means further defines an inside frustoconical portion congruent with the frustoconical surface portion of the mandrel body for compressing a region of the coaxial cable outer conductor against the frustoconical surface portion of the mandrel body when the slideable shell means is slideably positioned over the mandrel body when the connector is locked onto the receptacle.

3. The coaxial cable connector set forth in claim 1 wherein the receptacle engagement portion is slotted longitudinally to form a slip ring for slideable engagement over the outer surface of the receptacle.

4. The coaxial cable connector set forth in claim 1 wherein the cable engagement surface portion defining a projecting knife edge extending therearound comprises a tubular structure including a helix projecting upwardly from the structure, the helix defining an acute angel and providing the projecting knife edge.

5. The coaxial cable connector set forth in claim 4 wherein the projecting knife edge is formed with a flat at the apex thereof, the flat being approximately two to three mils in cross dimension.

6. The coaxial cable connector set forth in claim 4 formed by the process of die casting.

7. The coaxial cable connector set forth in claim 4 formed of a metal alloy selected from the group comprising copper, zinc and tin.

8. The coaxial cable connector set forth in claim 4 wherein the mandrel body is provided with a plating to improve lubricity characteristics.

9. The coaxial cable connector set forth in claim 4 wherein the mandrel body is provided with a plating of material including tin to improve lubricity characteristics.

10. A feedthrough coaxial cable connector for connecting to a prepared end of a coaxial cable having an exposed solid-wire central conductor, the connector comprising:

a tubular mandrel body of a conductive material dimensioned to be installed between a dielectric core and an outer conductor of the prepared end of the cable, the mandrel body including a cable engagement surface portion defining a projecting knife edge extended therearound for engaging an outer conductor of the coaxial cable, a tubular shank portion extending from the cable engagement surface portion to a radial walled portion, and a receptacle engagement portion coaxially extending forwardly from the radial wall portion and a coaxially disposed about the exposed center conductor and dimensioned to slide onto and contact in close fitting friction engagement an outer surface of a receptacle means with which the connector mates in use, and an exterior connector shell and radial compression means for compressing the inside surface of the outer conductor of the coaxial cable over the knife edge of the cable engagement surface of the mandrel body in order to place the outer conductor into shear stress and without shearing the outer conductor, the compression means including a resiliantly deformable elastomeric material and wherein the cable engagement surface portion defining a projecting knife edge extending therearound comprises a tubular structure including a helix projecting upwardly from the structure, the helix defining an acute angle and providing the projecting knife edge and wherein the tubular mandrel body is formed by the process of dye casting of the conductive material.

11. The coaxial cable connector set forth in claim 10 wherein the projecting knife edge is formed with a flat at the apex thereof, the flat being approximately two to three mils in cross dimension.

12. The coaxial cable connector set forth in claim 10 wherein the mandrel body is formed of a metal alloy selected from the group comprising copper, zinc and tin.

13. The coaxial cable connector set forth in claim 10 wherein the mandrel body is provided with a plating to improve lubricity characteristics.

14. The tubular mandrel body set forth in claim 10 wherein the mandrel body is provided with a plating of material including tin to improve lubricity characteristics.

15. A tubular mandrel body for a feedthrough coaxial cable connector, the mandrel body being formed of conductive material dimensioned to be positioned between a dielectric core and an outer conductor of the prepared end of a coaxial cable, the mandrel body including a cable engagement surface portion defining a projecting helical knife edge extending therearound for engaging the outer conductor of the coaxial cable, said cable engagement surface portion comprises a tubular structure including said helix projecting upwardly therefrom, the helical knife edge defining an acute angle and thereby providing the projecting knife edge, a tubular shank portion extending from the cable engagement surface portion to a radial wall portion, and a jack engagement portion extending forwardly from the radial wall portion and capable of being coaxially disposed about the exposed central conductor and dimensioned to slide onto the jack in close fitting engagement with an outer surface of the jack with which the connector mates in use.

16. The tubular mandrel body set forth in claim 15 wherein the mandrel body is provided with a plating to improve lubricity characteristics.

17. The tubular mandrel body according to claim 15 wherein the jack engagement portion is slotted longitudinally for slideable engagement over the outer surface of the jack.

18. The tubular mandrel body set forth in claim 15 wherein the jack engagement portion defines a shallow helical thread having a pitch to match a threaded outer surface of a jack type with which the tubular mandrel body is to be mated.

19. The tubular mandrel body set forth in claim 15 wherein the jack engagement portion includes a plurality of fingers which cooperate with the jack and an outer collet finger closure means to mate the tubular mandrel with the jack.

20. The tubular mandrel body as set forth in claim 15 formed by the process of die casting.

21. The tubular mandrel body set forth in claim 20 formed from a metal alloy selected from the group comprising, copper, zinc, and tin.