Electrical connectors

• US 5,620,339 A
• Filed: 12/27/1994
• Issued: 04/15/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ITT Industries Ltd (ITT, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ITT Industries Ltd (ITT, Inc.)
• Inventors: White, Melvin D., Gray, Ian J.
• Primary Examiner(s): PIRLOT, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US08/290,714
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 439/578-585, 439/752, 439/351, 439/352, 439/357, 439/395, 439/404, 439/851, 439/783, 439/805-807, 439/784
• US Class Current: 439/578
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/489 spring force increased by screw, cam, wedge, or other fastening means
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/50 utilising a cam, wedge, cone or ball also combined with a screw
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/5025 combined with a threaded ferrule operating in a direction parallel to the conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/05 for coaxial cables
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/0518 Connection to outer conductor by crimping or by crimping ferrule

Abstract

A connector (e.g. coaxial connector) comprises a tubular body structure (22, 23) with an axially extending bore therein for receiving an incoming cable (40) (e.g. coaxial) and for accommodating electrically-conductive contact-making means (31) located adjacent a part of the cable within the tubular body structure and electrically coupled with contact means (32) (e.g. pin contact) of the connector. Axially displaceable means (35) at least partly received by the tubular body structure (22, 23) causes the contact-making means (31) to make good electrical contact with a conductor (44) of the cable (40) (e.g. control conductor of coaxial cable) in response to a predetermined axial displacement of the displaceable means (35). The displaceable means (35) has a first positive hold position relative to the tubular body structure in which position the displaceable means acts solely to retain other connector components within the tubular body structure (22, 23). By the predetermined axial displacement of the displaceable means (35) from the first positive hold position to a further positive hold position good electrical contact is established between the contact-making means (31) and the conductor (44) of the cable (40).

Claims

1. An electrical connector comprising a tubular body structure (22, 23) having an axially extending bore (37) therein for receiving an incoming cable and for accommodating electrically-conductive contact-making means located adjacent a part of the cable within the tubular body structure and electrically coupled with contact means of the connector, and axially displaceable means (36) at least partly received by the tubular body structure and effective to cause the contact-making means to make good electrical contact with a conductor of the cable in response to a predetermined axial displacement of the displaceable means, in which the displaceable means has at least one positive hold position relative to the tubular body structure in which position the displaceable means acts solely to retain other connector components within the tubular body structure and in which the predetermined axial displacement of the displaceable means from the positive hold position to a further position establishes good electrical contact between the contact-making means and the conductor of the cable;

said axially displaceable means having a groove or projection, and said connector including a tubular latching member that is slotted to provide a plurality of radially deflectable arms having a groove or projection thereon for making snap engagement with spaced projections or grooves on the axially displaceable means.

2. The connector described in claim 1 wherein:

said contact has a pin front portion, and said contact rear portion is integral with said pin front portion and is in the form of a tube with a plurality of slots that form said tines.

3. An electrical connector comprising:

a body structure having a cable-receiving bore with an axis;

a contact lying in said bore, said contact having a pin front portion and having a contact rear portion that is integral with said pin front portion, said rear portion having an inside surface for receiving a wire conductor, said rear portion having an outer surface, and said rear portion having at least three tines which are deflectable to clamp to said wire conductor;

a clamping member lying in said bore, said clamping member having an inside that is of smaller diameter than said contact rear portion;

said clamping member being movable relative to said contact along said axis, to compress the outside surface of said contact rear portion so said at least three tines of said contact rear portion clamp to said wire conductor;

said contact rear portion being in the form of a tube with a plurality of slots that form said tines.