Shielded cable connector assembly

• US 5,895,291 A
• Filed: 10/23/1996
• Issued: 04/20/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation (Meggitt PLC)
• Original Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation (Meggitt PLC)
• Inventors: Loudieux, Gilles, Furio, Miguel
• Primary Examiner(s): Paumen, Gary F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Yong Ki
• Application Number:
  US08/735,627
• Time in Patent Office: 909 Days
• Field of Search: 439/583, 439/584, 439/607, 439/608, 439/609, 439/610, 439/98, 439/99, 439/101, 439/905
• US Class Current: 439/607.41
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/65912 for shielded multiconductor cable coaxial cables with one conductor surrounded by shield H01R9/05; flat shielded cables H01R12/594
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/0521 Connection to outer conductor by action of a nut
• 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

Abstract

A shielded cable connector comprises a terminal section and a cable section. The cable section comprises support shells mountable over shielding of the cable, and clamping half-shells that have ends engageable in grooves of the support members. The clamping half-shells are pivotable together to clamp a shielding braid that is reversely folded over a cylindrical portion of the support members. A retention ring is passed over the clamping half-shells to securely lock them to the terminal section. Assembly of the shield clamping portions is thus enabled after the terminals are mounted in the connector for a more cost-effective assembly procedure.

Claims

1. A connector for connection to a shielded cable, the connector comprising a terminal section for assembly of terminals therein, and a cable section for clamping and electrical connection to shielding of the cable, the cable section comprising a support having a body portion mountable around the cable such that shielding thereof can be clamped thereto, wherein the support comprises at least two separate parts that enable mounting to the cable without feeding the cable through the support, and wherein the body portion extends from a terminal section end proximate the terminal section to a cable receiving end remote from the terminal section, and wherein the cable section further comprises a shield clamp having shells extending from a pivot end to a terminal section end, the clamping shells pivot ends pivotally engageable in a member of the support proximate the cable receiving end of the body portion for pivotally mounting around the support body portion.

2. The connector of claim 1 wherein the clamping shells and support are dimensioned so as to clamp the cable shielding therebetween.

3. The cable connector of claim 1 wherein the cable section further comprises a clamping collar for clamping the cable shielding around the support.

6. The connector of claim 1 wherein the support has an oblique abutment surface facing outwardly and directed away from the terminal section, the abutment surface cooperable with a complementary abutment surface of the clamping shells.

4. A connector for connection to a shielded cable, the connector comprising a terminal section for assembly of terminals therein, and a cable section for clamping and electrical connection to shielding of the cable, wherein the cable section comprises a support having a body portion mountable against a shielded section of the cable, the body portion extending from a terminal section end proximate the terminal section and a cable receiving end remote from the terminal section, the cable section further comprising a shield clamp having clamping shells extending from a pivot end to a terminal section end, the clamping shell'"'"'s pivot ends pivotally engageable in a member of the support proximate the cable receiving end of the body portion for pivotally mounting around and against the support body portion, thereby clamping the cable shielding, the cable section further comprising a locking member for secure attachment to the terminal section.

5. The connector of claim 4 wherein the support is made of at least two separate support members mountable together about the cable.

7. The connector of claim 4 wherein the support and clamping shells are adapted to receive the shielding of the cable therebetween, the shielding being foldable over the terminal section end of the support to extend over the body portion.

8. The connector of claim 5 wherein there are a pair of identical shells forming a generally axi-symmetric shield clamp.

9. The connector of claim 8 wherein there are a pair of identical support members forming a generally axi-symmetric support.

10. The connector of claim 5 wherein the clamping shells have a retention shoulder proximate the terminal section end and engageable by a shoulder of a locking ring for secure attachment to the terminal section.

11. The connector of claim 5 wherein the clamping shells are provided with axial teeth interengageable with axial teeth of a cable section end of the terminal section for preventing relative rotation between the cable and terminal sections.

12. The connector of claim 5 wherein the clamping shells are provided with axially extending projections at their pivot ends for engagement in one or more discrete cavities extending through an end wall of the support, to locate the clamping shells, in the sense of rotation about the cable, with respect to the support.

13. The connector of claim 10 wherein the retention shoulder is engageable by a discrete projection that forms the locking ring shoulder, the discrete projection insertable through an axial groove of the terminal section end, and engageable behind the retention shoulder upon rotation of the locking ring relative to the clamping shells.

14. The connector of claim 13 wherein the retention shoulder is tapered and comprises dimples for seating the projection and preventing unlocking rotation thereof.

15. The connector of claim 5 wherein the clamping shells are bent through an angle for directing the cable outlet at a different angle to the mating direction of the connector.