Coaxial cable connector with retractable bushing that grips cable and seals to rotatable nut

• US 6,261,126 B1
• Filed: 02/26/1998
• Issued: 07/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ideal Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cabletel Communications Corp.
• Inventors: Stirling, Albert
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrams, Neil
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUVERNE, JEAN F
• Application Number:
  US09/030,817
• Time in Patent Office: 1,237 Days
• Field of Search: 439/578, 439/583, 439/584, 439/133, 439/587, 439/589, 439/320
• US Class Current: 439/583
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5205 Sealing means between cable and housing, e.g. grommet H01R13/5221 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/0521 Connection to outer conductor by action of a nut

Abstract

A connector is provided for interconnecting a coaxial cable to an electrical device. The connector has an internal body with a rotatable nut and an external body with a rotatable nut which are assembled together, and which can be activated to clamp upon and seal to an inserted coaxial cable without disassembling the external body from the internal body. The external body is axially moveable and when activated to clamp upon the inserted coaxial cable, also engages the sealing ring positioned around the internal body to form a seal with the rotatable nut.

Claims

1. A connector for interconnecting to an electrical device, a coaxial cable of the type having a central conductor, a foil-covered dielectric insulator encasing the central conductor, at least one braided shield around the dielectric insulator, and a jacket covering the at least one braided shield, said connector comprising:

an internal body having a bore of a diameter to receive the dielectric insulator of such a coaxial cable, and having a sleeve with an end adapted to engage the cable beneath the at least one braided shield and the jacket;

threaded nut means rotatably mounted to said internal body, remote from said sleeve end thereof, for interconnecting said connector to such an electrical device;

sealing ring means disposed around said internal body contiguous to said rotatable nut means;

an external body surrounding a portion of said internal body, having at a free end thereof a mouth of a diameter to receive the cable, said mouth being generally concentric with said bore of said internal body,

said external body being assembled with said internal body and said rotatable nut means so as to resist subsequent disassembly,

and said external body being moveable without disassembly from said internal body, form a first position in which said external body is remote form said rotatable nut means and said contiguous sealing ring means and in which said external body and said sleeve of said internal body define an annular gap to receive the at least one braided shield and the jacket of the cable, to a second position in which said external body contacts said sealing ring means and in which said annular gap between said external body and said sleeve of said internal body is reduced,

such that said connector can be attached to the cable by inserting the cable into said mouth of said external body while said external body is in said first position, and pushing the dielectric insulator of the cable into the bore of the internal body with said sleeve end thereof engaging beneath the at least one braided shield and the jacket of the cable,

and subsequently moving said external body to said second position, thereby sealing said external body to said rotatable nut means by compressing said sealing ring means therebetween, and thereby also squeezing the at least one braided shield and the jacket of the cable between said external body and said sleeve of said internal body so as to tightly hold the cable within said connector and to form a seal between said mouth of said external body and the jacket of the cable.

2. The connector of claim 1, wherein said internal body has a flange remote from said sleeve end which retains said rotatable nut means.

3. The connector of claim 2, wherein said external body is assembled with said connector by close frictional contact, and is moveable slidingly from said first position to said second position by means of a squeezing tool.

4. A connector for use with a coaxial cable of the type having a central conductor, a foil-covered dielectric insulator encasing the central conductor, at least one braided shield around the dielectric insulator, and a jacket covering the at least one braided shield, said connector comprising:

a mandril with a bore of a diameter to closely receive the dielectric insulator of such coaxial cable, having at a first end thereof a sleeve adapted to engage the cable beneath the at least one braided shield and the jacket;

threaded nut means rotatably engaged to said mandril at the second end thereof, remote from said sleeve;

sealing ring means disposed around said mandril contiguous to said rotatable nut means;

a bushing disposed around a portion of said mandril and concentric thereto, having at its free end a mouth of a diameter to receive the cable,

and being moveable from a first position in which said bushing is remote from said rotatable nut means and said contiguous sealing ring means, and in which said bushing and said sleeve of said mandril defined an annular gap to receive the at least one braided shield and the jacket of the cable,

to a second position in which said bushing contacts said sealing ring means and compresses it upon said rotatable nut means and thereby seals said bushing to said rotatable nut means, and in which said annular gap between said sleeve of said mandril and said bushing is reduced so as to squeeze the at least one braided shield and the jacket of the cable and thereby tightly hold the cable and seal it to said bushing.

5. The connector of claim 4, wherein said mandril has a flange at said second end which retains said rotatable nut member.

6. The connector of claim 5, wherein said sleeve is tapered and barbed.

7. The connector of claim 6, wherein said bushing is engaged to said connector by close frictional contact, and is moveable slidingly from said first position to said second position by means of a squeezing tool.