Quick attachment SMA connector

• US 6,848,931 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2002
• Issued: 02/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Andrew Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ferdina, Jeff, McMullen, Norman
• Primary Examiner(s): Prasad, Chandrika
• Application Number:
  US10/294,067
• Publication Number:
  US 20040014350A1
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 439/350, 439/349, 439/352, 439/357, 439/358, 439/578, 439/584
• US Class Current: 439/350
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6277 comprising annular latching means, e.g. ring snapping in an annular groove
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2103/00 Two poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/40 specially adapted for high frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/05 for coaxial cables

Abstract

A coaxial connector combination is provided having a male and a female portion. The coaxial connector combination includes a female portion having a tubular body with an engagement end and an annular locking groove disposed around an outer surface of the tubular body spaced back from the engagement end and a male portion. The male portion further includes a sleeve, a plurality of pawls, each extending outwards from an engagement end of the sleeve to form an annulate of spaced-apart pawls disposed around a center axis of the sleeve, said annulate of pawls being adapted to engage the outer surface of the tubular body and wherein a catch on an engagement end of each pawl of the plurality pawls engages the annular groove of the female portion and a locking collar disposed around an outside surface of the plurality of pawls and adapted to slidably lock the catches of the distal end of the plurality of pawls into the annular locking groove.

Claims

1. A coaxial connector combination having a male and a female portion, said coaxial connector combination comprising:

a female portion;

a male portion inserted into the female portion to form a connection between the female and male portion; and

a sliding collar slideable along an axis of insertion of the male portion into the female portion and adapted to lock the male portion to the connected female portion, said sliding collar having a first static position relative to the connected female and male portions in which the female portion is locked to the male portion and a second static position relative to the connected female and male portions in which the female portion is unlocked from the male portion and wherein the sliding collar does not have a spring that biases the sliding collar towards the first static position.

2. The coaxial connector combination as in claim 1 wherein the male portion further comprises a sleeve and a conductor interface.

3. The coaxial connector combination as in claim 2 further comprising a plurality of pawls, each extending outwards from an engagement end of the sleeve to form an annulate of spaced-apart pawls disposed around a center engagement axis of the male portion.

4. The coaxial connector combination as in claim 3 wherein the plurality of pawls further comprise an annular flange disposed around the center line and coupled to a sleeve end of each of the plurality of pawls.

5. The coaxial connector combination as in claim 4 wherein the plurality of pawls and annular flange further comprises a unitary assembly.

6. The coaxial connector combination as in claim 4 wherein the annular flange further comprises a conductor interface with a center ridge extending through a center hole of the flange into a center receptacle of the sleeve.

7. The coaxial connector combination as in claim 5 wherein the conductor interface is press-fit into the center hole of the sleeve capturing the annular flange between the center ridge and the engagement end of the sleeve.

8. The coaxial connector combination as in claim 1 wherein the catch on the plurality of pawls further comprises a tapered advancing edge.

9. The coaxial connector combination as in claim 8 wherein the annulate of pawls forms a receptacle for the female portion.

10. The coaxial connector combination as in claim 9 wherein an inside circle formed by the tapered advancing edges of the annular circle of pawls further comprises a smaller relative diameter than an outside diameter of the female portion.

11. The coaxial connector combination as in claim 10 wherein the plurality of pawls further comprise resilient members that resiliently deflect upon insertion of the female portion.

12. The coaxial connector combination as in claim 1 wherein the male portion further comprises an external annular thread.

13. The coaxial connector combination as in claim 12 wherein the sliding collar further comprises an internal thread adapted to engage the external annular thread of the male portion.

14. A coaxial connector combination having a male and a female portion, said coaxial connector combination comprising:

a female portion having a tubular body with an engagement end and an annular locking groove disposed around an outer surface of the tubular body spaced back from the engagement end; and

a male portion for insertion into the female portion to form a connected female and male portions, said male portion further comprising;

a sleeve;

a plurality of pawls, each extending outwards from an engagement end of the sleeve to form an annulate of spaced-apart pawls disposed around a center axis of the sleeve, said annulate of pawls being adapted to engage the outer surface of the tubular body and wherein a catch on an engagement end of each pawl of the plurality pawls engages the annular groove of the female portion; and

a locking collar disposed around an outside surface of the plurality of pawls and adapted to slidably lock the catches of the distal end of the plurality of pawls into the annular locking groove, said locking collar having a first static position in which the female portion is locked to the male portion and a second static position different from the first static position in which the female portion is unlocked from the male portion and wherein the locking collar does not have a spring that biases the locking collar towards the first static position.

15. The coaxial connector combination as in claim 14 wherein the plurality of pawls further comprise an annular flange disposed around the center line and coupled to a sleeve end of each of the plurality of pawls.

16. The coaxial connector combination as in claim 15 wherein the plurality of pawls and annular flange further comprises a unitary assembly.

17. The coaxial connector combination as in claim 15 wherein the annular flange further comprises a conductor interface with a center ridge, said conductor interface extending through a center hole of the flange into a center hole of the sleeve.

18. The coaxial connector combination as in claim 17 wherein the interface peg is press-fit into the center hole of the sleeve capturing the annular flange between the center ridge and the engagement end of the sleeve.

19. The coaxial connector combination as in claim 14 wherein the catch on the plurality of pawls further comprises a tapered advancing edge.

20. The coaxial connector combination as in claim 19 wherein the annulate of pawls forms a receptacle for the female portion.

21. The coaxial connector combination as in claim 20 wherein an inside circle formed by the tapered advancing edges of the annular circle of pawls further comprises a smaller relative diameter than an outside diameter of the female portion.

22. The coaxial connector combination as in claim 21 wherein the plurality of pawls further comprise resilient members that resiliently deflect upon insertion of the female portion.

23. The coaxial connector as in claim 14 wherein the locking collar further comprises a spur that pulls a pawl of the plurality of pawls out of the annular groove.