Hardline coaxial cable connector

• US 7,108,547 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2004
• Issued: 09/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications RF, LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Corning Gilbert Incorporated (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kisling, Brian L., Miller, Thomas D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hammond, Briggitte
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHUNG TRANS, XUONG MY
• Application Number:
  US10/865,314
• Publication Number:
  US 20050277330A1
• Time in Patent Office: 831 Days
• Field of Search: 439/578, 439583-585
• US Class Current: 439/578
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2103/00 Two poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/40 specially adapted for high frequency
• 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

An axially-compressible connector (200) for a hardline coaxial cable (1000) has a housing that includes a body (202), a coupling nut (210) and a compression can (208). A nonmetallic sleeve (302), which is mounted within the housing, has a tubular portion and an integral insulator portion. The insulator portion holds a contact (306) that has arms (311–314) for seizing an inner conductor (1002) of the hardline coaxial cable. A ferrule (408) is slip fit mounted within the housing, and seizes an outer conductor (1006) of the hardline coaxial cable. A gripping member (414) is mounted within the housing and seizes a jacket (1008) of the hardline coaxial cable. An actuator (412), which is mounted within the housing around a portion of the tubular portion of the sleeve, has an angled surface (413) to guide an end of the outer conductor toward the tubular portion of the sleeve, as the tubular portion of the sleeve is inserted into the end of the coaxial cable. The jacket is gripped by the gripping member only after the outer conductor is seized by the ferrule.

Claims

1. A connector for terminating the end of a coaxial cable, the coaxial cable having an inner conductor, an outer conductor, and an outer insulating jacket, the connector comprising:

a. a substantially cylindrical body having an axis and having a front end and a back end;

b. a coupling nut rotatably connected to the body at the front end of the body;

c. a compression can axially movably connected to the body at the back end of the body between an uncompressed axial position and a fully-compressed axial position relative to the substantially cylindrical body;

d. means for contacting the inner conductor of the coaxial cable;

e. means for seizing the outer conductor of the coaxial cable, the seizing means seizing the outer conductor of the coaxial cable when the compression can has advanced to a partially-compressed axial position, the compression can reaching the partially-compressed axial position before reaching the fully-compressed axial position; and

f. means for gripping the insulating jacket of the coaxial cable, the gripping means gripping the insulating jacket of the coaxial cable after the compression can advances beyond the partially-compressed axial position toward the fully-compressed position,

wherein the seizing of the outer conductor and the gripping of the insulating jacket occur sequentially during compression together of the body and of the compression can after insertion of the termination end of the coaxial cable into the connector.

2. The connector recited by claim 1 wherein the seizing of the outer conductor occurs prior to the gripping of the insulating jacket.

3. The connector recited by claim 1 wherein the seizing of the outer conductor and the gripping of the insulating jacket occur at difference axial positions of the compression can relative to the body.

4. A connector for attachment to the end of a coaxial cable, the coaxial cable having an inner conductor surrounded by a dielectric, the dielectric being surrounded by an outer conductor, the outer conductor being surrounded by a jacket, the connector being generally cylindrical and having an axis, the connector comprising:

a body having a front end and a back end;

a coupling nut rotatably connected to the body at the front end of the body;

a contact disposed within the body for contacting the inner conductor of the coaxial cable;

a sleeve fixedly mounted within the body

a ferrule disposed within the body and surrounding a portion of the sleeve, wherein the ferrule is configured to contact the outer conductor of the coaxial cable;

a compression can axially movably connected to the body at the back end of the body;

an actuator at least partially disposed within the body and at least partially disposed within the compression can, wherein the compression can and the actuator are axially movable relative to the body between an uncompressed state and a partially compressed state;

wherein the compression can is axially movable in a first direction relative to the body between the partially compressed state and a fully compressed state, and wherein the actuator is axially movable relative to the body in a second direction between the partially compressed state and the fully compressed state, wherein the second direction is opposite to the first direction.

5. A connector for attachment to the end of a coaxial cable, the coaxial cable having an inner conductor surrounded by a dielectric, the dielectric being surrounded by an outer conductor, the outer conductor being surrounded by a jacket, the connector being generally cylindrical and having an axis, the connector comprising:

a body having a front end and a back end;

a coupling nut rotatably connected to the body at the front end of the body;

a contact disposed within the body for contacting the inner conductor of the coaxial cable;

a sleeve fixedly mounted within the body

a ferrule disposed within the body and surrounding a portion of the sleeve, wherein the ferrule is configured to contact the outer conductor of the coaxial cable;

a compression can axially movably connected to the body at the back end of the body;

an actuator at least partially disposed within the body and at least partially disposed within the compression can, wherein the compression can and the actuator are axially movable relative to the body between an uncompressed state and a partially compressed state;

wherein the compression can and the actuator are axially movable in a first direction relative to the body between the uncompressed state and the partially compressed state, wherein the compression can is axially movable in the first direction relative to the body between the partially compressed state and a fully compressed state, and wherein the actuator is axially movable relative to the body in a second direction between the partially compressed state and the fully compressed state, wherein the second direction is opposite to the first direction.