Push-pull connector

• US 7,806,714 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2008
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TE Connectivity Solutions GmbH (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Lenker, William, Damodharan, Kasthuri, Williams, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrams; Neil
• Application Number:
  US12/269,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20100120282A1
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 439/352, 439/265, 439/255
• US Class Current: 439/352
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/622 Screw-ring or screw-casing H01R13/623 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/639 Additional means for holding or locking coupling parts together, after engagement, e.g. separate keylock, retainer strap

Abstract

A connector assembly configured to engage a mating connector. The connector assembly includes a plug body that has loading and mating ends and a central axis extending therebetween. The mating end is configured to be inserted into a cavity of the mating connector to establish at least one of communicative and power connections. The plug body has an outer surface that surrounds and faces away from the central axis. The connector assembly also includes a ring that is slidably mounted over the plug body. The ring is configured to slide along the outer surface of the plug body in an axial direction between withdrawn and locked positions. The connector assembly also includes a sleeve member that is slidably mounted over the plug body and the ring. The sleeve member includes a plurality of fingers that extend toward the mating end and are biased toward the outer surface of the plug body. The ring is configured to engage the fingers and the fingers are configured to flex away and engage the mating connector.

Claims

1. A connector assembly comprising:

a plug body having loading and mating ends and a central axis extending therebetween, the mating end being configured to be inserted into a cavity of a mating connector to establish at least one of communicative and power connections, the plug body having an outer surface that surrounds and faces away from the central axis;

a ring slidably mounted over the plug body, the ring configured to slide along the outer surface of the plug body in an axial direction between withdrawn and locked positions; and

a sleeve member slidably mounted over the ring and being rotatably adjustable about the central axis with respect to the plug body, the sleeve member comprising fingers that extend toward the mating end and are biased inward toward the outer surface of the plug body, the ring engaging the fingers when moved from the withdrawn position to the locked position causing the fingers to flex outward away from the outer surface and engage the mating connector, the sleeve member rotating about the central axis to correct for rotational misalignment of the fingers relative to the mating connector.

2. The connector assembly in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a sealing band that surrounds the sleeve member about the central axis, the sealing band and the ring being operatively coupled to each other, wherein the sleeve member slides between the ring and the sealing band when the ring is moved from the withdrawn position to the locked position.

3. The connector assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein the fingers comprise numerous fingers that are separated from each other by thin slits, the fingers forming a substantially cylindrical structure that extends along an inner wall surface of the cavity to form an electrical shield.

4. The connector assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein the plug body defines a cavity having a plurality of mating contacts therein, the mating contacts being configured to be inserted into contact channels of the mating connector, the sleeve member being rotatably adjustable with respect to the mating contacts.

5. The connector assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein each finger includes a thread element that projects radially outward, the thread element configured to engage corresponding threads of the inner wall surface of the mating connector when the finger is pressed against the inner wall surface, the sleeve member being rotatably adjustable about the central axis to correct for rotational misalignment of the thread elements of the fingers relative to the corresponding threads of the mating connector.

6. The connector assembly in accordance with claim 5 wherein the thread element has an axial position measured relative to the central axis, the axial position of the thread element on one finger being different from the axial position of the thread element on an adjacent finger.

7. The connector assembly in accordance with claim 5 wherein the thread element includes at least one tooth configured to engage threads of the mating connector.

8. The connector assembly in accordance with claim 5 wherein the thread element on one finger comprises a plurality of thread elements.

9. The connector assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein the sleeve member is stamped and formed from a common piece of sheet material, the sheet material having a substantially uniform thickness.

10. A connector assembly comprising:

a plug body having loading and mating ends and a central axis extending therebetween, the mating end being configured to be inserted into a cavity of a mating connector to establish at least one of communicative and power connections, the plug body having an outer surface and a ridge that projects radially outward from the outer surface;

a sleeve member mounted over the plug body, the sleeve member comprising fingers that extend in the axial direction along the outer surface of the plug body and toward the mating end, each finger extending over the ridge and comprising a base portion on one side of the ridge that is proximate to the loading end and a lever portion on another side of the ridge that is proximate to the mating end; and

a ring slidably mounted over the sleeve member, the ring configured to slide along the sleeve member in the axial direction between withdrawn and locked positions, the ring compressing the base portions of the fingers inward toward the outer surface of the plug body when moved from the withdrawn position to the locked position, the fingers pressing against the ridge causing the lever portions of the fingers to flex away from the outer surface and engage the mating connector.

11. The connector assembly in accordance with claim 10 wherein the lever portions of the fingers are biased toward the outer surface.

12. The connector assembly in accordance with claim 10 wherein each finger has a projection that extends radially outward therefrom and the ring has a channel that extends around the sleeve member, the projection of each finger forming an interference fit with the channel when the ring is in the locked position.

13. The connector assembly in accordance with claim 10 wherein the ridge extends completely around the outer surface of the plug body.

14. The connector assembly in accordance with claim 10 wherein plug body includes a lip that is proximate to the mating end, the lip projecting radially outward from the outer surface of the plug body.

15. The connector assembly in accordance with claim 10 wherein each finger includes at least one thread element that projects radially outward, the at least one thread element configured to engage the wall surface when the finger is pressed against the wall surface.

16. The connector assembly in accordance with claim 15 wherein the at least one thread element has an axial position along the corresponding finger, the axial position(s) of the at least one thread element on one finger being different from the axial position(s) of the at least one thread element on an adjacent finger.

17. The connector assembly in accordance with claim 10 wherein the base portion of each finger projects away from the outer surface of the plug as the base portion extends in the axial direction.

18. The connector assembly in accordance with claim 10 wherein the lever portion directly abuts the outer surface of the plug body when the ring is in the withdrawn position.

19. A connector assembly comprising:

a plug body having loading and mating ends and a central axis extending therebetween, the mating end being configured to be inserted into a cavity of a mating connector to establish at least one of communicative and power connections, the plug body having an outer surface that surrounds and faces away from the central axis;

a ring slidably mounted over the plug body, the ring configured to slide along the outer surface of the plug body in an axial direction between withdrawn and locked positions; and

a sleeve member slidably mounted over the ring, the sleeve member comprising a base portion and fingers that extend from the base portion toward the mating end, the sleeve member having a first diameter measured at the base portion and a second diameter measured at distal ends of the fingers when the fingers are in a relaxed state, wherein the fingers are biased inward such that the first diameter is greater than the second diameter and the fingers extend toward the central axis and the outer surface of the plug body when the ring is in the withdrawn position and the fingers are in the relaxed state, the ring engaging the fingers when moved from the withdrawn position to the locked position causing the fingers to flex outward away from the outer surface and engage the mating connector.

20. The connector assembly in accordance with claim 19, wherein the fingers include thread elements that project radially outward therefrom to define a maximum height of the fingers from the outer surface of the plug body when the ring is in the withdrawn position and the fingers are biased inward in the relaxed state, the plug body including a lip that is proximate to the mating end and projects a radial distance away from the outer surface of the plug body, wherein the maximum height is less than or substantially equal to the radial distance.