Cable connector with biasing element

• US 8,469,739 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2012
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Belden Inc.
• Original Assignee: Belden Inc.
• Inventors: Rodrigues, Julio F., Mango, Joey D. Jr., Phillips, Roger Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Paumen, Gary F.
• Application Number:
  US13/418,099
• Publication Number:
  US 20120282804A1
• Time in Patent Office: 470 Days
• Field of Search: 439578-585
• US Class Current: 439/578
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/24 resilient; resiliently-mounted
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/622 Screw-ring or screw-casing H01R13/623 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2103/00 Two poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/40 specially adapted for high frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/48 utilising a spring, clip, or other resilient member H01R4/52 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/0521 Connection to outer conductor by action of a nut

Abstract

A coaxial cable connector for coupling a coaxial cable to a mating connector is disclosed. The coaxial cable connector may include a connector body having a forward end and a rearward cable receiving end for receiving a cable. The connector may include a nut rotatably coupled to the forward end of the connector body and an annular post disposed within the connector body for providing an electrical path between the mating connector and the coaxial cable. The connector may include a biasing element, wherein the biasing element is configured to provide a force to maintain the electrical path between the mating connector and the coaxial cable. In one embodiment, the biasing element is external to the nut and the connector body. In one embodiment, the biasing element surrounds a portion of the nut and/or the connector body.

Claims

1. A coaxial cable connector for coupling a coaxial cable to a mating connector, the coaxial cable connector comprising:

a connector body extending along a longitudinal axis and having a forward end and a rearward cable receiving end for receiving a cable;

a nut rotatably coupled to the forward end of the connector body;

an annular post disposed within the connector body for providing an electrical path between the mating connector and the coaxial cable; and

a biasing element external to the nut and surrounding a portion of the connector body,

wherein the biasing element is configured to engage an external and radially extending surface of the nut, and engage an external and radially extending surface of the connector body when the connector is in an assembled state so as to provide a force to maintain the electrical path between the mating connector and the annular post.

2. The coaxial connector of claim 1,

wherein the connector body includes an outwardly protruding flange on the outer surface of the connector body,

wherein the nut includes an outwardly protruding flange on the outer surface of the nut, and

wherein the biasing element contacts the outwardly protruding flange of the connector body and the outwardly protruding flange of the nut to provide the force.

3. The coaxial connector of claim 2, wherein the biasing element includes an annular portion to support hooks to hook onto the outwardly protruding flange of the nut and the outwardly protruding flange of the connector body.

4. The coaxial connector of claim 3, wherein the hooks include forward-facing hooks and rearward-facing hooks, wherein the forward-facing hooks are configured to snap over the outwardly protruding flange of the nut and the rearward-facing hooks are configured to snap over the outwardly protruding flange of the nut.

5. The coaxial connector of claim 2, wherein the biasing element includes an elastomeric material coupled to the annular flange of the nut and the annular flange of the connector body.

6. The coaxial connector of claim 5, wherein the biasing element is molded over the nut or molded over the connector body.

7. The coaxial connector of claim 5, wherein the biasing element is molded over the nut and an annular ring.

8. The coaxial connector of claim 7, wherein the biasing element is coupled to the flange of the connector body through the annular ring.

9. The coaxial connector of claim 8, wherein the biasing element or annular ring is configured to snap over the outwardly-protruding flange of the connector body.

10. The coaxial connector of claim 5, wherein the biasing element includes an uneven outer surface.

11. The coaxial connector of claim 1, wherein the biasing element provides a force to prevent the nut from backing off the mating connector.

12. A coaxial cable connector for coupling a coaxial cable to a mating connector, the coaxial cable connector comprising:

a connector body extending along a longitudinal axis and having a forward end and a rearward cable receiving end for receiving a cable;

a nut rotatably coupled to the forward end of the connector body, wherein the nut includes internal threads for mating to external threads of the mating connector;

an annular post disposed within the connector body for providing an electrical path between the mating connector and the coaxial cable; and

a biasing element radially external to the nut and surrounding a portion of the connector body,

wherein the biasing element is configured to engage an external and radially extending surface of the nut and engage an external and radially extending surface of the connector body to provide a force to maintain tension between the internal threads of the nut and the external threads of the mating connector.

13. The coaxial cable connector of claim 12, wherein the nut includes a forward portion and a rear portion, wherein the forward portion and rear portion are configured to move relative to each other along an axial direction.

14. The coaxial connector of claim 13, wherein the rear portion of the nut is rotatably captured between the connector body and a flange of the post, and wherein the rear portion of the nut includes a recess, and wherein the front portion of the nut includes an outwardly protruding flange on the outer surface of the front portion of the nut.

15. The coaxial connector of claim 14, wherein the biasing element is coupled to the outwardly protruding flange of the front portion of the nut and the recess of the rear portion of the nut.

16. The coaxial connector of claim 14, wherein the biasing element is an elastomeric material molded over the front portion of the nut and the rear portion of the nut.

17. The coaxial connector of claim 16, wherein the elastomeric material forms a sealing element between the connector body and the rear portion of the nut.

18. The coaxial connector of claim 14, wherein the front portion of the nut includes an inwardly facing flange and the rear portion of the nut includes an outwardly facing flange, wherein the inwardly facing flange and the outwardly facing flange abut to prevent the front portion of the nut and the rear portion of the nut from moving in the axial direction away from each other.

19. A coaxial cable connector for coupling a coaxial cable to a mating connector, the coaxial cable connector comprising:

a connector body having a forward end and a rearward cable receiving end for receiving a cable;

a nut rotatably coupled to the forward end of the connector body, wherein the nut includes internal threads for mating to external threads of the mating connector;

an annular post disposed within the connector body for providing an electrical path between the mating connector and the coaxial cable; and

a biasing element external to the nut and the connector body, wherein the biasing element is configured to provide a force between radially extending surfaces of the nut and the connector body to maintain electrical contact between the post and the mating connector.

20. The coaxial cable connector of claim 19, wherein the biasing element includes elastomeric material.

21. A coaxial cable connector for coupling a coaxial cable to a mating connector, the coaxial cable connector comprising:

a connector body having a forward end and a rearward cable receiving end for receiving a cable;

a coupling member rotatably coupled to the forward end of the connector body;

an annular post disposed within the connector body for providing an electrical path between the mating connector and the coaxial cable; and

an elastomeric biasing element external to the coupling member and the connector body and surrounding a portion of the connector body, wherein the biasing element is configured to provide a force between radially extending surfaces of the coupling member and the connector body to maintain the electrical path between the mating connector and the annular post.

22. A coaxial cable connector comprising:

a body member configured to engage a cable when the connector is in an assembled state and having an outwardly extending body member portion;

a coupling member configured to engage an interface port when the connector is in the assembled state and having an outwardly extending coupling member portion;

a post member configured to form an electrical path between the interface port and the cable when the connector is in the assembled state; and

an external biasing member configured to engage the outwardly extending body member portion and the outwardly extending coupling member portion when the connector is in the assembled state so as to exert a tension force between the coupling member and body member and maintain the electrical path between the interface port and the cable when the connector is in the assembled state.

23. The connector of claim 22, wherein the external biasing member is configured to exert the tension force against the outwardly extending coupling member portion toward a rearward direction when the connector is in the assembled state.

24. The connector of claim 23, wherein the external biasing member is configured to exert the tension force against the outwardly extending body member portion toward a forward direction when the connector is in the assembled state.

25. The connector of claim 22, wherein the external biasing member is configured to exert the tension force against the coupling member toward a rearward direction when the connector is in the assembled state.

26. The connector of claim 25, wherein the external biasing member is configured to exert the tension force against the body member toward a forward direction when the connector is in the assembled state.

27. The connector of claim 22, wherein the outwardly extending body member portion faces a rearward direction and the external biasing member is configured to exert the tension force against the outwardly extending body member toward a forward direction when the connector is in the assembled state.

28. The connector of claim 22, wherein the outwardly extending coupling member portion faces a forward direction and the external biasing member is configured to exert the tension force against the outwardly extending coupling member portion toward a rearward direction when the connector is in the assembled state.

29. The connector of claim 22, wherein the coupling member includes a port engagement portion and the interface port includes a coupling member engagement portion, and the external biasing member is configured to exert a biasing force between the port engagement portion of the coupling member and the coupling member engagement portion of the interface portion so as to help maintain the electrical path between the interface port and the cable when the connector is in the assembled state.

30. The connector of claim 29, wherein the port engagement portion of the coupling member comprises at least one internal thread, and the coupling member engagement portion of the interface port comprises at least one external thread shaped to substantially fit the at least one internal thread of the post engagement portion of the coupling member and form an electrical path between the coupling member and the interface port when the connector is in the assembled state.

31. The connector of claim 22, wherein the coupling member is configured to move between a first position relative to the body member, where the post member forms the electrical path between the interface port and the cable when the connector is in the assembled state, and a second position relative to the body member, where the electrical path between the interface port and the cable is interrupted, and wherein the external biasing member is configured to prevent the electrical path from being interrupted by exerting the tension force between the coupling member and the body member so as to prevent the coupling member from moving to the second position when the connector is in the assembled state.

32. The connector of claim 22, wherein the body member includes an outwardly protruding flange, the nut includes an outwardly protruding flange, and the external biasing member is configured to contact the outwardly protruding flange of the body member and the outwardly protruding flange of the coupling member so as to provide the tension force.

33. The connector of claim 32, wherein the external biasing element includes a first engagement portion shaped to engage the outwardly protruding flange of the coupling member and a second engagement portion spaced from the first engagement portion and shaped to engage the outwardly protruding flange of the body member.

34. The connector of claim 33, wherein the first engagement portion of the external biasing member comprises an inwardly shaped hook proximate a forward end of the biasing member and the second engagement portion of the external biasing member comprises an inwardly shaped hook proximate a rearward end of the biasing member.

35. A coaxial cable connector comprising:

a body member having an outwardly extending body member portion and configured to engage a cable when the connector is in an assembled state;

a coupling member having an outwardly extending coupling member portion and configured to engage an interface port when the connector is in the assembled state;

a post member configured to form an electrical path between the interface port and the cable when the coupling member is in a first position relative to the body member and to allow the electrical path to be interrupted when the coupling member is allowed to move to a second position relative to the body member; and

an external biasing member configured to engage the outwardly extending body member portion and the outwardly extending coupling member portion when the connector is in the assembled state so as to exert a force between the coupling member and the body member, maintain the electrical path between the interface port and the cable, and prevent the electrical path from being interrupted by preventing the coupling member from moving to the second position relative to the body member when the connector is in the assembled state.

36. The connector of claim 35, wherein the force comprises a tension force.

37. The connector of claim 35, wherein the external biasing member is configured to exert a tension force against the outwardly extending coupling member portion toward a rearward direction when the connector is in the assembled state.

38. The connector of claim 35, wherein the external biasing member is configured to exert a tension force against the outwardly extending body member toward a forward direction when the connector is in the assembled state.

39. The connector of claim 35, wherein the external biasing member is configured to exert a tension force against the coupling member toward a rearward direction when the connector is in the assembled state.

40. The connector of claim 35, wherein the external biasing member is configured to exert a tension force against the body member toward a forward direction when the connector is in the assembled state.

41. The connector of claim 35, wherein the outwardly extending body member portion faces a rearward direction and the external biasing member is configured to exert a tension force against the outwardly extending body member toward a forward direction when the connector is in the assembled state.

42. The connector of claim 35, wherein the outwardly extending coupling member portion faces a forward direction and the external biasing member is configured to exert a tension force against the outwardly extending coupling member portion toward a rearward direction when the connector is in the assembled state.

43. The connector of claim 35, wherein the coupling member includes a port engagement portion and the interface port includes a coupling member engagement portion, and the external biasing member is configured to exert a biasing force between the port engagement portion of the coupling member and the coupling member engagement portion of the interface portion so as to help maintain the electrical path between the interface port and the cable when the connector is in the assembled state.

44. The connector of claim 43, wherein the post engagement portion of the coupling member comprises at least one internal thread, and the coupling member engagement portion of the interface port comprises at least on external thread shaped to substantially fit the at least one internal thread of the post engagement portion of the coupling member and form the electrical path between the coupling member and the interface port when the connector is in the assembled state.