Continuity maintaining biasing member

• US 9,608,345 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2013
• Issued: 03/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PPC Broadband Incorporated (Belden Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PPC Broadband Incorporated (Belden Inc.)
• Inventors: Ehret, Trevor, Haube, Richard A., Montena, Noah, Zraik, Souheil
• Primary Examiner(s): Hammond, Briggitte R
• Application Number:
  US13/913,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20130273761A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,390 Days
• Field of Search: 439584-587
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5025 one or more pieces being of resilient material
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5202 Sealing means between parts of housing or between housing part and a wall, e.g. sealing rings
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/62 Means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts or for holding them in engagement
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/622 Screw-ring or screw-casing H01R13/623 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/48 utilising a spring, clip, or other resilient member H01R4/52 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors of trolley lines B60M1/28
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/16 for manufacturing contact members, e.g. by punching and by bending
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/20 for assembling or disassembling contact members with insulating base, case or sleeve
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/26 for engaging or disengaging the two parts of a coupling device structural association with two-part coupling device H01R13/629
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/05 for coaxial cables
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/0521 Connection to outer conductor by action of a nut
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/0527 Connection to outer conductor by action of a resilient member, e.g. spring
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49174 Assembling terminal to elongated conductor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49204 Contact or terminal manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49208 by assembling plural parts

Abstract

A post having a first end, a second end, and a flange proximate the second end, wherein the post is configured to receive a center conductor surrounded by a dielectric of a coaxial cable, a connector body attached to the post, a coupling element attached to the post, the coupling element having a first end a second end, and a biasing member disposed within a cavity formed between the first end of the coupling element and the connector body to bias the coupling element against the post is provided. Moreover, a connector body having a biasing element, wherein the biasing element biases the coupling element against the post, is further provided. Furthermore, associated methods are also provided.

Claims

1. A coaxial cable connector comprising:

a post having a first end, a second end, and a flange, wherein the first end is configured to receive a center conductor surrounded by a dielectric of a coaxial cable;

a connector body having a first end and a second end, and a body contact surface, the first end configured to receive a portion of the coaxial cable and the second end configured to engage the post when the connector is in an assembled state;

a coupling element configured to engage the post and axially move between a first position, where the coupling element is partially tightened on an interface port, and a second position, where the coupling element is fully tightened on the interface port, the second position being axially spaced from the first position, the coupling element having a first end, a second end, an internal lip having a lip contact surface extending along a radial direction and facing a rearward direction, and an outer internal wall surface extending along an axial direction substantially perpendicular to the radial direction so as to form a cavity between the coupling element and the connector body, the cavity being configured to allow electrical grounding between the coupling element and the post to be interrupted during operation of the connector when the coupling element moves out of electrical contact with the post and when the coupling element is in the first position, where the coupling element is partially tightened on an interface port;

a biasing member configured to be compressed in the cavity so as to exert an axial biasing force between the lip contact surface of the coupling element and the body contact surface of the connector body and biasingly maintain electrical grounding between the coupling element and post during operation of the connector, the axial biasing force being sufficient to biasingly urge the coupling element toward the post and biasingly restrain the cavity from allowing electrical grounding between the coupling element and the post to be interrupted during operation of the connector by biasingly maintaining the internal lip of the coupling element in electrical contact with the flange of the post when the coupling element is in the first position, where the coupling element is partially tightened on an interface port;

wherein the biasing member is configured to provide a physical seal between the coupling element and the connector body when the biasing member is compressed in the cavity;

wherein the biasing member is an O-ring, and is made of substantially non-metallic and non-conductive material;

wherein the biasing member is simultaneously compressed by at least the lip contact surface of the internal lip of the coupling element and the body contact surface of the connector body when the biasing member is compressed in the cavity;

wherein the biasing member includes a first portion configured to be compressed by the lip contact portion of the internal lip of the coupling element when the biasing member is compressed in the cavity, a second portion configured to be compressed by the body contact surface of the connector body when the biasing member is compressed in the cavity, and a third portion configured to be compressed when the biasing member is compressed in the cavity; and

wherein the first, second, and third portions of the biasing member cause the axial biasing force to be exerted between the lip contact surface of the coupling element and the body contact surface of the connector body so as to biasingly maintain electrical grounding between the coupling element and the post during operation of the connector.

2. The connector of claim 1, wherein the connector body includes an outward facing surface, and the third portion of the biasing member is configured to be compressed by the outward facing surface of the connector body when the biasing member is compressed within the cavity.

3. The connector of claim 1, wherein the biasing member includes a fourth portion configured to be compressed when the biasing member is compressed in the cavity.

4. The coaxial cable connector of claim 3, wherein the fourth portion of the biasing member is configured to be compressed by the outer internal wall surface of the coupling element when the biasing member is compressed in the cavity.

5. The connector of claim 1, wherein the biasing member is an over-sized O-ring having an uncompressed diameter greater than an axial space formed by the cavity between the lip contact surface of the coupling element and the body contact surface of the connector body during operation of the connector when the coupling element is in the first position, where the coupling element is partially tightened on an interface port.

6. The connector of claim 1, wherein the biasing member is an over-sized O-ring having an uncompressed diameter greater than an axial space formed by the cavity between the lip contact surface of the coupling element and the body contact surface of the connector body throughout all ranges of motion of the coupling element and the connector body relative to one another during operation of the connector when the coupling element is in the first position, where the coupling element is partially tightened on an interface port.

7. The connector of claim 1, wherein the biasing member is configured to biasingly maintain electrical grounding between the coupling element and the post during operation of the connector only when the biasing force is greater than a counter force exerted against the connector body along the axial direction.

8. The connector of claim 1, wherein the cavity is configured to decrease in size when the coupling element moves toward the connector body so as to further compress the biasing member in the cavity and further cause the biasing member to exert the axial biasing force so to biasingly maintain electrical grounding between the coupling element and the post during operation of the connector and when the coupling element moves toward the connector body.

9. The connector of claim 1, wherein the cavity is configured to decrease in size when the coupling element moves toward the connector body so as to further compress the biasing member and cause the biasing member to exert a resultant axial biasing force between the coupling element and the post during operation of the connector and when the coupling element moves toward the connector body.

10. The connector of claim 1, wherein the cavity forms an axial space extending between the lip contact surface of the coupling element and the body contact surface of the connector body, and the biasing member comprises an over-sized O-ring having an uncompressed axial length greater than the axial space formed by the cavity such that the biasing member remains compressed in the cavity throughout all ranges of motion of the coupling element and the connector body relative to one another during operation of the connector when the coupling element is in the first position, where the coupling element is partially tightened on an interface port.

11. A coaxial cable connector for coupling an end of a coaxial cable and facilitating electrical connection with a coaxial cable interface port having a conductive surface, the coaxial cable having a center conductor surrounded by a dielectric, the dielectric being surrounded by a conductive grounding shield, the conductive grounding shield being surrounded by a protective outer jacket, the connector comprising:

a post having a first end, a second end, and a flange proximate the second end, the post configured to receive the center conductor and the dielectric of the coaxial cable;

a connector body having a first end and a second end, the first end configured to receive a prepared end of the coaxial cable and the second end configured to engage the post, the second end having an outer annular recess including a forward facing body contact surface and an outwardly facing wall surface extending forwardly from the forward facing body contact surface along an axial direction;

a coupling element rotatably attached to the post, the coupling element having a first end configured to mate with the connector body and a second end configured to mate with an interface port, the first end defining a lip contact surface extending radially inwardly and facing in a rearward direction, and an inwardly facing wall surface extending rearwardly from the lip contact surface in an axial direction;

a biasing member configured to be received within a cavity formed between the coupling element and the connector body, the cavity being bounded by at least the lip contact surface of the second end of the coupling element and the body contact surface of the connector body;

wherein the lip contact surface of the coupling element is spaced from the body contact surface of the connector body so as to form an axial gap between the lip contact surface of the coupling element and the body contact surface of the connector body;

wherein the axial gap is configured to vary in size when the coupling element and the connector body move toward and away from one another during operation of the connector and when the connector is not fully tightened on the interface port;

wherein the biasing member is configured to be simultaneously compressed between at least the lip contact surface of the coupling element and the body contact surface of the connector body so as to exert a biasing force on the lip contact surface of the coupling element in an axial direction and axially bias the coupling element toward the post in order to inhibit interruption of an electrical ground path between the coupling element and the post during operation of the connector and when the connector is not fully tightened on the interface port;

wherein the biasing member has an O-ring shape, is comprised of a resilient, non-metallic and non-conductive material, and is configured to form a physical seal against the body contact surface of the connector body; and

wherein the biasing member includes a first portion configured to be compressed by the lip contact surface of the coupling element, a second portion configured to be compressed by the body contact surface of the connector body, and a third portion, and wherein the first, second, and third portions of the biasing member cause the axial biasing force to be exerted between the lip contact surface of the coupling element and the body contact surface of the connector body so as to biasingly maintain electrical grounding between the coupling element and the post during operation of the connector and when the connector is not fully tightened on the interface port.

12. The connector of claim 11, wherein the connector body includes an outward facing surface, and the third portion of the biasing member is configured to be compressed by the outward facing surface of the connector body when the biasing member is compressed within the cavity.

13. The connector of claim 11, wherein the biasing member is an over-sized O-ring having a uncompressed diameter greater than the axial gap between the lip contact surface of the coupling element and the body contact surface of the connector body.

14. The connector of claim 11, wherein the biasing member is an over-sized O-ring having a first diameter when the over-sized O-ring is an uncompressed state and having a second diameter when the over-sized O-ring is in the compressed state, the first diameter being greater than the second diameter, and the first diameter being greater than the axial gap between the lip contact surface of the coupling element and the body contact surface of the connector body throughout all ranges of motion of the coupling element and the connector body relative to one another during operation of the connector when the coupling element is in the first position, where the coupling element is partially tightened on an interface port.

15. The connector of claim 11, wherein the biasing member is configured to biasingly maintain electrical grounding between the coupling element and the post during operation of the connector only when the biasing force is greater than a counter force exerted against the connector body along the axial direction.

16. The connector of claim 11, wherein the axial gap is configured to decrease in size when the coupling element moves toward the connector body so as to further compress the biasing member in the cavity and further cause the biasing member to exert the axial biasing force so to biasingly maintain electrical grounding between the coupling element and the post during operation of the connector and when the coupling element moves toward the connector body.

17. The connector of claim 11, wherein the axial gap is configured to decrease in size when the coupling element moves toward the connector body so as to further compress the biasing member and cause the biasing member to exert a resultant axial biasing force between the coupling element and the post during operation of the connector and when the coupling element moves toward the connector body.

18. The connector of claim 11, wherein the biasing member includes a fourth portion configured to be compressed when the biasing member is compressed in the cavity.

19. The connector of claim 18, wherein the fourth portion of the biasing member is configured to be compressed by the inwardly facing wall surface of the coupling element during operation of the connector and when the connector is not fully tightened on the interface port.