Connector having an inner conductor engager

• US 9,793,624 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2014
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PPC Broadband Incorporated (Belden Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PPC Broadband Incorporated (Belden Inc.)
• Inventors: Tremba, Timothy N., Watkins, Harold J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilman, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US14/579,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20150180142A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5205 Sealing means between cable and housing, e.g. grommet H01R13/5221 takes precedence
• 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

A connector includes: (i) an inner conductor engager comprising at least one tab being flexible to define an opening engager, (ii) a driver configured to drive the inner conductor engager to a desired position along the inner conductor, and (iii) a housing coupled to the inner conductor engager. The opening is configured to receive an inner conductor of a coaxial cable and extends through the entire inner conductor engager thus allowing the inner conductor to electrically connect to an interface port.

Claims

1. A connector comprising:

an inner conductor engager comprising a ring defining a plane and a plurality of tabs projecting inwardly from the ring and out of the plane of the ring, each tab being flexible to define a first opening extending entirely through the inner conductor engager, the plurality of tabs being configured to receive an inner conductor of a coaxial cable so that the inner conductor passes through the first opening;

a housing coupled to the inner conductor engager and comprising;

(i) an inboard end portion extending over and circumscribing a jacket of the co-axial cable, (ii) a seal formed between the jacket and the inboard end portion of the housing, (iii) an outer conductor engager disposed in combination with an outer conductor of the cable, the seal comprising an O-ring disposed between the jacket, and an O-ring groove defined by the inboard end portion of the housing; and

a driver configured to retain the inner conductor engager at a desired axial position along the inner conductor and defining a second opening configured to receive the inner conductor, the driver comprising a housing coupler and an adaptor, the housing coupler being secured within a recess of the housing, and the adaptor comprising an abutment surface operative to drive the inner conductor engager to the desired axial position along the inner connector.

2. The connector of claim 1, wherein, at the desired axial position, one side of the inner conductor engager engages the abutment surface of the adaptor and a second opposite side of the inner conductor engager engages a shoulder of the coupler.

3. A connector comprising:

an inner conductor engager having a plurality of tabs defining an opening extending through the inner conductor engager, the plurality of tabs being configured to engageably receive an inner conductor of a coaxial cable such that the inner conductor passes through the opening to electrically connect to an interface port;

a driver configured to retain the inner conductor engager at a desired axial position along the inner conductor, the driver comprising an abutment surface configured to drive the inner conductor engager to the desired axial position along the inner connector; and

a housing coupled to the inner conductor engager and configured to electrically connect to an outer conductor of the coaxial cable.

4. The connector of claim 3, wherein the driver comprises a housing coupler and an adaptor, the housing coupler being secured within a recess of the housing, and the adaptor comprising an abutment surface operative to drive the inner conductor engager to the desired axial position along the inner connector.

5. The connector of claim 4, wherein the inner conductor engager includes a ring, wherein the plurality of tabs project radially inwardly from the ring, and wherein the housing adapter defines a second opening larger than the first opening defined by the tabs such that the tabs are free to flex toward or away from the plane of the ring.

6. The connector of claim 5, wherein the driver is configured to permit movement of the tabs away from the plane of the ring to facilitate movement along the inner conductor.

7. A connector comprising:

an inner conductor engager defining an opening configured to receive an inner conductor of a coaxial cable such that the inner conductor passes through the opening to electrically connect to an interface port, the inner conductor engager comprising at least one tab that is moveable from a first position to a second position, the at least one tab defining a smaller opening in the second position than in the first position, and the at least one tab being configured to engage the inner conductor at least in the second position;

a ram configured to move the tab from the first to the second position such that the tab mechanically engages an outer peripheral surface of the inner conductor; and

a housing coupled to the inner conductor engager and configured to electrically connect to an outer conductor of the coaxial cable.

8. The connector of claim 7, wherein the ram comprises a housing coupler and an adaptor, the housing coupler mounting the adapter in one of a staging position and a deforming position, the staging position corresponding to the first position of the at least one deformable tab and the deforming position corresponding to the second position of the at least one deformable tab.

9. The connector of claim 7, wherein the inner conductor engager comprises a ring defining a plane and a plurality of tabs projecting inwardly from the ring and out of the plane of the ring, the plurality of tabs defining the opening of the inner conductor engager.

10. The connector of claim 7, wherein the housing comprises an inboard end portion extending over and circumscribing a jacket of the co-axial cable and further comprising a seal formed between the jacket and the inboard end portion of the housing.

11. The connector of claim 7, wherein the housing comprises an outer conductor engager having a tapered neck configured to contact an outer peripheral surface of an outer conductor of the coaxial cable.

12. A connector comprising:

a coupler configured to couple the connector with an interface port;

an inner conductor engager defining an opening extending entirely through the inner conductor engager, the inner conductor engager being configured to receive an inner conductor of a coaxial cable so that the inner conductor passes through the opening and into the coupler, thereby allowing the inner conductor to directly electrically engage the interface port, the inner conductor engager having a deformable metallic member configured to frictionally engage a peripheral surface of the inner conductor of the coaxial cable;

a compressor configured to receive the inner conductor engager and to be axially displaced relative thereto, the compressor being configured to close the deformable member against the peripheral surface of the inner conductor of the coaxial cable; and

a housing coupled to the inner conductor engager and configured to electrically connect to an outer conductor of the coaxial cable.

13. The connector of claim 12, wherein the inner conductor engager defines a threaded gripping surface engaging the inner conductor.

14. The connector of claim 12, wherein the inner conductor engager defines a knurled surface engaging the inner conductor.

15. The connector of claim 12, wherein the compressor comprises a tapered inner surface and wherein the inner conductor engager comprises a deformable ring operative to engage the tapered inner surface and translate axially along the tapered inner surface, the tapered inner surface deforming the ring in a radial direction to decrease the size of the opening such that the inner conductor engager engages the inner conductor.

16. The connector of claim 12, wherein the housing comprises an inboard end portion extending over and circumscribing a jacket of the co-axial cable and further comprising a seal formed between the jacket and the inboard end portion.

17. The connector of claim 12, wherein the housing comprises an outer conductor engager having a tapered neck configured to contact an outer peripheral surface of an outer conductor of the coaxial cable.

18. A connector comprising:

a coupler configured to couple the connector with an interface port;

a metallic inner conductor engager defining an opening configured to enable an inner conductor of a coaxial cable to extend through the inner conductor engager and into the coupler to directly electrically engage the interface port, the engager configured to mechanically engage an outer peripheral surface of the inner conductor of the coaxial cable;

a driver configured to retain the inner conductor engager at a desired position along the inner conductor; and

a housing coupled to the inner conductor engager and configured to electrically connect to an outer conductor of the coaxial cable.

19. The connector of claim 18, wherein the inner conductor engager comprises a ring defining a plane and a plurality of tabs projecting inwardly from the ring and out of the plane of the ring, the plurality of tabs defining the first opening.

20. The connector of claim 19, wherein the driver comprises a housing coupler and an adaptor, the housing coupler configured to be secured within a recess of the housing and the adaptor comprising an abutment surface configured to drive the engager to the desired axial position along the inner connector.

21. The connector of claim 19, wherein the driver comprises a ram configured to plastically deform the tabs into engagement with the peripheral surface of the inner conductor when the inner conductor engager has passed through the opening and reached a desired axial position along the inner conductor.

22. The connector of claim 19, wherein the driver comprises a compressor having an opening configured to contract in size around the periphery of the inner conductor, the compressor contracting when the inner conductor engager has passed through the opening and reached a desired axial position along the inner conductor.

24. The connector of claim 19, wherein the housing comprises an inboard end portion extending over and circumscribing a jacket of the co-axial cable and further comprising a seal formed between the jacket and the inboard end portion of the housing.

25. The connector of claim 19, wherein the housing comprises an outer conductor engager having a tapered neck configured to contact an outer peripheral surface of an outer conductor of the coaxial cable.

23. A connector comprising:

a plurality of inner conductor engagers co-axially aligned in a stacked arrangement, the plurality of inner conductor engagers defining an opening configured to enable an inner conductor of a coaxial cable to extend through the plurality of inner conductor engagers to electrically engage an interface port, the plurality of inner conductor engagers configured to mechanically engage an outer peripheral surface of the inner conductor of the coaxial cable;

a driver configured to retain the plurality of inner conductor engagers at a desired axial position along the inner conductor; and

a housing coupled to the inner conductor engager and configured to electrically connect to an outer conductor of the coaxial cable;

wherein each of the plurality of inner conductor engagers comprises a ring defining a plane and a plurality of tabs projecting inwardly from the ring and out of the plane of the ring, the plurality of tabs defining the opening and being configured to engage the inner conductor.