COAXIAL CABLE CONNECTOR HAVING ELECTRICAL CONTINUITY MEMBER

• US 20100297875A1
• Filed: 12/08/2009
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PPC Broadband Incorporated (Belden Inc.)
• Original Assignee: John Mezzalingua Associates Incorporated
• Inventors: Montena, Noah, Purdy, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 8,287,320 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/578
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/622 Screw-ring or screw-casing H01R13/623 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6592 the conductive member being a shielded cable
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2103/00 Two poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/38 having concentrically or coaxially arranged contacts
• 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 9/05 for coaxial cables
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/0521 Connection to outer conductor by action of a nut
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49123 Co-axial cable
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49208 by assembling plural parts

Abstract

A coaxial cable connector comprising a connector body; a post engageable with connector body, wherein the post includes a flange; a nut, axially rotatable with respect to the post and the connector body, the nut having a first end and an opposing second end, wherein the nut includes an internal lip, and wherein a second end portion of the nut corresponds to the portion of the nut extending from the second end of the nut to the side of the lip of the nut facing the first end of the nut at a point nearest the second end of the nut, and a first end portion of the nut corresponds to the portion of the nut extending from the first end of the nut to the same point nearest the second end of the nut of the same side of the lip facing the first end of the nut; and a continuity member disposed within the second end portion of the nut and contacting the post and the nut, so that the continuity member extends electrical grounding continuity through the post and the nut is provided.

Claims

1. A coaxial cable connector comprising;

a connector body;

a post engageable with connector body, wherein the post includes a flange;

a nut, axially rotatable with respect to the post and the connector body, the nut having a first end and an opposing second end, wherein the nut includes an internal lip, and wherein a second end portion of the nut starts at a side of the lip of the nut facing the first end of the nut and extends rearward to the second end of the nut; and

a continuity member disposed only rearward the start of the second end portion of the nut and contacting the post and the nut, so that the continuity member extends electrical grounding continuity through the post and the nut.

5. The coaxial cable connector of claim 1, wherein the portion of the continuity member that contacts the nut is flexible.

6. The coaxial cable connector of claim 5, wherein there are multiple flexible portions that contact the nut.

7. The coaxial cable connector of claim 6, wherein the continuity member is generally disc-like and wherein the flexible nut contact portions arch away from the more generally disc-like portion of the electrical continuity member.

8. The coaxial cable connector of claim 7, wherein the nut contact portions of the continuity member each includes a tab that contacts the nut.

9. The coaxial cable connector of claim 5, wherein the nut contact portion of the continuity member is a flexible finger.

10. The coaxial cable connector of claim 9, wherein the continuity member includes multiple flexible fingers.

11. The coaxial cable connector of claim 1, wherein the portion of the continuity member that contacts post includes a securing member.

12. The coaxial cable connector of claim 1, wherein the electrical continuity member does not contact the connector body.

13. The coaxial cable connector of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the electrical continuity member resides radially between the lip of the nut and the post.

14. The coaxial cable connector of claim 13, wherein the electrical continuity member is an oblong band.

15. The coaxial cable connector of claim 1, wherein the nut does not touch the connector body.

16. The coaxial cable connector of claim 1, wherein the nut is threaded.

17. The coaxial cable connector of claim 1, further including a sealing ring positioned between the nut and the connector body to prevent ingress of unwanted environmental contaminants.

18. The coaxial cable connector of claim 1, further including a fastener member having a central passageway with an internal ramped surface that deformably compresses the outer surface of the connector body when the fastener member is pressed into tight and secure position on the connector body.

19. The coaxial cable connector of claim 1, further including an insertable compression sleeve that is pushed into the connector body to squeeze against and secure a coaxial cable therein.

20. The coaxial cable connector of claim 15, wherein the location of the continuity member, as assembled in the coaxial cable connector, prevents the connector body from contacting the nut.

2. A coaxial cable connector comprising

a connector body;

a post operably attached to the connector body, the post having a flange;

a nut axially rotatable with respect to the post and the connector body, the nut including an inward lip; and

an electrical continuity member disposed axially rearward of a surface of the internal lip of the nut that faces the flange.

21. The coaxial cable connector of claim 2, wherein the continuity member electrically contacts both the nut and the post.

22. The coaxial cable connector of claim 21, wherein the portion of the continuity member that contacts the nut is flexible.

23. The coaxial cable connector of claim 22, wherein there are multiple flexible portions that contact the nut.

24. The coaxial cable connector of claim 23, wherein the continuity member is generally disc-like and wherein the flexible nut contact portions arch away from the more generally disc-like portion of the electrical continuity member.

25. The coaxial cable connector of claim 24, wherein the nut contact portions of the continuity member each includes a tab that contacts the nut.

26. The coaxial cable connector of claim 22, wherein the nut contact portion of the continuity member is a flexible finger.

27. The coaxial cable connector of claim 26, wherein the continuity member includes multiple flexible fingers.

28. The coaxial cable connector of claim 21, wherein the portion of the continuity member that contacts the post includes a securing member.

29. The coaxial cable connector of claim 2, wherein the electrical continuity member does not contact the connector body.

30. The coaxial cable connector of claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the electrical continuity member resides radially between the lip of the nut and the post.

31. The coaxial cable connector of claim 2, wherein the electrical continuity member is an oblong band.

32. The coaxial cable connector of claim 2, wherein the nut does not touch the connector body.

33. The coaxial cable connector of claim 2, wherein the nut is threaded.

34. The coaxial cable connector of claim 2, further including a sealing ring positioned between the nut and the connector body to prevent ingress of unwanted environmental contaminants.

35. The coaxial cable connector of claim 2, further including a fastener member having a central passageway with an internal ramped surface that deformably compresses the outer surface of the connector body when the fastener member is pressed into tight and secure position on the connector body.

36. The coaxial cable connector of claim 2, further including an insertable compression sleeve that is pushed into the connector body to squeeze against and secure a coaxial cable therein.

37. The coaxial cable connector of claim 32, wherein the location of the continuity member, as assembled in the coaxial cable connector, prevents the connector body from contacting the nut.

3. A method of obtaining electrical continuity for a coaxial cable connection, the method comprising:

providing a coaxial cable connector including;

a connector body;

a post operably attached to the connector body, the post having a flange;

a nut axially rotatable with respect to the post and the connector body, the nut including an inward lip; and

an electrical continuity member disposed axially rearward of a surface of the internal lip of the nut that faces the flange;

securely attaching a coaxial cable to the connector so that the grounding shield of the cable electrically contacts the post;

extending electrical continuity from the post through the continuity member to the nut; and

fastening the nut to a conductive interface port to complete the ground path and obtain electrical continuity in the cable connection.

38. The method of obtaining electrical continuity for a coaxial cable connection of claim 3, further wherein electrical continuity is obtained even when the nut is not fully tightened onto the port, because only a few threads of the nut need to be threaded onto the port to extend electrical continuity through the nut and to the cable shielding via the electrical interface of the continuity member.

4. A coaxial cable connector comprising;

a post attached to a connector body, the post including a flange;

a nut axially rotatable with respect to the post and the connector body, the nut including an inward lip; and

means for extending electrical grounding continuity through the post and the nut, the means disposed axially rearward of a surface of the internal lip of the nut that faces the flange.

39. A coaxial cable connector comprising

a connector body;

a post attached to the connector body, the post having a flange;

a nut axially rotatable with respect to the post and the connector body, the nut including an inward lip; and

an electrical continuity member positioned to contact the post and the nut, wherein the electrical continuity member contacts and electrically couples the post to the nut at a position other than the flange of the post.

40. The connector of claim 39, wherein the flange of the post has a forward facing surface and a rearward facing surface;

and

wherein the inward lip of the nut has a forward facing surface, a rearward facing surface, and an innermost portion between the forward facing surface and the rearward facing surface; and

wherein the continuity member contacts at least one of;

a) the innermost portion between the forward facing surface of the inward lip; and

b) the rearward facing surface of the inward lip of the nut.

41. The connector of claim 40 wherein the forward facing surface of the nut rotates about the rearward facing surface of the flange of the post.

42. The connector of claim 41 wherein the rearward facing surface of the flange of the post is tapered.

43. The connector of claim 39, wherein the post further comprises a protrusion rearward of the flange for holding the connector body in an assembled position.

44. The connector of claim 39, wherein the continuity member is press fit onto the post.

45. The connector of claim 39, further comprising a fastener member having a ramped surface to deformable compress and seal the connector body against a cable.