Electrical connectors – With insulation other than conductor sheath – Plural-contact coupling part
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-01
2001-01-16
Bradley, Paula (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With insulation other than conductor sheath
Plural-contact coupling part
C439S578000, C439S675000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06174206
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
Various connectors, such as BNC connectors, facilitate attachment of electrical cables to electrical instruments. In a typical BNC connection, a female portion of the connector is mounted to an electrical instrument and a male portion of the connector is connected to a cable. The female portion includes a tubular cylindrical housing and a socket formed in a central location of the housing. The male portion includes a tubular cylindrical housing having a pin formed in a central location of the housing. The pin of the male portion may connect into the socket of female portion and the housing of the male portion may be inserted into the housing of the female portion.
The female portion also includes outwardly radially extending posts formed on the outer surface of the housing and the male portion includes a locking sleeve, disposed around the outer surface of the housing of the male portion. The locking sleeve includes grooves to mate with the posts on the female portion. To lock the connector portions together, the grooves in the locking sleeve receive the posts. The locking sleeve is then rotated relative to the female portion so that the posts are held within the grooves, thereby securing the connection.
When making one connection, the task of insertion and twist-locking the connectors together is relatively straight forward. However, when multiple connections must be made, this task becomes rather tedious. For example, the connector installer must ascertain the specific interconnection of each cable with each input/output connection of the electrical instrument. This may result in an increase in the time necessary for each of the connections, as well as an increase in the likelihood that some of the connections may be incorrect.
This problem is compounded when multiple connections must be made repeatedly to a number of electrical instruments such as, for example, when testing multiple electrical instruments upon completion of assembly of each during manufacture of the instruments.
SUMMARY
In one aspect, an electrical connector adaptor includes a housing having first and second ends. A female portion is formed at the first end of the housing and is adapted for receiving a male portion of a BNC connector. A non-locking male portion is formed at the second end of the housing and is adapted for insertion into a female portion of the BNC connector without locking thereto.
In another aspect, a fixture for connection to a plurality of first connector portions disposed on an instrument includes a plurality of second non-locking connector portions shaped and sized to electrically mate with the first connector portions. The second non-locking connector portions are secured to the fixture in fixed relation to each other that correspond to the relation of the first connector portions to each other. The second non-locking connector portions are adapted for simultaneous engagement and disengagement with the first connector portions.
In another aspect, a method of testing a plurality of electrical instruments, each having a plurality of first connector portions disposed thereon, with a fixture is disclosed. The fixture has a plurality of second non-locking connector portions secured thereto. The second non-locking connector portions are secured to the fixture in a spaced relation with each other that corresponds to a spaced relation of the first connector portions. The second non-locking connector portions are electrically coupled to a test device. The method includes the steps, for each electrical instrument, of simultaneously engaging the second non-locking connector portions to the first connector portions, performing a predetermined test on the electrical instrument, and simultaneously disengaging the second non-locking connector portions from the first connector portions.
In another aspect, an electrical connector adaptor includes a generally cylindrical tubular housing having first and second ends. A female portion is formed at the first end of the housing and a non-locking male portion is formed at the second end of the housing. The non-locking male portion is adapted for insertion into a BNC female connector portion. A rigid conductive shaft having a first and second end extends between the non-locking male portion and the female portion. The shaft includes a socket disposed at the first end thereof and a pin at the second end thereof.
In another aspect, an electrical connector adaptor includes a central conductive shaft having first and second ends. The first end is formed with a socket and the second end is formed with a pin. An insulator surrounds at least a part of the central shaft and a housing surrounds the insulator. The housing includes a female portion and a non-locking, push-in male portion. The female portion surrounds the socket and the non-locking male portion surrounds at least a part of the pin.
In another aspect, an electrical connector adaptor includes a female portion having a conductive, substantially cylindrical tubular outer housing and a conductive, substantially tubular inner socket. The outer housing has a plurality of outwardly radially extending posts. The inner socket has at least one longitudinally extending slit. The adaptor also includes a non-locking, push-in male portion having a conductive, substantially tubular outer housing, an insulative, substantially tubular member disposed adjacent an inner surface of the tubular outer housing, and a conductive, substantially cylindrical inner pin centrally disposed within the insulative, substantially tubular member. The outer housing of the non-locking male portion has at least one longitudinally extending slit. The pin and the socket are formed as a unitary rigid shaft and the outer housing of the non-locking male portion and the outer housing of the female portion is formed as a unitary rigid body.
Another aspect is an electrical connector adaptor including a generally cylindrical tubular non-locking male portion having at least one spring finger biased radially outward. The at least one spring finger is the radially outermost portion of the non-locking male end.
In another aspect, a method of making a fixture is disclosed. The method includes the steps of providing a panel having a plurality of electrical connector adaptors for coupling to a plurality of female portions of BNC connectors arranged on an instrument. The connector adaptors each having a non-locking male portion formed at one end thereof and adapted for insertion into a female portion of the BNC connector without locking thereto. The method also includes the step of arranging the adaptors relative to the panel in a relationship that corresponds to a relationship of the female portions of the BNC connectors on the instrument.
Various embodiments provide certain advantages and overcome certain drawbacks of the conventional techniques. Not all embodiments share the same advantages and those that do may not share them under all circumstances. Further features and advantages as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
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Calrad Connector Catalog, p. 83, Model #75-567.
Westland Clifford G.
Yentile Thomas W.
Avid Technology Inc.
Bradley Paula
Ta Tho D.
Wolf Greenfield & Sacks P.C.
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