Electrical connectors – Including or for use with coaxial cable – Having screw-threaded or screw-thread operated cable grip
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-16
2001-04-17
Paumen, Gary F. (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Including or for use with coaxial cable
Having screw-threaded or screw-thread operated cable grip
C439S578000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06217384
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the priority of German Patent Application, Serial No. 198 57 528.9, filed Dec. 14, 1998, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates, in general, to a connector for coaxial cables, and more particularly to a connector for coaxial cables of a type having annularly corrugated outer cable conductor.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,046,451, issued on Sep. 6, 1977, describes a connector assembly for a coaxial cable of a type having an annularly corrugated outer cable conductor, with a connector head which is formed with a beveled clamping surface to engage the inner surface of the end portion of the outer cable conductor. Cooperating with the clamping surface of the connector head is a further clamping surface formed on one end of a contact sleeve for engaging the outer surface of the end portion of the outer cable conductor. The contact sleeve is formed at the same time as a hollow screw and has a plurality of slits extending from the connector head proximal end to form a plurality of resilient segments. Each of the segments terminates in a bead for meshing in the first valley of the outer cable conductor and clamping the outer cable conductor against the clamping surface of the connector head along the end portion extending over the contact sleeve, when the connector assembly is mounted to the coaxial cable.
The necessity to dismantle the connector before attachment to the coaxial cable is disadvantageous for several reasons. For one, components may fall out, get lost or mixed up. Moreover, manipulation of several components is time-consuming and annoying, in particular when carrying out the assembly at exposed sites. There is also a risk that errors occur during assembly. A further drawback is the inevitable friction encountered between the beads at the free ends of the segments of the contact sleeve and the outer cable conductor along the outer surface to be contacted and clamped during threaded engagement of the contact sleeve in the connector head. As the outer cable conductor is normally made of a relatively soft copper alloy, the friction frequently results in a squeezing of material in the circumferential direction, leading to respective bending of the segments of the contact sleeve, or as a result of an increase of the torque to be applied for tightening the components in a false indication that a secure clamping and contacting has been attained when in fact that is not the case.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide an improved connector, obviating the afore-stated drawbacks.
In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved connector which is of short axial length compared to conventional connectors.
According to one aspect of the present invention, these objects, and others which will become apparent hereinafter, are attained in accordance with the present invention by providing a head portion having a recess which includes an inner thread and is bounded by a ring surface for establishing a contact from inside with an end portion of an outer cable conductor, with the recess of the head portion being bounded by a smooth inner section which is defined by an inner diameter; a contact sleeve adapted to fit over the outer cable conductor and having a plurality of axial slits extending from its head portion proximate end to form a plurality of radially resilient segments; a hollow screw adapted to fit over the contact sleeve and to threadably engage in the recess along a clamping path for loading the segments of the contact sleeve in a clamping direction, thereby clamping the end portion of the outer cable conductor against the ring surface in the recess of the head portion, with the hollow screw having a thread and being defined by an outer diameter in an area of the thread, whereby the inner diameter of the smooth inner section of the recess is greater than the outer diameter of the hollow screw in the area of the thread; and by providing an indexing member for dividing the clamping path of the hollow screw into first and second sections, with the first section corresponding to a preassembled state of the connector, and with the second section corresponding to a complete assembly of the connector onto the cable end, whereby the indexing member includes an O ring for sealing an annular gap defined between the head portion and the hollow screw when the connector is fully assembled, whereby the O ring is received in an annular groove of the hollow screw and impacts upon a confronting end face of the head portion when the hollow screw has reached the end of the first section of the clamping path.
In accordance with the present invention, a single O ring is used to assume a dual function, namely to realize a sealing of the gap between the hollow screw and the head portion and to provide a tactile resistance to indicate when the correct preassembly stage of the connector is attained. The provision of a single O ring has many advantages. The hollow screw can be provided with a thread of significantly reduced length so that the overall size of the hollow screw can be decreased and thus the overall size of the head portion and as a result also the overall size of the final connector. As a consequence of the compact construction of the connector, significant amounts of material can be saved and the production time can be lowered. In addition, the installation of the connector is facilitated because the number of turns of the hollow screw until reaching the clamped disposition can be cut roughly in half.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the concepts outlined above are also applicable for a connector with a head portion that interacts with a screw cap, i.e. the indexing member is formed by a single O ring which divides the clamping path of the screw cap into first and second sections, to indicate the preassembled state of the connector and the complete assembly of the connector onto the cable end, respectively, whereby the O ring is received in the annular groove of the head portion to realize a seal between the head portion and the screw cap and is contacted by a confronting end face of the screw cap when the screw cap has reached the end of the first section of the clamping path.
The installation of the connector can be further simplified by providing the hollow screw or screw cap with a radially inwardly projecting shoulder for establishing a stop for a ring collar of the contact sleeve and for so limiting a travel path of the contact sleeve in the preassembled state of the connector that an insertion gap for the end portion of the outer cable conductor is formed between the beveled ring surface of the hollow screw or ring surface of the screw cap, and the segments of the contact sleeve. This configuration prevents the end of the outer cable conductor from pushing the contact sleeve to the contacting ring surface or bottom of the head portion when the preassembled connector is placed over the cable. Thus, the preassembled connector can be properly attached to the cable, without requiring repeated attempts to achieve a proper disposition.
The ring collar which limits the travel path of the contact sleeve during placement of the connector over the cable can be attached, with respect to the axial length of the contact sleeve, such that the inwardly projecting shoulder of the hollow screw or screw cap assumes the stop function so that a separate production step for providing the hollow screw or screw cap with a further shoulder is eliminated Suitably, the shoulder has an annular configuration and is defined by an end face which transmits a clamping force onto confronting ends of the segments of the contact sleeve when the hollow screw or screw cap reaches the end of the second section of the clamping path.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4046451 (1977-09-01), Juds et al.
patent: 6032358 (2000-05-01), Wild
patent: 6036237 (2000-03-01), Sweeney
Pitschi Franz Xaver
Strasser Norbert
Day Ursula B.
Feiereisen Henry M.
Gilman Alexander
Paumen Gary F.
Spinner GmbH Elektrotechnische Fabrik
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