Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1156322
Kit of Parts for a Coaxial Connector Assembly
There is known in U.S. 3,745,514 a coaxial connector
assembly including a conductive split sleeve which expands
radially upon mated connection with a second coaxial
connector assembly. An annular ring accompanies the second
connector assembly and surrounds the split sleeve, limiting
its radial expansion.
The present invention utilizes a tubular, unitary
spring element carrying sprinq fingers that are reversely
bent into U-shapes. The U-shapes flatten in compression in
a space concentric and between the first and the second
coaxial connector assemblies. The spring element is
inherently self-limiting in deformation, providing an
; assembly functioning with fewer parts than a previous
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;;l There is known in U.S. 3,67~,447 a coaxial connector
assembly including a dielectric plug for supporting a
conductive center contact of a coaxial connector assem~ly,
and a projecting skirt on the contact for interference
engagement within the plug. The plug is solid and provides
only limited resiliency to facilitate force fit assembly
with the center contact and skirt. Air space surrounds the
plug and com~en~ates for impedance mismatch, caused by
junctures of the coaxial cable conductors with component
parts of the coaxial connector.
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According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is pro-
vided improved retention means for a connector tubular plug shell which matinglyreceives a tubular jack body in a forward end, the improvemen$ comprising: a
tubular spring element seated within a forward end portion of said tubular plug
shell, said spring element comprising forward projecting inner leaf springs
defining a passageway therebetween for receiving said jack body with inter-
ference, and reversely formed outer leaf springs having forward ends integrally
joined to respective forward ends of said inner leaf springs, said inner and
outer leaf springs being normally spaced apart, whereby upon insertion of said
jack body into said passageway between said inner leaf springs, said inner
and outer leaf springs compress against an interior wall of said tubular plug
shell to exert radial retention forces on said jack body.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is
provided improved retention means for a connector tubular plug shell which
matingly receives a tubular jack body in a forward end, the improvement com-
' prising: tubular spring element seated within a forward end portion of said
J tubular plug shell, said spring element comprising a cylindrical portion having
forward projecting cantilever inner leaf springs defining a passageway there-
between for receiving said jack body with interference, each of said inner
leaf springs having inwardly directed, transversely extending ridge means
located intermediate the ends thereof, said ridge means being adapted to projectinto complementary recess means in said jack body upon mating engagement betweensaid plug and jack; said spring element further comprising reversely formed
outer leaf springs having forward ends integrally joined respectively to
forward ends of said inner leaf springs, said inner and outer leaf springs
being substantially parallel and spaced apart, and each of said outer leaf
springs having a substantially inverted ~-shaped profile, with apex means of
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said V-shaped profile being longitudinally located to coincide with said ridge
means respectively of said inner leaf springs, whereby upon insertion of said
jack body into said passageway between said inner leaf springs, said inner and
outer leaf springs compress, as apex means of said outer leaf springs engage
an interior wall of said tubular plug shell.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is
provided a coaxial connector for terminating a coaxial cable comprising: con-
tact means for terminating the center conductor of said cable; dielectric
means for insulating said contact means; tubular shell means for terminating
the outer conductor of said cable and receiving said dielectric and contact
means therein, said shell means co~.prising a forward cylindrical portion having
an interior wall defining an axial passageway therebetween; and a tubular spring
element seated within said cylindrical shell means portion and having a
plurality of forward projecting spring finger means defining a passageway there-
between for receiving a tubular jack body with interference; each of said
spring finger means comprising an inner leaf spring means and a free extending
reversely formed outer leaf spring means, forward ends of said inner leaf
spring means and said outer leaf spring means integrally joined, said spring
finger means being normally spaced apart and parallel whereby, upon insertion
of said tubular jack body between said inner leaf spring means, said leaf
spring means compress against said interior wall of said cylindrical shell
portion to exert radial retention forces on said jack body.
, According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is
~ provided a coaxial connector for matable engagement with a tubular jack member,
"J comprising: tubular shell means having tubular element means seated therein;
leaf spring means extending outwardly from said tubular element means along
said tubular shell means substantially parallel to an axis of the coaxial con-
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nector and defining a lead-in and receiving area into which a forward end of
the tubular jack member is to be received; and V-shaped leaf spring means
respectively connected to said leaf spring means for applying radial spring
action to said leaf spring means as the forward end of the tubular jack member
is received in said receiving area thereby urging said leaf spring means into
electrical and mechanical connection with the forward end of the tubular jack
member.
The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference
to the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of parts of a coaxial con-
nector assembly.
Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the parts shown in
Figure 1, illustrating assembly of some of the parts.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the coaxial connector assembly
previously shown in Figures 1 and 2 with all parts assembled and illustrated
as partially cut away.
Figure 4 is an elevation view in section of a fragment of a forward
end portion only of the assembly, previously shown in Figure 3, together with
a fragment of a forward end portion only of another, complementary coaxial
connector assembly to which the assembly shown in Figure 3 connects.
Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 and illustrating the separate
assemblies of Figure 4, intermated and in section.
Figure 6 is a fragmentary elevation view in section illustrating a
pair of coaxial connector assemblies without the features of the invention and
thereby are prevented from intermating.
Referring to Figure 1 the subject invention comprises coaxial
connector components, încluding, a hollow tubular conductive spring element 2
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having an axial passageway 3 extending therethrough, a dielectric body 4
having an axial passageway 5 extending therethrough, a conductive outer shell
6 having an axial passageway 7 extending therethrough, a conductive center
contact 8,
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and a conductive crimping ferrule 10. A coaxial
transmission cable includes, a center conductor 12,
surrounded by a dielectric layer 14, in turn, surrounded by
an outer conductive shield 16 and an outer insulative sheath
17. The tubular spring element 2 includes a rearward
cylindrical portion 18 of relatively smaller diameter, and a
larger diameter, forward cylindrical portion 2~ integrally
joined to portion 18 by a shoulder 19. A plurality of
annularly spaced apart spring fingers 22 are integral with
1~ the cylindrical portion 20, and project forwardly therefrom.
Each spring finger 22 constitutes an inner leaf 24,
integrally joined to the cylindrical portion 20, and is
reversely curved to form a U-shaped for-~ard end and an outer
leaf 26. The inner leaf 24 is further provided with a
radially projecting detent ridge 28. The spring element 2
is stamped and formed in a manner well known in the
industry.
The dielectric body 4 is of unitary construction and
includes a forward cylindrical sleeve 30 joining rea~ardly
disposed, coaxial, outer cylindrical sleeve 3~ and inner
cylindrical sleeve 34. The coaxial sleeves, 32, 34 are
coaxially and radially spaced apart by an air space
dielectric 33, as best seen in Figure 4. The inner
cylindrical sleeve 34 also provides an annular detent ridge
35 which projects radially into the axial passageway 5.
Also, as shown in Figure 1, a rearward end of the dielectric
body 4 includes an annular external projecting flange 36.
The outer shell 6 is of a unitary drawn metal
construction, and includes a forward, relatively large
diameter hood 38, joined ~y an internal shoulder 44 to an
intermediate cylindrical portion 40, and a rearward smaller
diameter portion 42. The forward end of the hood 38 is
provided with a rolled lip 66 projecting radially inward.
Returning to Figure 1, the center contact 8 is of
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electrical receptacle type and includes, a rearward crimping
barrel 46, and having a bore 9, an intermediate portion with
an annular retention groove 48, and a forwardly extending
female receptacle portion 50. The crimping ferrule 10
is provided at a rearward end with a crimp barrel 52, and at
a forward end with an outwardly directed annular flange 54.
The dielectric body 4 is press fit intD-.the spring
element 2, with the flange 36 exposed from the rearward end
of portion 18 of the spring element 2. The air space 33
allows the outer sleeve 32 to be thin and thereby possess
resilient spring characteristics and to undergo resilient
flexure and deflection into the air space when the sleeve 32
is press fit into the spring element.
As shown in Figure 4, the internal shoulder 19 of
the spring element 2 abuts against the internal shoulder 44
of the shell body 6, and the outer leaf 26 of each spring
finger 22 contacts the inner periphery of the hood 38.
The spring element and body 4 are assembled into the
shell 6 from a forward end thereof. The spring element is
press inserted into the forward end of the hood 38.
Thereafter the radially inward lip 66 overlies the U-shaped
portions of the spring element 2 and retains the spring
element in the shell body 6.
As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the coaxial cable
is extended through the crimping ferrule 10, and has its
exposed conductor 12 forwardmost, followed, in turn, by the
exposed dielectric layer 14, and an exposed forward length
of the outer conductive shield 16. The center conductor 12
is inserted into the bore 9 of the crimp barrel 46 of
contact 8, and connected by crimping in a conventional
manner.
Collectively viewing Figures 2 and 4, the center
1 contact 8 is inserted into the dielectric body passageway 5,
'~ and lS retained therein as the ridge 35 snaps resiliently
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into the groove 48 of the contact. It will be appreciated
that the contact 8 causes resilient flexure and outward
deflection of the inner sleeve 34, into the space 33. The
air space 33 allows the inner sleeve 34 to be made thin and
thereby possess resilient spring characteristics that
provide resilient retention forces for retaining the
center contact. Further, the air space 73 provides an air
dielectric coacting with the solid dielectric sleeves 3~, 36
compensating for impedance mismatch caused by the plurality
of connections of the coaxial cable with the shell 6 and
contact 8 of the connector assembly.
Referring now to Figure 3, the rearward portion 42
of the shell body 6 is inserted beneath the outer conductive
shield 16 of the coaxial cable, and the crimping ferrule 10
is transported forwardly to entrap the exposed portion of
the conductive shield radially against portion 42 of the
shell. The crimping ferrule 52 is radially crimped in a
co~ventional manner.
The above described coaxial connector assembly
intermates with a complementary coaxial connector assembly
56, comprising a center contact of male pin form 58, an
outer conductive shell 60, and a dielectric body
electrically isolating the shell 60 from the center pin 58.
The outer conductive shell 60 is provided with an annularly
extending retention channel 64 spaced a prescribed distance
rearwardly from the forward end of the assembly 56.
The separate assemblies shown in Figure 4 are shown
intermated in Figure 5. The detent ridge 28 of the spring
fingers 22, after riding over the forward end of the outer
shell 60, resiliently registers in the retention channel 64.
The forward end of the shell 60 is situated adjacent the
inner end of the hood 38. The rolled lip 66 provides a
lead-in for guiding the shell 60 centrally of the inner
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spring leaves 24, and avoids stubbing of the shell 60
against ends of the spring fingers 22. The lip 66 also
provides a stop against which the shell 60 engages to limit
the degree to which the assembly 56 can be laterally
manipulated during or after mating. Thus, the rolled lip 66
protects the spring fingers 22 from stubbing and excessive
deflection by the assembly 56.
It is to be understood that the above description of
the invention is merely illustrative within the scope and
spirit of the invention. Figure 6 illustrates a pair of
additional coaxial connector assemblies, si~ilar to the
assemblies previously disclosed, but with no lip 66 and
thereby no protection for the spring finger portions 24 when
the additional assemblies are intermated.
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