Cable connector

An electrical connector assembly for connection to a coaxial cable including outer cable material having a tubular outwardly expandable conductive shield with an inner peripheral surface portion and a normal inner dimension, an inner conductor and an insulating member separating said shield and conductor, comprising

• a connector housing including an elongate rear tubular conductive member extending along a longitudinal axis, a front enlarged member and an outwardly raised flange joining said rear and front members.
• contact means supported in said front member for connection to the inner conductor, said rear conductive member including an outer peripheral surface portion dimensioned for engagement with the inner peripheral surface portion of said shield when expanded,
• an outer raised portion spaced longitudinally rearwardly from said raised flange to form an elongate recess along said outer peripheral surface portion of said rear member, and
• a sleeve member adapted for disposition about said cable and for movement to a position over said outer raised portion, with said shield disposed over said outer peripheral surface portion of said rear member in axial retention between said raised portion and said flange, and including a rigid closed section and a rear outwardly expandable resilient section with an inner peripheral surface portion inwardly biased and dimensioned for normally pressing said shield against said outer peripheral surface portion, said resilient section including at least one longitudinal slit defining a plurality of rearwardly extending resilient fingers which are outwardly expandable as said sleeve in moved over said raised portion and outer cable material, said raised portion and said flange cooperating through said outer cable material to retain said sleeve and the cable against axial movement.

A connector assembly for connection to a multi-conductor cable including outer cable material including an outer conductor, and an inner conductor, and an insulating member separating said conductors, comprising

• a connector housing including a tubular member extending along a longitudinal axis with an outer peripheral surface portion for electrically receiving and contacting said outer conductor, and an outwardly enlarged member,
• contact means supported in said enlarged member,
• a coupling ring disposed about said enlarged member and axially movable and rotatable thereon, first and second outwardly raised portions supported by said housing, spaced apart longitudinally and opposite adjacent said outer peripheral surface portion,
• an annular sleeve member including a rigid section and a resilient section having axially extending outwardly expandable fingers to move over the outer cable material at said first raised portion and inwardly biased to a normally reduced dimension for engaging the cable and urging said outer conductor against said outer peripheral surface portion, said sleeve retained against axial movement through the cooperation of said first and second raised portions and the cable material between said sleeve and said raised portions, and third and fourth outwardly raised portions supported by said sleeve member and said enlarged member, respectively, and spaced apart longitudinally on opposite sides of said coupling ring for axial retention of said coupling ring.

An electrical connector assembly for connection to a cable including a first conductor, a first insulating member covering the first conductor, a second conductor carried on the first insulating member and a second insulating member carried over the second conductor, comprising:

• a connector housing including a passageway therein to receive the first conductor and the first insulating member;
• a contact supported by said housing and including a portion for receiving therein and contacting the first conductor;
• said housing including an elongate tubular member for disposition about the first insulating member between the first insulating member and the second conductor, said elongate tubular member including an elongate conductive surface portion;
• an elongate sleeve for disposition over said conductive surface portion with the second conductor and the second insulating member therebetween, said sleeve including a closed section and a resilient radially expandable section connected to said closed section and dimensioned to normally press the second conductor inwardly, via the second insulating member, against said elongate conductive surface portion of said tubular member;
• and
• cooperating sleeve retention means carried axially spaced apart on said elongate tubular member and on said elongate sleeve for interacting through the second conductor and the second insulating member to axially retain said sleeve over said conductive surface portion.

An electrical connection comprising:

• a coaxial cable including an inner conductor, an outer conductive braid, an intermediate insulating member therebetween, and an insulating jacket covering said outer conductive braid,
• a conductive connector housing including a forward member having a forward stop and a tubular rear member said forward and rear members having different diameters, said tubular member including a radially outwardly extending raised portion, a radially extending first flange connecting said different diameter forward and rear portions, said first flange axially spaced from said raised portion, and an elongate surface between said raised portion and said first flange;
• an insulator mounted in said connector housing and including a passageway therethrough;
• a tubular electrical contact mounted in said insulator axially aligned with said passageway, said contact including a first diameter portion receiving said intermediate insulating member, and a second diameter portion receiving and connected to said inner conductor;
• said braid extending over said tubular rear member and extending radially outwardly and bearing against said flange;
• a coupling nut rotatable about said forward member for connection to a mating connector;
• and
• a sleeve disposed about said tubular member over said elongate surface, said sleeve including a circumferentially closed forward portion, a radially extending second flange bearing against said radially extending portion of said braid, and a resilient radially expandable rear portion connected to said forward portion including a plurality of axially and radially extending inwardly biased fingers each having rear surfaces, said fingers pressing against said insulating jacket to urge said braid against said elongate surface with said rear surfaces acting through said braid and outer jacket against said radially outwardly extending raised portion to urge said sleeve forward against said first flange to clamp said braid between said first and second flanges and to axially retain said sleeve and the cable.

A method of connecting a coaxial cable having outer cable material including an outer conductive shield, an inner conductor and an insultaing member separating the shield and conductor, to an electrical connector having a rear axially extending tubular member outwardly dimensioned to received the outer cable material including the shield and inwardly dimensioned to permit passage of the inner conductor and insulating member, comprising the steps of:

• providing first and second outwardly raised portions spaced apart axially on the tubular member, and an outer peripheral surface portion between the raised portions, inserting the inner conductor and insulating member within the tubular member,
• positioning the outer cable material over the tubular member with the shield over the first raised portion and over the outer peripheral surface portion, and
• pressing the shield against the outer peripheral surface portion of the tubular member by axially sliding an outer sleeve having a closed rigid section and a rear outwardly expandable resilient section over the cable and the first raised portion to a position over the outer peripheral surface portion, to radially expand and then contract the resilient section as it moves over the first raised portion and the intervening outer cable material to press the outer cable material and urge the shield against the outer peripheral surface portion, and to axially capture the sleeve between the raised portions and the intervening outer cable material to prevent axial movement thereof.

An electrical connector assembly for connection to a cable including a first conductor, a second conductor surrounding the first conductor, a first insulating member between the first and second conductors, and a second insulating member carried over the second conductor, comprising:

• a connector housing including a passageway therein to receive the first conductor and the first insulating member;
• a contact supported by said housing and including a portion for receiving therein and contacting the first conductor;
• an elongate tubular member for disposition about the first insulating member between the first insulating member and the second conductor, said elongate tubular member including an elongate conductive surface portion;
• an elongate sleeve for disposition over said conductive surface portion with the second conductor and the second insulating member therebetween, said sleeve including a flange section and a resilient radially expandable section connected to said flange section and dimensioned to normally press the second conductor inwardly, via the second insulating member, against said elongate conductive surface portion of said tubular member with said flange section pressing a radially extending portion of the second conductor against said housing;
• and
• sleeve retention means carried axially spaced apart on said elongate tubular member and on said elongate sleeve for interacting through the second conductor and the second insulating member to axially retain said sleeve over said conductive surface portion.

A method of connecting a coaxial cable having outer cable material including an outer conductive shield, an inner conductor and an insulating member separating the shield and the inner conductor, to an electrical connector having a rear axially extending tubular member outwardly dimensioned to receive the shield thereover and inwardly dimensioned to permit passage of the inner conductor and the insulating member, comprising the steps of:

• providing first and second outwardly raised portions spaced apart axially on the tubular member, and an outer peripheral surface portion between the raised portions,
• sliding an outer sleeve onto the cable, the sleeve having a rear outwardly expandable resilient section and a rigid forward section,
• inserting the inner conductor and the insulating member within the tubular member while disposing the outer cable material over the tubular member with the shield extending over the first raised portion and over the outer peripheral surface portion, and
• sliding the outer sleeve over the cable with the tubular member disposed therein to a position over the outer peripheral surface portion, with the resilient section expanding as it moves over the first raised portion and contracting as it passes the first raised portion to press the outer material and urge the shield against the outer peripheral surface portion adjacent the first raised portion and preventing retrograde movement of the cable from the tubular member.

A method of connecting a coaxial cable having outer cable material including a conductive shield, an inner conductor and an insulating member separating the shield and the inner conductor, to an electrical connector having a rear axially extending tubular member outwardly dimensioned to receive the outer cable material thereover and inwardly dimensioned to permit passage of the inner conductor and the insulating member, comprising the steps of:

• providing a radially extending shoulder on the tubular member;
• sliding a sleeve having a rigid forward section and rear axially and inwardly extending, inwardly biased resilient fingers, fingers first, over the cable;
• inserting the inner conductor and the insulating member within the tubular member and positioning the outer cable material over the rear tubular member with the shield extending beyond the shoulder;
• and
• sliding the sleeve over the cable with the tubular member disposed therein to a position beyond the shoulder to outwardly expand the resilient fingers with the tubular member and the outer material of the cable, the fingers contracting inwardly under their bias as they pass the shoulder to press the outer material against the tubular member adjacent the shoulder to prevent retrograde movement of the cable.

An electrical connector assembly for a coaxial cable which has an inner conductor and outer material including a conductive braid coaxially disposed about and insulated from the inner conductor, said connector assembly comprising:

• a connector housing including an elongate conductive tubular member for receiving the conductive braid thereabout, and a contact mounted in said housing for connection to the inner conductor;
• braid expansion means on said tubular member for radially expanding the braid;
• a first retaining shoulder on said tubular member adjacent said braid expansion means and a second retaining shoulder axially spaced from said first shoulder;
• and
• a closed sleeve for receiving the cable therethrough and slidable over the cable with the tubular member therein to a position between said shoulders, said sleeve including a rigid portion and a radially inwardly biased portion which is radially expanded by said braid expansion means and the cable material thereover as said sleeve is slid thereover toward said second shoulder and which radially contracts under its bias as it passes said first retaining shoulder to press the outer material against said tubular member adjacent the first retaining shoulder.

An electrical connector assembly for a coaxial cable which has an inner conductor and which has outer material including a conductive braid coaxially disposed about and insulated from the inner conductor and an outer insulating jacket covering the conductive braid, said connector assembly comprising:

• a connector housing including an elongate conductive tubular member for receiving the conductive braid thereabout, and a contact mounted in said housing for connection to the inner conductor;
• braid expansion means on said tubular member for radially expanding the braid and outer insulating jacket;
• a first retaining shoulder on said tubular member adjacent said braid expansion means and a second retaining shoulder axially spaced from said first shoulder;
• and
• a closed sleeve for receiving the cable therethrough and slidable over the cable with the tubular member therein to a position between said shoulders, said sleeve including a rigid closed poriton and a radially inwardly biased portion which is radially expanded by said braid expansion means and the cable material thereover as said sleeve is slid thereover toward said second shoulder and which radially contracts under its bias as it passes said first retaining shoulder to press the jacket and braid to urge the inner surface of the braid against said tubular member adjacent said first retaining shoulder.

An electrical connector assembly for a coaxial cable which has at least one inner conductor and outer material including a conductive braid coaxially disposed about and insulated from the inner conductor, said connector assembly comprising:

• a connector housing including an elongate conductive tubular member for receiving the conductive braid thereabout, and at least one contact mounted in said housing for connection to the inner conductor;
• braid expansion means on said tubular member for radially expanding the braid;
• a shoulder on said tubular member adjacent said braid expansion means;
• and
• a closed sleeve for receiving the cable therethrough and slidable over the cable with the tubular member therein to a position past and adjacent said shoulder, said sleeve including a closed rigid portion and a radially inwardly biased portion which is radially expanded by said braid expansion means and the cable material thereover as said sleeve is slid thereover and which radially contracts under its bias as it passes said shoulder to press the outer material against said tubular member adjacent said shoulder.