US 4,060,298 AGranted

Hermaphroditic connector assembly

AssigneeBunker Ramo Corporation

InventorJohn M. Gearin

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Abstract

The following specification describes a hermophroditic RF connector assembly used on an airline and employing a spring biased registration ring having axially extending teeth with cam surfaces for engagement between teeth on a mating registration ring of another airline connector assembly in response to relative rotation between the rings to align the mating contact surfaces of two mating airlines. A coupling nut on one connector assembly is threaded over the registration ring of the other connector assembly to secure the assemblies and airlines to each other and the coupling nut of one assembly may also be partially threaded over the registration ring of the respective assembly and then used to retract the respective ring against the spring bias to provide facile means to the contact surfaces. A retaining nut on each assembly frictionally engaged with the respective connector body of the assembly enables the coupling nut to be threaded without requiring a special effort to hold the connector body from becoming loose.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A hermaphroditic connector assembly arrangement for use with a pair of airlines each having an outer conductor including an end face and an inner conductor including a spring biased contact having an end face with each end face adapted to engage a respective other end face along a common radial plane to complete an electrical connection between the outer conductors and another electrical connection between the inner conductors comprising:

a tubular body for each airline with each body having a front end forming the end face for the respective outer conductor adjacent the respective spring biased contact end face and means for securing the respective body to the respective outer conductor,
a registration ring carried on each body for axial movement on the respective tubular body and having a plurality of spaced teeth projecting axially in one direction,
means for biasing said ring in said one direction for positioning the teeth of each ring in overlapping engagement with the tubular body secured to the outer conductor of the other airline to align each end face in said common plane
means on each body and ring for enabling rotation of each ring on the respective body to a predetermined position for circumferentially aligning the teeth on each ring with the spaces on the other ring for enabling the positioning of the teeth on each ring in overlapping engagement with the tubular body secured to the outer conductor of the other airline and for axially aligning all of said end faces with each ring thereafter held against rotation relative each body and a coupling nut having means engaging one ring and threadingly engaging the other of said rings in response to rotation in one direction for moving said rings axially towards each other and for securing said airlines to each other.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.