US 4,691,976 AGranted

Coaxial cable tap connector

AssigneeLRC Electronics, Inc.

InventorJudith A. Cowen

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Abstract

A connector to provide a coaxial cable tap without shorting the conductors and without significantly changing the coaxial cable parameters which would affect the data flow therein. The apparatus of the present invention can therefore be attached to the cable while the cable continues to pass signals. The connector itself provides a guide for a cutting operation and for the subsequent assembly of the finished connector. The cable tap mounts perpendicular to the coaxial cable, and includes a center pin which attaches to the coaxial cable center wire along the axis of the cable tap. The center pin has two prongs spaced apart in opposition to straddle and securely retain the center conductor. The assembled connector provides a top having a standard connector, such as an "F" or "BNC" connector. The resulting cable connection has a long and reliable life, installed without causing an interruption to information or signal flow on the cable at any time.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A connector tap for a coaxial cable having a center conductor, a dielectric material surrounding said center conductor, and a shield concentric to said dielectric material, comprising:

a top piece partially surrounding said coaxial cable having a first aperture orthogonal to and offset from the axis of said coaxial cable and a second aperture having an axis normal to and intersecting the axis of said coaxial cable disposed orthogonal to said first aperture;
a bottom piece maintained integrally with said top piece and partially surrounding said coaxial cable;
means for forming a conductive path between said concentric shield and at least one of said top piece and said bottom piece;
and
a center contact pin further including axially extending laterally-displaceable parallel pins passing through said second aperture to mechanically and electrically engage said center conductor of the coaxial cable at two surfaces thereof,
wherein said bottom piece and said top piece are integrally maintained as selected portions of said concentric shield and said dielectric material are removed through said first aperture and said center contact pin is inserted through said second aperture to displace some of the unremoved portion of said dielectric material and mechanically and electrically engage said center conductor at two surfaces thereof.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.