US 5,127,853 A · Feedthrough coaxial cable connector

Abstract

A feedthrough coaxial cable connector includes a tubular mandrel body dimensioned to be pressed between a foil-bonded dielectric core and other elements of an outer conductor of the prepared end of the cable. The body has cable engagement surface which defines a knife edge projection therearound for engaging an outer conductor of the cable by creating shear stresses therein without actually shearing the outer conductor. A tubular shank portion extends from the cable engagement surface portion to a radial wall portion, and a jack engagement portion is coaxial about the exposed central conductor. The jack engagement portion achieves a tight friction fit upon a jack and may be formed as an inside compression collet. A radial copmression providing structure causes an inside surface region of the outer conductor to bear directly against and bend over the knife edge portion. Preferably, a slideable shell is slideably positionable generally away from a connector end facing the outer surface of the jack to enable the jack engagement portion of the connector to slide over the outer surface of the jack, and slideably positionable toward the connector end so as to radially compress the radially diverging jack engagement portion against the outer surface of the jack to secure the connector thereto. A kit of parts including an expendable installation tool enables proper asembly of the cable connector without special skills or tools.

Claims68

Dependent claims

A feedthrough coaxial cable connector for connecting to a prepared end of a coaxial cable having an exposed solid-wire central conductor, the connector comprising:

a tubular mandrel body of conductive material dimensioned to be pressed between a dielectric core and an outer conductor of the prepared end of the cable, the mandrel body including a cable engagement surface portion defining a projecting knife edge extending therearound for engaging an outer conductor of the coaxial cable, said cable engagement surface comprises a tubular structure including a helix projecting upwardly from the structure, the helix defining an acute angle and providing the projecting knife edge, a tubular shank portion extending from the cable engagement surface portion of the radial wall portion, and a receptacle engagement portion coaxial extending forwardly from the radial wall portion and coaxially disposed about the exposed central conductor and dimensioned to slide into and contact in close fitting friction engagement an outer surface of a receptacle means with which the connector makes in use, and radial compression means for compressing the inside surface of the outer conductor of the coaxial cable over the knife edge of the cable engagement surface of the mandrel body in order to place the outer conductor into shear stress and without shearing the outer conductor, the compression means including a resiliently deformable elastomeric material.

A method for assembling a feedthrough coaxial cable connector from a kit of parts at an end of a coaxial cable, the method comprising the steps of:

preparing an end of the cable by peeling back a first cylindrical portion of outer insulator covering for a first length to expose an outer conductor braid/foil layer, and peeling back the outer conductor brad/foil layer and coaxially underlying dielectric insulator for a second length shorter than the first length thereby to expose a center solid conductor wire end portion,
providing a kit of parts by the steps of preforming a tubular mandrel body of conductive material dimensioned to be pressed between a dielectric core and an outer conductor of the prepared end of the coaxial cable, the mandrel body as preformed including a cable engagement surface portion defining a projecting knife edge extending therearound, said cable engagement surface portion comprises the steps of forming a projecting knife edge extending therearound as a helix projecting upwardly form the engagement surface, the helix defining an acute angle and providing the projecting knife edge, a tubular shank portion extending from the cable engagement surface portion to a radial wall portion, and a jack engagement portion coaxially extending forwardly from the radial wall portion and coaxially disposed about the exposed central conductor and dimensioned to slide onto and contact in close fitting friction engagement an outer surface of a jack with which the assembled connector mates, and preforming a radial compression means for compressing the inside surface of the outer conductor of the coaxial cable over the knife edge of the tubular mandrel body installation,
sliding the radial compression means over the prepared cable end in one direction of movement away from the prepared end,
installing the mandrel body onto the prepared end of the cable, and
sliding the radial compression means over the prepared end of the cable installed on the mandrel body so as to compress the inside surface of the outer conductor of the coaxial cable over the knife edge of the tubular mandrel body.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Feedthrough coaxial cable connector

Life of this patent

Feedthrough coaxial cable connector

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims68