Connector assembly for a coaxial cable

Abstract

In a coaxial cable having a hollow inner-conductor, a connector assembly is provided for electromagnetically connecting the hollow inner-conductor and outer-conductor of the coaxial cable to a standard connector. In one disclosed embodiment, the connector assembly is formed from a body having an axial opening extending therethrough and an outer conductor contact portion. A dielectric cylinder is disposed within the axial opening of the body of the outer-conductor contact, the dielectric cylinder is provided with an axial opening extending therethrough. The assembly is further formed from an inner-conductor contact having a nose portion, a bridge portion adjacent to said nose portion, a shoulder portion adjacent to said bridge portion, a pin portion adjacent to said shoulder portion, wherein the bridge portion has a diameter which is smaller than the shoulder portion and the nose portion so as to define a groove therebetween and wherein the pin portion of the inner-conductor contact is disposed within the axial opening of the dielectric cylinder. A radial spring contact resides within the groove. The connector assembly of the present invention provides the advantage of allowing the inner-conductor contact to be installed in the body prior to connecting the assembly to the cable which reduces the chance of inner-conductor contact misalignment, among other things. The spring contact insures good electrical connection between the inner-conductor and the inner-conductor contact.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.