US 6,305,963 B1Granted

Push-lock BNC connector

AssigneeAgilent Technologies, Inc.

InventorJimmie D. Felps

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Abstract

A locking assembly for releasably locking together a mating connector pair comprises a housing having a central aperture therethrough and adapted to be mounted to the first connector portion of the mating connector pair. A locking sleeve also having a central aperture is sized to receive the first connector portion and is also sized to be slidably received by the central aperture of the housing so that the locking sleeve can be rotated within the housing from a locked position to an unlocked position. The locking sleeve also includes a locking pin engaging boss for releasably engaging a locking pin associated with the second connector portion of the mating connector pair. Specifically, the locking pin engaging boss rotates the locking sleeve to the unlocked position as the first connector portion is engaged with the second connector portion. The locking pin engaging boss also allows the locking sleeve to be rotated to the locked position when the first and second connector portions are fully engaged. A biasing device associated with the locking sleeve biases the locking sleeve to the locked position.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A push-lock connector assembly for releasably engaging a female BNC connector, comprising:

a male BNC center terminal;
a housing adapted to receive said male BNC center terminal, said housing having a substantially circular opening at one end sized to receive a sleeve associated with the female BNC connector, said circular opening also having a pair of alignment notches positioned at substantially diametrically opposed positions, the pair of alignment notches being sized to slidably receive corresponding locking pins located on the sleeve of the female BNC connector;
a locking sleeve having a central aperture therethrough for receiving said male BNC center terminal therein, said locking sleeve also being sized to be received by said housing so that the central aperture of said locking sleeve is substantially aligned with the circular opening in said housing and so that said locking sleeve can be rotated within said housing from a locked position to an unlocked position, said locking sleeve also including a pair of locking pin engaging bosses positioned at substantially diametrically opposed positions within said central aperture of said locking sleeve, wherein each locking pin engaging boss includes a ramp section that is generally axially oriented with respect to the central aperture and a pin stop section that is generally transversely oriented with respect to the central aperture, wherein the ramp section of each of said pair of locking pin engaging bosses engage corresponding ones of the locking pins located on the sleeve of the female BNC connector and cause said locking sleeve to rotate from the locked position to the unlocked position as said push-lock connector assembly is moved axially along the sleeve of the female BNC connector and to allow the locking sleeve to be rotated between the unlocked position and the locked position when the male BNC center terminal is fully engaged with the female BNC connector, and wherein the pin stop section of each of said pair of locking pin bosses engage corresponding ones of the locking pins located on the sleeve of the female BNC connector when said push-lock connector assembly is engaged to prevent the locking pins from rotating said locking sleeve;
and
a biasing device associated with said locking sleeve for biasing said locking sleeve in the locked position, said biasing device causing said locking sleeve to rotate to the locked position and engage the locking pins of the female BNC connector when said push-lock connector is engaged with the female BNC connector.

2 more elements

A push-lock connector assembly for releasably engaging a female BNC connector, comprising:

a male BNC center terminal;
a rotatable locking sleeve having a central aperture therethrough for receiving said male BNC center terminal therein so that said rotatable locking sleeve can be rotated about said male BNC center terminal from a locked position to an unlocked position, said rotatable locking sleeve also including a pair of locking pin engaging slots positioned at substantially diametrically opposed positions on said rotatable locking sleeve, wherein said pair of locking pin engaging slots engage corresponding locking pins on the female BNC connector and rotate said rotatable locking sleeve from the locked position to the unlocked position as said push-lock connector assembly is moved axially along the sleeve of the female BNC connector, said locking pin engaging slots allowing the rotatable locking sleeve to be rotated between the unlocked position and the locked position when the male BNC center terminal is fully engaged with the female BNC connector, and wherein at least one of said locking pin engaging slots includes a pin stop section which prevents the locking pins from rotating said rotatable locking sleeve when said push-lock BNC connector assembly is engaged;
an outer body having a central aperture therethrough for receiving said rotatable locking sleeve so that said locking sleeve is rotatable within said outer body, the central aperture in said outer body also having a pair of alignment notches located at substantially diametrically opposed positions therein, the pair of alignment notches being sized to slidably receive the corresponding locking pins located on the sleeve of the female BNC connector;
and
a biasing device associated with said rotatable locking sleeve for biasing said rotatable locking sleeve in the locked position, said biasing device causing said rotatable locking sleeve to rotate to the locked position and engage the locking pins of the female BNC connector when said push-lock BNC connector is engaged with the female BNC connector.

2 more elements

A push-lock connector assembly for releasably engaging a female BNC connector, comprising:

a male BNC center terminal;
a rotatable locking sleeve having a central aperture therethrough for receiving said male BNC center terminal therein so that said rotatable locking sleeve can be rotated about said male BNC center terminal from a locked position to an unlocked position, said rotatable locking sleeve also including a pair of locking pin engaging bosses positioned at substantially diametrically opposed positions on said rotatable locking sleeve, wherein said pair of locking pin engaging bosses engage corresponding locking pins on the female BNC connector and rotate said rotatable locking sleeve from the locked position to the unlocked position as said push-lock connector assembly is moved axially along the sleeve of the female BNC connector, said locking pin engaging bosses allowing the rotatable locking sleeve to be rotated between the unlocked position and the locked position when the male BNC center terminal is fully engaged with the female BNC connector, at least one of said locking pin engaging bosses includes a pin stop section which prevents the locking pins from rotating said rotatable locking sleeve when said push-lock connector assembly is engaged;
an outer body having a central aperture therethrough for receiving said rotatable locking sleeve so that said locking sleeve is rotatable within said outer body, the central aperture in said outer body also having a pair of alignment notches located at substantially diametrically opposed positions therein, the pair of alignment notches being sized to slidably receive the corresponding locking pins located on the sleeve of the female BNC connector;
and
a biasing device associated with said rotatable locking sleeve for biasing said rotatable locking sleeve in the locked position, said biasing device causing said rotatable locking sleeve to rotate to the locked position and engage the locking pins of the female BNC connector when said push-lock BNC connector is engaged with the female BNC connector.

2 more elements

A method for connecting a mating BNC connector pair, the mating BNC connector pair including a male BNC center terminal and a female BNC connector, comprising:

aligning a push-lock connector assembly containing the male BNC center terminal with the female BNC connector, the push-lock connector assembly including a rotatable locking sleeve having a central aperture therethrough for receiving the male BNC center terminal therein so that said rotatable locking sleeve can be rotated about the male BNC center terminal from a locked position to an unlocked position, the rotatable locking sleeve also including a pair of locking pin engaging slots positioned at substantially diametrically opposed positions on the rotatable locking sleeve, wherein the pair of locking pin engaging slots engage corresponding locking pins on the female BNC connector and rotate the rotatable locking sleeve from the locked position to the unlocked position as the push-lock connector assembly is moved axially along the sleeve of the female BNC connector, and wherein at least one of said locking pin engaging slots includes a pin stop section which prevents the locking pins from rotating said rotatable locking sleeve when said push-lock connector assembly is engaged;
an outer body having a central aperture therethrough for receiving the rotatable locking sleeve so that the rotatable locking sleeve is rotatable within said outer body, the central aperture in the outer body also having a pair of alignment notches located at substantially diametrically opposed positions therein, the pair of alignment notches being sized to slidably receive the corresponding locking pins located on the sleeve of the female BNC connector;
and a biasing device associated with the rotatable locking sleeve for biasing the rotatable locking sleeve in the locked position, said biasing device causing said rotatable locking sleeve to rotate to the locked position and engage the locking pins of the female BNC connector when said push-lock BNC connector is engaged with the female BNC connector;
and
moving the push-lock connector assembly into engagement with the second connector portion until the first and second connector portions are fully engaged.

2 more elements

A push-lock connector assembly for releasably engaging a female BNC connector, comprising:

a male BNC center terminal;
rotatable locking sleeve means for receiving said male BNC center terminal and for rotating about said male BNC center terminal from a locked position to an unlocked position;
locking pin engaging means operatively associated with said rotatable locking sleeve means for engaging corresponding locking pins on the female BNC connector and for rotating said rotatable locking sleeve means from the locked position to the unlocked position as said push-lock connector assembly is moved axially along the sleeve of the female BNC connector, each of said locking pin engaging means also allowing said rotatable locking sleeve means to be rotated between the unlocked position and the locked position when the male BNC center terminal is fully engaged with the female BNC connector and preventing the locking pins from rotating said rotatable locking sleeve means when said push-lock connector assembly is engaged;
outer body means for receiving said rotatable locking sleeve means, for allowing said rotatable locking sleeve means to rotate within said outer body means, and for receiving the corresponding locking pins located on the sleeve of the female BNC connector;
and
biasing means operatively associated with said rotatable locking sleeve means for biasing said rotatable locking sleeve means in the locked position, said biasing means causing said rotatable locking sleeve means to rotate to the locked position and engage the locking pins of the female BNC connector when said push-lock BNC connector is engaged with the female BNC connector.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/699,023Filed 16 Aug 1996
Granted: 23 Oct 2001
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

H01R 24/42
Specially adapted for high frequency: comprising impedance matching means or electrical components, e.g. filters or switches
H01R 13/08
Pins or blades for co-operation with sockets: resiliently-mounted rigid pins or blades
H01R 13/62933
Additional means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts, e.g. aligning or guiding means, levers, gas pressure electrical…:…
H01R 13/639
Means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts or for holding them in engagement: additional means for holding or locking…