Stripping tool for coaxial cable

A stripping tool for a coaxial cable, the cable comprising jacket, a non-helically corrugated outer conductor comprising a repeated pattern of crests and valleys and a dielectric material between said outer conductor and an inner conductor, said tool comprising cutting means for cutting off the jacket, the outer conductor, the dielectric material between the outer conductor and inner conductor, and the inner conductor at relative cut-off positions in the longitudinal direction of the cable, wherein a guide part is provide for determining a position relative to said pattern of the corrugation of the outer conductor, such that said relative cut-off-positions are defined relative to this pattern,

• wherein said guide part comprises a radially resilient tubular body, the outer circumferential surface of which is subdivided into a first region with a first diameter, a second region, the diameter of which can be either equal to the diameter of said first region or different herefrom, and a third region forming a radially outwardly extending abutment surface;
• wherein said cutting means includes a conductor and dielectric cutting member for cutting the outer conductor, the inner conductor, and the dielectric material off at predetermined longitudinal positions relative to said pattern of the corrugated outer conductor, where said conductor and dielectric cutting member is formed as a tubular body comprising a first longitudinal section of the inner circumferential wall of said body, the diameter of the first section corresponding to the outer diameter of said first region of the guide part, and where said first longitudinal section is provided with an end face such that this end face, during use of the stripping tool, is brought into contact with said abutment surface of the guide part, whereby said predetermined longitudinal positions relative to the pattern of the corrugated outer conductor are determined, and where said conductor and dielectric cutting member in its interior and coaxially therewith is provided with a cutter comprising two cutting edges, the longitudinal distance between the two cutting edges corresponding to the longitudinal distance between the end of the outer conductor and the end of the inner conductor and the dielectric material, and where said conductor and dielectric cutting member is further provided with a coaxially extending guide shaft to be inserted into the cable during use of the stripping tool.

A method for stripping a coaxial cable using a stripping tool, the cable comprising a jacket, a non-helically corrugated outer conductor comprising a repeated pattern of crests and valleys and a dielectric material between said outer conductor and an inner conductor, said tool comprising cutting means for cutting off the jacket, the outer conductor, the dielectric material between the outer conductor and inner conductor, and the inner conductor at relative cut-off positions in the longitudinal direction of the cable, wherein a guide part is provided for determining a position relative to said pattern of the corrugation of the outer conductor, such that said relative cut-off-positions are defined relative to the pattern, wherein said cutting means further includes a jacket cutting member having a cutting edge, and a conductor and dielectric cutting member for cutting the outer conductor, the inner conductor, and the dielectric material off at predetermined longitudinal positions relative to said pattern of the corrugated outer conductor, the conductor and dielectric cutting member having at least one cutting edge, wherein said guide part has at least one position-determining tongue and, wherein said method comprises the following steps:

• (a) stripping a predetermined length of said jacket by inserting the end of the cable into an open end of said jacket cutting member to a point where the end of the cable is brought into contact with the cutting edge of the jacket cutting member, whereafter the jacket cutting member is rotated relative to the cable, the cable being still advanced longitudinally within the jacket cutting member, until the end of the cable reaches an end wall of the jacket cutting member;
• (b) removing of the jacket cutting member from the end of the cable;
• (c) inserting the end of the cable into a portion of the guide part farthest away from the at least one position-determining tongue to a longitudinal position, where said at least one tongue fits into a valley of the corrugation on the outer conductor which is closest to the end of the jacket, thereby obtaining a longitudinal position of an abutment surface on the guide part relative to the valley;
• (d) inserting the conductor and dielectric cutting member over the guide part, cutting until a point is reached where the inner conductor and the insulating material is brought into contact with the at least one cutting edge of the conductor and dielectric cutting member, rotating said conductor and dielectric cutting member relative to the guide part and advancing said conductor and dielectric cutting member longitudinally relative to the guide part until an end face of the conductor and dielectric cutting member is brought into contact with the abutment surface provided on the guide part;
• and
• (e) removing the conductor and dielectric cutting member and the guide part from the cable.