Connector contact for tubular center conductor
AssigneeJohn Mezzalingua Associates, Inc.
InventorsWerner Karl Wild, Adam Thomas Nugent
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A contact assembly comprising: a contact pin having a first end and a second end, the contact pin including a ramped portion, and a contact sleeve retainably attached to the first end of the contact pin, the contact sleeve having a flanged end and a non-flanged end, wherein the contact sleeve includes a one or more fingers, wherein, when in a first position, clearance exists between the contact sleeve and the contact pin, wherein, when in a second position, the one or more fingers of the contact sleeve engage an inner surface of a tubular center conductor to increase a moving force required to displace the contact assembly within the tubular center conductor is provided. An associated method is also provided.
Claims36
A contact assembly comprising:
- a contact pin having a first end and a second end, the contact pin including a ramped portion;
- and
- a contact sleeve retainably attached to the first end of the contact pin, the contact sleeve having a flanged end and a non-flanged end, wherein the contact sleeve includes one or more fingers;
- wherein, when in a first position, clearance exists between the contact sleeve and the contact pin;
- wherein, when in a second position, the one or more fingers of the contact sleeve engage an inner surface of a tubular center conductor to increase a moving force required to displace the contact assembly within the tubular center conductor.
A connector positioned to be connected to a coaxial cable, the coaxial cable including a tubular center conductor, an outer insulating layer, an outer conductor, and a dielectric layer, the connector comprising:
- a body having a forward end and a rearward end;
- a cap concentrically disposed over the rearward end of the body;
- and
- a contact assembly, wherein the contact assembly includes:
- a contact pin having a first end and a second end, the contact pin including a ramped portion;
- and
- a contact sleeve retainably attached to the first end of the contact pin, the contact sleeve having a flanged end and a non-flanged end, wherein the contact sleeve includes one or more fingers;
- wherein the compression cap axially compresses the connector into a position of interference from a position of clearance, the interference being between the one or more fingers and an inner surface of the tubular center conductor.
A method of ensuring electrical contact with a tubular center conductor, comprising:
- providing a contact assembly, wherein the contact assembly includes:
- contact pin having a first end and a second end, the contact pin including a ramped portion, and
- a contact sleeve retainably attached to the first end of the contact pin, the contact sleeve having a flanged end and a non-flanged end, wherein the contact sleeve includes one or more fingers;
- and
- driving the contact sleeve towards the second end of the contact pin to position the contact sleeve into engagement with the ramped portion of the contact pin to radially expand the one or more fingers of the contact sleeve into contact with an inner surface of the tubular center conductor.
A coaxial cable connector comprising:
- a body having a forward end and a rearward end;
- a cap concentrically disposed over the rearward end of the body;
- and
- a contact assembly, wherein the contact assembly includes:
- a contact pin having a ramped portion, and
- a contact sleeve retainably attached to the first end of the contact pin;
- and
- a cover disposed over at least a portion of the connector to seal the connector against environmental elements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.