Claims
- 1. A coaxial cable connector, comprising:
- a connector assembly comprising:
- a first set of circumferential threads at a front end thereof and second set of circumferential threads at a rear end thereof,
- a contact having an end extending from said front end and having a receiving element at an opposite end thereof, said receiving element including a chamfer on an outer circumferential portion thereof, said contact being supported inside said connector assembly via an insulator;
- a collet, retained in said rear end of said connector assembly, having a ramp surface corresponding to said chamfer of said receiving element; and
- a rear nut assembly, threadably attachable to said second set of threads of said connector assembly, said rear nut assembly comprises:
- a retainer and sleeve, said sleeve having an outer diameter less than an inner diameter of an outer sheath of a coaxial cable and open at both ends for passing therethrough a center conductor of the coaxial cable; and
- a pair of grips in cooperation with said sleeve for gripping the outer sheath of the coaxial cable, said grips opposed to each other and surrounding said sleeve, a spring biasing said grips radially outwardly against an inside surface of said rear nut assembly.
- 2. The connector of claim 1, wherein said spring is a C-ring.
- 3. The connector of claim 1, further comprising at least one O-ring.
- 4. The connector of claim 1, wherein said spring is a C-ring, said C-ring disposed in an annular groove in the rear nut assembly for holding said retainer.
- 5. The connector of claim 1, wherein said contact includes a portion, embedded in said insulator, having a straight knurl.
- 6. The connector of claim 1, wherein said receiving element of said contact is longitudinally slit to comprise a pluarality of beams.
- 7. The connector of claim 1, wherein said collet is comprised of plastic.
- 8. The connector of claim 1, wherein said collet comprises, on an outer peripheral portion thereof, a ramp and a stop portion, said stop portion cooperating with a corresponding inner circumferential stop portion of said connector assembly.
- 9. The connector of claim 1, wherein said sleeve is tapered at one end thereof.
- 10. The connector of claim 1, wherein an exposed face of said insulator comprises a conical surface.
- 11. The connector of claim 1, wherein a face of said retainer that abuts said collet includes a face knurl.
- 12. The connector of claim 1, wherein, when said rear nut assembly is threadably attached to said connector assembly, the combined assembly is substantially waterproof and prevents leakage of at least one of electrical, electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio frequency interference (RFI) energy.
- 13. The connector of claim 1, wherein an end portion of the outer sheath of the coaxial cable abuts the retainer.
- 14. The connector of claim 1, wherein each of the pair of grips is symmetrical with the other.
- 15. The connector of claim 1, wherein said pair of grips comprises an inclined surface and at least one ferrule having a corresponding inclined surface, so that when said rear nut assembly is threadably attached to said connector assembly, said at least one ferrule forces said inclined surface radially inwardly.
- 16. The connector of claim 15, wherein said at least one ferrule, when said rear nut assembly is threadably attached to said connector assembly, abuts at least one of said retainer and an inner end portion of said rear nut assembly.
- 17. The connector of claim 15, wherein the connector includes two ferrules.
- 18. The connector of claim 17, wherein a thrust washer is disposed between one of said ferrules and said inner end portion of said rear nut assembly.
- 19. The connector of claim 1, wherein, when the outer sheath of the coaxial cable surrounds said sleeve and the center conductor of the same coaxial cable passes through said sleeve and is received by said receiving element of said contact and said rear nut assembly is threadably attached to said connector assembly, said retainer forces said collet in an axial direction toward said connector assembly whereby said ramp surface forcibly inwardly compresses said receiving portion via said chamfer thereby grasping the inner conductor, and the outer sheath is gripped between said means for gripping and said sleeve.
- 20. The connector of claim 19, wherein, when said rear nut assembly is threadably attached to said connector assembly, said collet is press fitted into at least one of said retainer and sleeve.
- 21. A coaxial cable connector, comprising:
- a connector assembly comprising:
- a first set of circumferential threads at a front end thereof and second set of circumferential threads at a rear end thereof,
- a contact extending from said front end and having a receiving element at an opposite end thereof, said receiving element including a chamfer on an outer circumferential portion thereof, said contact being supported inside said connector assembly via an insulator, and
- a collet, retained in said rear end of said connector assembly, having a ramp surface corresponding to said chamfer of said receiving element;
- a center nut assembly comprises:
- a sleeve having an outer diameter less than an inner diameter of an outer sheath of a coaxial cable and open at both ends for passing therethrough a center conductor of the coaxial cable; and
- inner and outer circumferential threads, said inner threads being threadably attachable to said second set of threads of said connector assembly; and
- a rear nut assembly, threadably attachable to said outer threads of said center nut assembly, said rear nut assembly comprises:
- a retainer, and
- a pair of grips in cooperation with said sleeve for gripping the outer sheath of the coaxial cable, said grips opposed to each other and surrounding said sleeve, a spring biasing said grips outwardly against an inside surface of said rear nut assembly.
- 22. The connector of claim 21, wherein said spring is a C-ring.
- 23. The connector of claim 21, further comprising at least one O-ring.
- 24. The connector of claim 21, wherein said spring is a C-ring, said C-ring disposed in an annular groove in the rear nut assembly for holding said retainer.
- 25. The connector of claim 21, wherein said contact includes a portion, embedded in said insulator, having a straight knurl.
- 26. The connector of claim 21, wherein said receiving element of said contact is longitudinally slit to comprise a plurality of beams.
- 27. The connector of claim 21, wherein said collet is comprised of plastic.
- 28. The connector of claim 21, wherein said collet comprises, on an outer peripheral portion thereof, a ramp and a stop portion, said stop portion cooperating with a corresponding inner circumferential stop portion of said center nut assembly.
- 29. The connector of claim 21, wherein said sleeve is tapered at one end thereof.
- 30. The connector of claim 21, wherein an exposed face of said insulator comprises a conical surface.
- 31. The connector of claim 21, wherein, when said center nut assembly is threadably attached to the connector assembly and said rear nut assembly is threadably attached to said center nut assembly, the combined assembly is substantially waterproof and prevents leakage of at least one of electrical, EMI and RFI energy.
- 32. The connector of claim 21, wherein an end portion of the outer sheath of the coaxial cable abuts a portion of the center nut.
- 33. The connector of claim 21, wherein each of the pair of grips is symmetrical with the other.
- 34. The connector of claim 21, wherein said pair of grips comprises an inclined surface and at least one ferrule having a corresponding inclined surface, so that when said rear nut assembly is threadably attached to said connector assembly, said at least one ferrule forces said inclined surface radially inwardly.
- 35. The connector of claim 34, wherein said at least one ferrule, when said rear nut assembly is threadably attached to said connector assembly, abuts at least one of said retainer and an inner end portion of said rear nut assembly.
- 36. The connector of claim 34, wherein the connector includes two ferrules.
- 37. The connector of claim 36, wherein a thrust washer is disposed between one of said ferrules and said inner end portion of said rear nut assembly.
- 38. The connector of claim 21, wherein, when an inner conductor of the coaxial cable is received in said receiving element and said center nut assembly is threadably attached to said connector assembly, said center nut assembly forces said collet in an axial direction toward said connector assembly whereby said ramp surface forcibly inwardly compresses said receiving element via said chamfer thereby grasping said inner conductor, and when said rear nut assembly is threadably attached to said center nut assembly, said outer sheath is gripped between said pair of grips and said sleeve.
- 39. The connector of claim 38, wherein, when said center nut assembly is threadably attached to said connector assembly, said collet is press fitted into at least one of said retainer and sleeve.
- 40. A coaxial cable connector, comprising:
- a connector assembly comprising:
- a first set of circumferential threads at a front end thereof and second set of circumferential threads at a rear end thereof,
- a contact extending from said front end and having a receiving element at an opposite end thereof, said receiving element including a chamfer on an outer circumferential portion thereof, said contact being supported inside said connector assembly via an insulator, and
- a collet, retained in said rear end of said connector assembly, having a ramp surface corresponding to said chamfer of said receiving element; and
- a means for gripping the outer sheath of a coaxial cable having:
- a sleeve having an outer diameter less than an inner diameter of an outer sheath of the coaxial cable and open at both ends for passing therethrough a center conductor of the coaxial cable; and a retainer, at least a portion of said means for gripping being threadably attachable to said second set of threads of said connector assembly; said means for gripping including a pair of grips opposed to each other and surrounding said sleeve, a spring biasing said grips radially outwardly against an inside surface of said rear nut assembly.
- 41. The connector of claim 40, wherein, when the center conductor of a coaxial cable is received in said receiving element of said contact and said means for gripping is threadably attached to said connector assembly, said collet is forced in an axial direction toward said connector assembly whereby said ramp surface forcibly inwardly compresses said receiving element via said chamfer thereby grasping said inner conductor, and the outer sheath of the same coaxial cable is gripped between said means for gripping and said sleeve.
- 42. The connector of claim 40, wherein said means for gripping comprises a single assembly threadably attachable onto said second set of threads of said connector assembly.
- 43. The connector of claim 40, wherein said means for gripping comprises two separate assemblies including a center nut assembly and a rear nut assembly, wherein said center nut assembly includes said sleeve, is threadably attachable to said connector assembly and axially forces said collet, and said rear nut assembly houses said grips, is threadably attachable to said center nut assembly for causing the outer sheath to be gripped between said grips and said sleeve.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims the benefit of the May 5, 1998 filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/084,322 filed May 5, 1998.
US Referenced Citations (16)