Claims
- 1. An electronic filter assembly of die type that includes a female terminal cap having a fitting portion and containing a terminal passage through the fitting portion, and a collet assembly secured in and substantially closing the terminal passage of said female terminal cap, wherein said collet assembly comprises:an insulator, made from a single piece of insulator material, containing a hole therethrough; a collet terminal extending substantially through the hole of the insulator, the collet terminal haying a female end surrounded by the insulator and tightly fitted in the hole of the insulator, such that the female end is insulated from the fitting portion of said female terminal cap; and a seal located inside the terminal passage of said female terminal cap, between the collet terminal and said female terminal cap.
- 2. The electronic filter assembly of claim 1, wherein the collet terminal has at least one barb which penetrates the insulator material of the insulator, to help prevent moisture from entering said filter housing between the hole of the insulator and the collet terminal.
- 3. The electronic filter assembly of claim 1, wherein the insulator of said collet assembly has a substantially cone-shaped nose portion.
- 4. The electronic filter assembly of claim 1, wherein the collet terminal has a plurality of barbs which penetrate the insulator material of the insulator, to help prevent moisture from entering said filter housing between the hole of the insulator and the collet terminal.
- 5. A cable TV electronic filter device of the type that includes a female terminal cap having a fitting portion and containing a terminal passage through the fitting portion, and a collet assembly secured in and substantially closing the terminal passage of se-id female terminal cap, wherein said collet assembly comprises:an elongated insulator, made from a single piece of insulator material, containing an axially-directed bole therethrough, said insulator being located in and substantially coextensive with the terminal passage; a collet terminal extending substantially through the hole of said insulator, said collet terminal having a female end surrounded by said insulator and tightly fitted in the hole of said insulator, such that the female end of the collet terminal is insulated from the fitting portion of said female terminal cap; and a seal located inside the terminal passage of said female terminal cap, surrounding said collet terminal and said elongated insulator, so as to produce a seal between said insulator and said female terminal cap.
- 6. A cable TV electronic filter device of the type that includes a female terminal cap having a fitting portion and containing a terminal passage through the fitting portion, a collet assembly secured in and substantially closing the terminal passage of said female terminal cap, a circuit board, and a cable TV circuit on said circuit board, wherein said collet assembly comprises:an insulator, made from a single piece of insulator material, containing a hole therethrough; a collet terminal extending substantially through the hole of the insulator, said collet terminal having a female end and a coupling end, the female end being surrounded by said insulator such that the female end is insulated from the fitting portion of said female terminal cap, the coupling end being coupled to the circuit board, the coupling end having a neck-shaped portion, a block-shaped portion integrally connected with the neck-shaped portion and abutting the circuit board, and a pin-shaped portion projecting from the block-shaped portion and penetrating to circuit board; and a seal located inside the terminal passage of said female terminal cap, between said collet terminal and said female terminal cap.
- 7. A cable TV electronic filter device of the type that includes a female terminal cap having a fitting portion and containing a terminal passage through the fitting portion, a collet assembly secured in and substantially closing the terminal passage of said female terminal cap, a circuit board, and a cable TV circuit on said circuit board, wherein said collet assembly comprises:an insulator, made from a single piece of insulator material, containing an axially-directed hole therethrough; a collet terminal extending substantially through the hole of said insulator, said collet terminal having a female end surrounded by said insulator and a coupling end coupled to said circuit board, said collet terminal further having a barb engaging the insulator material of said insulator inside the hale of said insulator, the barb having an inclined side which faces the coupling end of said collet terminal; and a seal located inside the terminal passage of said female terminal cap, between said collet terminal and said female terminal cap.
- 8. A cable TV electronic filter device of the type that includes a female terminal cap having a fitting portion and a body portion and containing a terminal passage through the fitting portion, and a collet assembly secured in and substantially closing the terminal passage of said female terminal cap, wherein said collet assembly comprises:an elongated insulator, made from a single piece of insulator material, containing an axially-directed hole therethrough, said insulator being substantially coextensive with the terminal passage and having a rear end portion extending out of the fitting portion and into the body portion, such tat an annular space is created between the rear end portion and the female terminal cap; a collet terminal extending substantially through the hole of said insulator, said collet terminal having a female end surrounded by said insulator and tightly fitted in the hole of said insulator; and a seal located inside the terminal passage of said female terminal cap, between said collet terminal and said female terminal cap.
- 9. A cable TV electronic filter device of the type that includes a female terminal cap having a fitting portion and containing a terminal passage through the fitting portion, a collet assembly secured in and substantially closing the terminal passage of said female terminal cap, and a circuit board, and a cable TV circuit on said circuit board, wherein said collet assembly comprises:an insulator, made from a single piece of insulator material, containing a hale therethrough; a collet terminal, extending substantially through the hole of said insulator, having a female end and a coupling end, the female end being surrounded by said insulator and tightly fitted in the hole of said insulator, the coupling end being integrally formed with the female end and being directly connected to said circuit board; and a seal located inside the terminal passage of said female terminal cap, between surrounding said collet terminal and said elongated insulator, so as to provide a seal between said insulator and said female terminal cap.
- 10. A cable TV electronic filter device of the type that includes a female terminal cap having a fitting portion and containing a terminal passage through the fitting portion, and a collet assembly secured in and substantially closing the terminal passage of said female terminal cap, wherein said edict assembly comprises:an insulator, made from a single piece of insulator material, containing a hole therethrough; a collet terminal extending substantially through the hole of said insulator, said collet terminal including a female end surrounded by said insulator and tightly fitted in the hole of said insulator, said collet terminal further including a separate contact press-fitted into the female end; and a seal located inside the terminal passage of said female terminal cap, between said collet terminal and said female terminal cap.
- 11. A cable TV electronic filter device of the type that includes a female terminal cap having a fitting portion and containing a terminal passage through the fitting portion, and a collet assembly secured in and substantially closing the terminal passage of said female terminal cap, wherein said collet assembly comprises:an insulator, made from a single piece of insulator material, having distal and proximal ends and containing an axially-directed hole which opens at the distal and the proximal ends; a collet terminal extending substantially through the hole of said insulator, said edict terminal including a female end surrounded by said insulator and tightly fitted in the hole of said insulator, the female end opening at the distal end of said insulator; and a seal located inside the terminal passage of said female terminal cap, between said insulator and said female terminal cap, said seal being positioned closer to the distal end than to the proximal end of said insulator.
- 12. A cable TV electronic filter device, comprising:male and female terminal caps coupled together to form a filter housing defining an interior volume, said male terminal cap containing a first terminal passage between to interior volume and the exterior of the filter housing, and said female terminal cap containing a second terminal passage between the interior volume and the exterior of the filter housing; a circuit board supported inside the filter housing; a cable TV filter circuit on said circuit board; a male terminal assembly including a male terminal and a seal, the seal containing a hole therethrough end being secured in and substantially closing off the first terminal passage, the male terminal being coupled to said circuit board and extending through and tightly fitted in the hole of the seal; and a collet assembly including an insulator, a collet terminal and a collet seal, the insulator being made from a single piece of insulator material and containing a hole therethrough, the collet terminal being coupled to said circuit board and extending substantially through the hole of the insulator, the collet terminal having a female end surrounded by the insulator and tightly fitted in the hole of the insulator, and the collet seal being located inside the second terminal passage between the collet terminal and said female terminal cap.
- 13. A cable TV electronic filter device comprising:a conductive housing having input and output ends, said housing having a generally cylindrical body portion and a threaded female connector, the female connector being located at the input end of said housing and having a, diameter less than tat of the body portion, the female connector containing a passageway therethrough; a circuit board within the body portion of said housing; a cable TV filter circuit on said circuit board: and a collet assembly, secured in and substantially closing the passageway of the female connector alone at least a portion of its length, to receive electrical signals and conduct them to the circuit board, the collet assembly including an insulator member surrounded by the female connector, the insulator member containing a generally cylindrical opening through its length, a conductor extending through the opening of the insulator member, the conductor having an input end adjacent the input end of said housing and an output end adjacent the circuit board, the conductor being generally cylindrical and having a hollow interior at its input end, the input end of the conductor being surrounded by the insulator member and tightly fitted in the opening of the insulator member, an electrical contact member fitting tightly within the hollow interior of the conductor and having spring contact portions that expand and contract when a conductive pin or other conductive member is inserted and retracted, respectively, and an elastomeric sealing member surrounding the insulator member in compressed engagement with the insulator member and the surrounding female connector, to provide a moisture seal between the insulator member and the female connector.
- 14. The cable TV electronic filter device as in claim 13 whereinthe conductor includes a one-piece conductive member that extends through the opening of the insulator member from the input of the housing to the circuit board and is cylindrical with a uniform diameter over a substantial portion of the length of the opening, the insulator member is a one-piece member that extends over a substantial portion of the length of the passageway in the female connector and has substantially the same outside diameter as the inside diameter of the passageway over a substantial distance along the passageway, the one-piece insulator member having a reduced diameter portion at some intermediate point along its length, and the elastomeric sealing member surrounding the reduced diameter portion of the one-piece insulator member.
- 15. The cable TV electronic filter device of claim 13, wherein the insulator member extends through substantially the entire length of the female connector.
- 16. The cable TV electronic filter device of claim 13, wherein the circuit board is in close proximity with one end of the insulator member.
- 17. The cable TV electronic filter device of claim 13, further comprising a sealing wafer at the output end of said housing, said wafer containing a generally cylindrical opening therethrough, an output conductor, connected to said circuit board, extending through the opening of the sealing wafer in moisture tight engagement with the wafer.
- 18. An A cable TV electronic filter device comprising:a conductive housing having input and output ends, said housing having a generally cylindrical body portion and a cylindrical female connector at the input end of said housing, the female connector containing a passage therethrough; at least one painted circuit board within the body portion of said housing; a cable TV filter circuit on said circuit board; and a collet assembly, secured in and substantially closing the passageway along at least a portion of the length of the female connector, to receive electrical signals and conduct them to said printed circuit board, the collet assembly including an insulator member that extends through substantially the entire length of the female connector, the insulator member containing a generally cylindrical bore through its length, a conductor extending through the bore of the insulator member, the conductor having an input end adjacent the input end of said housing and an output end adjacent said printed circuit board, the conductor having a hollow interior at its input end, the input end of the conductor being surrounded by the insulator member and tightly fitted in the bore of the insulator member, an electrical contact member located within the hollow interior of the conductor, said contact member fitting tightly within the hollow interior of the conductor and having spring contact portions that expand and contract when a conductive pin or other conductive member is inserted and retracted, respectively, and an elastomeric sealing member surrounding the insulator member in compressed engagement with the insulator member and the surrounding female connector, to provide a moisture seal between the insulating member and the female connector.
- 19. The cable TV electronic filter device of claim 18, wherein the insulator member has a reduced diameter over a portion of its length, and the elastomeric sealing member surrounds the reduced diameter portion.
- 20. The cable TV electronic filter device of claim 18, wherein the conductor is a unitary member which extends beyond the length of the insulator member and is connected to the printed circuit board.
- 21. The cable TV electronic filter device of claim 20, wherein the conductor has a reduced diameter portion beyond the length of the insulator member to facilitate bending the conductor at the reduced diameter portion.
- 22. The cable TV electronic filter device of claim 18, wherein the passageway of the female connector has a substantially uniform internal diameter throughout substantially its entire length.
- 23. A cable TV electronic filter device comprising:a conductive housing having input and output ends, said housing having a generally cylindrical body portion and a threaded female connector at the input end of said housing, the female connector having an interior surface which defines a passageway through the connector; a printed circuit board within the body portion of said housing; a cable TV filter circuit on said circuit board; and a collet assembly, secured in and substantially closing the passageway along at least a portion of the length of the female connector, to receive electrical signals and conduct them to said printed circuit board, the collet assembly including an elastomeric sealing member in compressed engagement with the interior surface of the surrounding female connector to provide a moisture seal, against the interior surface, only a single substantially cylindrical insulator member that-extends adjacent the elastomeric seal and extending through at least a portion of the passageway of the female connector in close proximity to an interior surface of the female connector, the insulator member containing a generally cylindrical bore through its length, a conductor extending through the cylindrical bore of the insulator member, the conductor having an input end adjacent the input end of said housing and an output end connected to said printed circuit board, the input end of the conductor having an annular-shaped wall defining a fixed hollow interior, the input end of the conductor being located within the bore of and in close concentric relation to the insulator member, an electrical contact member, fitting tightly within the hollow interior of the conductor and against the annular-shaved wall thereof, having spring contact portions that expand and contract within the annular-shaped wall when a conductive pin or other conductive member is inserted and retracted, respectively.
- 24. The cable TV electronic filter device of claim 23, further comprising a sealing wafer containing a cylindrical bore, andan output conductor connected to said printed circuit board for receiving signals therefrom, said conductor extending through the bore of the sealing wafer in moisture-tight engagement with said wafer.
- 25. A cable TV electronic filter device comprising:a conductive housing having input and output ends, said housing having a generally cylindrical body portion and a cylindrical threaded female connector, said connector being located at the input end of said housing; a printed circuit board within the body portion; and a cable TV filter circuit on said circuit board, the threaded female connector enclosing a cylindrical space that contains only a single cylindrical insulator member, an elastomeric sealing member, an elongated conductor member, and an electrical contact member, the cylindrical insulator member containing a generally cylindrical bore through its length, the elongated conductor extending through the bore of the insulator member, the conductor having an input end adjacent the input end of said housing and an output end adjacent said printed circuit board, the input end of the conductor having an annular-shaped wall defining a fixed hollow interior, the input end of the conductor being located within the bore of and in close concentric relation to the insulator member, the electrical contact member, fitted tightly within the hollow interior of the conductor and against the annular-shaped wall thereof; having spring contact portions that expand and contract within the annular-shaped wall when a conductive pin or other conductive member is inserted and retracted, respectively, and the elastomeric sealing member being in compressed engagement with the surrounding female connector to provide a moisture seal against the surrounding female connector.
- 26. A cable TV electronic filter device comprising:a conductive housing having input and output ends, said housing having a generally cylindrical body portion and a cylindrical female connector, the female connector being located at the input end of said housing and having a diameter tat is less than the diameter of the body portion, the female connector containing a passageway therethrough; a printed circuit board within the body portion; a cable TV filter circuit on said circuit board; and a collet assembly, secured in and substantially closing the passageway along at least a portion of the length of the female connector, to receive electrical signals and conduct them to said printed circuit board, said collet assembly including a single insulator member surrounded by the female connector, a conductor extending through the insulator members the conductor having an input end adjacent the input end of said housing and an output end, the conductor being generally cylindrical and having a hollow interior at its input end, the input end of the conductor being surrounded by and in close contact with the insulator member, and an elastomeric sealing member surrounding the insulator member in compressed engagement with the insulator member and the surrounding female connector to provide a moisture seal between the insulating member and the female connector.
- 27. The cable TV electronic filter device of claim 26, wherein said collet assembly further includesan electrical contact member fitting tightly within the hollow interior of the conductor and having spring contact portions that expand and contract when a conductive pin or other conductive member is inserted and retracted, respectively.
- 28. The cable TV electronic filter device of claim 26, wherein said printed circuit board is in close proximity with one end of the insulator member.
- 29. The cable TV electronic filter device of claim 26, further comprisinga sealing wafer containing a bore therethrough, and an output conductor, connected to said printed circuit board, extending through the bore of said wafer in moisture-fight engagement with said wafer.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/382,064, filed Aug. 24, 1999 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,323,743.
US Referenced Citations (29)
Non-Patent Literature Citations (3)
Entry |
Cambion® Drawing (1980). |
Mill-Max Drawing 0336 (1985). |
Mil-Max Product Catalog, pp. 105 & 107 Mar. 1999/Exhibit A (3). |
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09/382064 |
Aug 1999 |
US |
Child |
09/898543 |
|
US |