The present invention relates generally to triaxial cable connectors. More specifically, the present invention relates to protective boots and endcaps for triaxial cable connectors.
Broadcast communications equipment communicate electrical signals via triaxial cables which are well known. A variety of triaxial cable connectors of different styles and formats are known as well. Examples of such cables and connectors may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,967,852; 6,109,963; 6,539,161; and 6,665,484.
These known triaxial cable connectors are fairly durable and resistant to contamination when mated to a corresponding connector. However, it is desirable to improve the resistance to impact and to intrusion of contaminants for mated pairs of connectors.
It is also desirable to provide a device for covering the mating ends of triaxial cable connectors when the connectors are not mated with another connector. These triaxial cable connectors may be covered by a protective boot and improvements to these protective boots are desirable. Protection of bulkhead mounted triaxial connectors which are not mounted to cables is also desirable.
The present invention relates to a protective endcap for use with a first cable connector and a second cable connector. The first and second connectors include mating ends adapted to electrically and physically mate with each other. The mating end of the first connector defines a first gender and the mating end of the second connector defines a second gender. The endcap includes a body with a first end and an opposing second end. The first end is adapted to mate with the first connector and the second end is adapted to mate with the second connector. The first end of the body including an opening extending into the body to receive and engage the mating end of the first connector and the second end of the body including an opening to receive and engage the mating end of the second triaxial connector. An inner bulkhead is positioned within the body closing off each of the openings.
The present invention further relates to a protective endcap for use first and second cable connectors includes mating ends. The connectors are positioned within protective boots. The mating end of the first cable connector defines a first gender and the mating end of the second cable connector defines a second gender. The mating ends of the first and second cable connectors are accessible through connector openings of the boot of each cable connector. The endcap includes a body with a first end and an opposing second end. The first end of the body includes an opening sized to receive and engage the mating end of the first cable connector. The second end of the body includes an opening sized to receive and engage the mating end of the second cable connector. The first end of the body also includes an inward facing circumferential lip for selectively engaging the connector end of the boot of the first cable connector. The second end of the body includes an outward facing circumferential lip for selectively engaging the connector end of the boot of the second cable connector.
The present invention further relates to a pair of protective boots for cable connectors including a first boot and a second boot. The first boot including a cable end and a first connector end and adapted to fit about a first cable connector with a first mating end adjacent the first connector end. The second boot including a cable end and a second connector end and adapted to fit about a second connector with a second mating end adjacent the second connector end. The first connector end including an outward facing circumferential lip, and the second connector end including an inward facing circumferential lip, the outward and inward facing circumferential lips sized and configured to engage each other when the first and second mating ends of the cable connectors are brought together to form a junction about the mating ends of the connectors.
The present invention further relates to a cable connector assembly including a first cable connector with a mating end and a cable extending away from the connector opposite the mating end. The assembly also includes a first protective boot with a circumferential mating lip at a connector opening, an interior space for receiving the first cable connector and a cable end opposite the connector opening. The first connector is positioned within the interior space of the first boot with the mating end adjacent the connector opening and the cable extending through the cable end. The assembly also includes a first endcap with a first end positioned about the mating end of the first connector. The first end includes a circumferential mating lip and the lips of the first end of the first endcap and the first boot mate to form a junction adjacent the mating end of the first connector. The first endcap also includes a second end adapted to fit about a second cable connector which includes a mating end adapted to physically and electrically mate with the mating end of the first connector. The second end is adapted to mate with and form a junction with a second protective boot positioned about the second connector.
The present invention further relates to a protective endcap for use with a first cable connector and a second cable connector. The first and second cable connectors include mating ends and are positioned within protective boots. The mating ends of the cable connectors are adapted to electrically and physically mate with each other, the mating end of the first cable connector defining a first gender and the mating end of the second cable connector defining a second gender. The mating ends of the first and second cable connectors are accessible through connector openings of the boot of each cable connector. The endcap includes a body with a first end and an opposing second end. The first end is adapted to mate with the mating end of the first cable connector and the second end adapted to mate with the mating end of second cable connector. The first end of the body includes an opening sized to receive and engage the mating end of the first cable connector. The second end of the body includes an opening sized to receive and engage the mating end of the second cable connector. The first end of the body also includes an interlock arrangement for selectively engaging and forming a junction with the boot of the first cable connector and the second end of the body includes an interlock arrangement for selectively engaging and forming a junction with the boot of the second cable connector.
The present invention also relates to a pair of protective boots for cable connectors. The first boot includes a cable end and a first connector end and is adapted to fit about a first cable connector with a first mating end adjacent the first connector end. The second boot includes a cable end and a second connector end and is adapted to fit about a second connector with a second mating end adjacent the second connector end. The first connector end and the second connector end include an interlocking arrangement to selectively engage each other and form a junction about the mating ends of the connectors when the first and second mating ends of the cable connectors are brought together.
The present invention further relates to a method of connecting cable connectors. The method includes providing first and second cable connectors and first and second protective boots mounted about the first and second connectors. The first connector includes a first mating end and the second connector includes a second mating end, and each of the first and second boots includes a connector end. The first and second mating ends are mated so that the first and second connectors are electrically and physically joined. The connector ends of the first and second protective boots are interlocked to form a junction about the first and second mating ends.
The present invention further relates to a method of covering a mating end of a cable connector. The method includes providing a cable connector of a first or a second gender. The genders are defined so that a connector of the first gender mates with a connector of the second gender. An appropriate end of a dual ended endcap is selected and mated with the mating end of the connector.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the description, illustrate several aspects of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. A brief description of the drawings is as follows:
Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary aspects of the present invention which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.
Cable connectors for triaxial cables, such as prior art connectors 40 and 42, respectively, of
FIGS. 1 to 3 show a pair of triaxial cable connector assemblies 50 and 52, mated as a pair 51. Connector assembly 50 includes a protective boot 54 mounted about connector 40 (shown in the cross-sectional view of
Boots 54 and 56 each include a grooved gripping surface 58 and a tapered cable end portion 60 with an opening 62 for a triaxial cable 64 (shown in
Referring now to
Referring now to FIGS. 4 to 7, connector assembly 50 is shown with an endcap 78 engaging boot 54 at distal end 68, forming a junction 80. Junction 80 is similar to junction 66, shown in
FIGS. 8 to 11 show boot 54 removed from about connector 40. A connector opening 94 is opposite from cable end 60 and allows entry through distal end 68 into an interior space 95, where connector 40 may be positioned. Within interior space 95 are a plurality of ridges 106 which cooperate with a mating plurality of grooves 108 about the locking mechanism of connector 40 (shown in
Referring now to
Referring now to FIGS. 13 to 16, connector assembly 52 is shown with endcap 78 inserted through distal end 70 of boot 56. A junction 114 is formed between endcap 78 and boot 56 adjacent at distal end 70. As discussed above, connectors 40 and 42 are similarly arranged except they have different mating ends 44 (for connector 40) and 46 (for connector 42) defining different genders which mate to form a physical and electrical connection. Except as noted here, boot 56 is similarly configured to boot 54. Endcap 78 is the same as shown within connector assembly 50, above, with second end 86 inserted within distal end 70 of boot 56. Adjacent distal end 70 on boot 56 is an inwardly facing lip 116 which mates with an outwardly facing lip 120 on second end 86 of endcap 78.
FIGS. 17 to 20 show boot 56 removed from about connector 42. A connector opening 122 is opposite from cable end 60 and allows entry through distal end 70 into an interior space 126, where connector 42 may be positioned. Within interior space 126 are a plurality of ridges 106 on an inner wall 128. Ridges 106 cooperate with a mating plurality of grooves 108 about the locking mechanism of connector 42 (shown in
Referring now to
Referring now to
Referring now to
Referring now to FIGS. 22 to 27, endcap 78 includes a body 79 with first end 84 and second end 86. First end 84 of body 79 defines a first open end 144 for receiving mating end 44 of connector 40. First open end 144 is defined by an inner wall 154, which is sized to fit closely about mating end 44. Inner wall 154 provides a friction fit of endcap 78 to connector 40 in the absence of boot 54. First inner wall 112 is in a recess of an inner face 150 of an inner bulkhead 148 within first open end 144. An outer wall 156 of first end 84 is sized to fit closely to inner wall 110 of boot 54. Second end 86 includes a second open end 146 for receiving mating end 46 of connector 42. Second open end 146 is defined by an inner wall 158, which is sized to fit closely about mating end 46. Inner wall 158 provides a friction fit of endcap 78 to connector 42 in the absence of boot 56. Second inner wall 118 is within a recess in a second inner face 152 of inner bulkhead 148 within second open end 146. Between lip 90 and lip 120 is an outer wall 160, within which finger groove 82 is formed. As can be seen in
Referring now to
Referring now to
As described above, lip 120 is sized to engage and mate with lip 116 of boot 56 and lip 90 is sized to engage and mate with lip 92 of boot 54. Ridge 162 and groove 164 of lip 120 are consistent in size and configuration with ridge 103 and groove 99 of lip 92. Ridge 176 and groove 178 are consistent in size and shape with ridge 130 and groove 132 of lip 116. Thus configured and shaped, endcap 78 may be used with either gender of a particular style of triaxial cable connector, whether the connectors are mounted within boots or not. To permit mating with mating ends of connectors 40 and 42, and with boots 54 and 56, endcap 78 is made of similar materials to boots 54 and 56.
It is anticipated that endcap 78 may also include a tether sized to fit about a boot or a connector. Such a tether would help prevent loss of endcaps and help ensure that an endcap is available when a cable is disconnected. Such a tether would also aid use of endcap 78 with a bulkhead type of triaxial connector, such as that described in commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/640,472, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Such a tethered endcap 278 is shown in
Although the foregoing invention has been described in detail by way of illustration and example, for purposes of clarity of understanding, it will be obvious that changes and modifications may be practiced which are within the scope of the present invention as embodied in the claims appended hereto.
This application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 11/488,445,filed Jul. 17, 2006, which is a divisional of application Ser. No. 10/775,759, filed Feb. 9, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,090,516, which applications are incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 11488445 | Jul 2006 | US |
Child | 11789631 | Apr 2007 | US |
Parent | 10775759 | Feb 2004 | US |
Child | 11488445 | Jul 2006 | US |