Granted Patent B1

US 7,727,013 · App. 12/361,720 · Granted Jun 1, 2010

Assignee: Andrew LLC

Abstract

Claims (39)

1. A coupling arrangement between a coaxial connector and an outer conductor of a coaxial cable, comprising:

a unitary monolithic connector body;

an annular contact groove provided in a bore of the connector body, between a connector end and a cable end of the connector body;

the contact groove having a groove bottom, a connector end sidewall and a cable end sidewall; the connector end sidewall angled to transition between a groove bottom width that is less than a groove top width;

a circular spring contact having a non-deformed state width; the spring contact seated within the contact groove; the non-deformed state width greater than the groove bottom width and less than the groove top width; wherein in a non-deformed state the spring contact contacts the connector end sidewall without contacting the groove bottom.

2. The coupling arrangement of claim 1 , further including an annular bias gasket in the contact groove between the spring contact and the cable end sidewall.

3. The coupling arrangement of claim 2 , wherein the bias gasket is dimensioned to bias the spring contact against the connector end sidewall while the spring contact is in the non-deformed state.

4. The coupling arrangement of claim 1 , further including a grip ring retained within a grip ring groove provided in the bore; an inner diameter of the grip ring provided with a grip surface; whereby the grip ring grips the outer conductor after the outer conductor is inserted through the grip ring.

5. The coupling arrangement of claim 1 , further including a back nut threadable onto a cable end of the connector body and a retaining element proximate the cable end of the connector body.

6. The coupling arrangement of claim 5 , wherein the retaining element is a retaining coil spring dimensioned to seat within an annular corrugation of the outer conductor.

7. The coupling arrangement of claim 5 , wherein the connector body and the back nut together form an annular retaining groove; the retaining element seated within the retaining groove.

8. The coupling arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the contact groove is located longitudinally on the connector body to position the spring contact proximate a leading edge of the outer conductor when the outer conductor is inserted within the connector bore.

9. The coupling arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the spring contact is a helical coil spring.

10. A coupling arrangement between a coaxial connector body and an outer conductor of a coaxial cable, comprising:

an annular contact groove provided in a bore of the connector body;

the contact groove having a groove bottom, a connector end sidewall and a cable end sidewall; the connector end sidewall is angled at a shoulder transition to transition between a groove bottom width that is less than a groove top width; the spring contact contacting the shoulder transition;

a circular spring contact having a non-deformed state width; the spring contact seated within the contact groove; the non-deformed state width greater than the groove bottom width and less than the groove top width; wherein in a non-deformed state the spring contact contacts the connector end sidewall without contacting the groove bottom.

11. A coupling arrangement between a coaxial connector body and a solid outer conductor, comprising:

a contact groove provided in seamless monolithic portion of a bore of the connector body, between a connector end and a cable end of the connector body; the contact groove having a groove bottom, a connector end sidewall and a cable end sidewall; the connector end sidewall angled to transition between a groove bottom width that is less than a groove top width;

a circular spring contact having a non-deformed state width; the non-deformed state width greater than the groove floor width and less than the groove top width; the spring contact seated within the contact groove;

a bias gasket in the annular groove, between the spring contact and the cable end sidewall; the bias gasket dimensioned to bias the spring contact against the connector end sidewall, while in the spring contact is in the non-deformed state;

a grip ring retained within a grip ring groove provided in the bore; an inner diameter of the grip ring provided with a grip surface; whereby the grip ring grips the outer conductor after the outer conductor is inserted through the grip ring.

12. The coupling arrangement of claim 11 , wherein the contact groove is located longitudinally on the connector body to position the spring contact proximate a leading edge of the outer conductor when the outer conductor is inserted within the connector bore.

13. The coupling arrangement of claim 11 , wherein the spring contact is a helical coil spring.

14. A coupling arrangement between a coaxial connector body and a solid outer conductor, comprising:

a contact groove provided in a bore of the connector body; the contact groove having a groove bottom, a connector end sidewall and a cable end sidewall; the connector end sidewall is angled at a shoulder transition to transition between a groove bottom width that is less than a groove top width; the spring contact contacting the shoulder transition;

a circular spring contact having a non-deformed state width; the non-deformed state width greater than the groove floor width and less than the groove top width; the spring contact seated within the contact groove;

a bias gasket in the annular groove, between the spring contact and the cable end sidewall; the bias gasket dimensioned to bias the spring contact against the connector end sidewall, while in the spring contact is in the non-deformed state;

a grip ring retained within a grip ring groove provided in the bore; an inner diameter of the grip ring provided with a grip surface; whereby the grip ring grips the outer conductor after the outer conductor is inserted through the grip ring.

15. A coupling arrangement between a coaxial connector body and a solid outer conductor, comprising:

a contact groove provided in a bore of the connector body; the contact groove having a groove bottom, a connector end sidewall and a cable end sidewall; the connector end sidewall angled to transition between a groove bottom width that is less than a groove top width;

a spring contact having a non-deformed state width; the non-deformed state width greater than the groove bottom width and less than the groove top width; the circular spring contact seated within the annular groove;

a back nut threadable onto the cable end of the connector body;

a retaining coil spring dimensioned to seat within an annular corrugation of the outer conductor; the connector body and the back nut together forming an annular retaining groove; the retaining circular coil spring seated within the retaining groove.

16. The coupling arrangement of claim 15 , further including a bias gasket in the contact groove between the spring contact and the cable end sidewall; the bias gasket dimensioned to bias the spring contact against the connector end sidewall while in the spring contact is in the non-deformed state.

17. The coupling arrangement of claim 16 , wherein the bias gasket is dimensioned to bias the spring contact against the connector end sidewall, while the spring contact is in the non-deformed state.

18. The coupling arrangement of claim 15 , wherein the connector end sidewall is angled at a shoulder transition; the spring contact contacting the shoulder transition.

19. The coupling arrangement of claim 15 , wherein the contact groove is located longitudinally on the connector body to position the spring contact proximate a leading edge of the outer conductor when the outer conductor is inserted within the connector bore.

20. The coupling arrangement of claim 15 , wherein the spring contact is a helical coil spring.

Assignments (23)