Coaxial connector with integrated mating force sensor and method of use thereof

1. A male coaxial cable connector for connecting a coaxial cable to a female mating component, the female mating component having a conductive interface sleeve, the male coaxial cable connector comprising:

a connector body, configured to receive a coaxial cable;

a male center conductor contact, electrically coupled to the coaxial cable;

a conductive interface sleeve, coaxially surrounding at least a portion of the male center conductor contact;

a sensor insulator, spanning a radial distance between the conductive interface sleeve and the male center conductor contact;

a capacitive circuit positioned on a sensor face of the sensor insulator; and,

a flexible abutment member positionable proximate the conductive interface sleeve, the flexible abutment member having a cavity wall, wherein the cavity wall at least partially defines a capacitive space between the sensor face of the sensor insulator and the flexible abutment member, wherein the cavity wall is movable upon the application of mating forces upon the flexible abutment member.

2. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the flexible abutment member further comprises an axially displaceable element to bend or otherwise flex under compression forces and allow for axial displacement of the cavity wall of the flexible sleeve abutment member.

3. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the sensor insulator is positioned to contact and axially align the center conductor within the connector body.

4. The connector of claim 1 further comprising a second supportive insulator located to operate with the sensor insulator to further stabilize the sensor insulator.

5. The connector of claim 1 , wherein a port end of the connector body includes a threaded nut rotatably operable to connect with a corresponding threaded portion of a female structure.

6. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the sensor insulator includes traces positioned at a location to make electrical contact with the male center conductor contact when the connector is assembled.

7. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the sensor insulator includes traces positioned at a location to ground the capacitive circuit when the connector is assembled.

8. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the flexible abutment member is seated against an inner ridge of the conductive interface sleeve when the connector is assembled.

9. A male coaxial cable connector comprising:

a male center conductor;

a capacitive circuit positioned on a sensor face of a sensor insulator, the sensor insulator positioned within the connector to rigidly suspend the male center conductor contact in a coaxial location with respect to an outer connector body;

a flexible abutment member located between the conductive interface sleeve and the male center conductor contact, the flexible abutment member having a cavity wall, the cavity wall located proximate the sensor face of the sensor insulator, the cavity wall of the flexible abutment member being movable due to mating forces when the connector is connected to a mating component; and

a capacitive cavity located between the sensor face of the sensor insulator and the cavity wall of the flexible abutment member; wherein the cavity wall of the flexible abutment member forms at least one boundary surface of the capacitive cavity, and the sensor face of the sensor insulator forms at least another boundary surface of the capacitive space.

10. The connector of claim 9 , wherein the sensor insulator includes traces positioned at a location to ground the capacitive circuit when the connector is assembled.

11. The connector of claim 9 further comprising a second supportive insulator to operate with the sensor insulator to further stabilize the sensor insulator.

12. The connector of claim 9 , wherein the sensor insulator includes traces positioned at a location to make electrical contact with the male center conductor contact when the connector is assembled.

13. The connector of claim 11 , wherein the sensor insulator and the flexible abutment member are both seated against an inner ridge of a conductive interface sleeve when the connector is assembled.

14. A mating force sensing male coaxial cable connector comprising:

a sensing circuit printed on the face of a sensor insulator positioned to rigidly suspend a male center conductor contact within an outer conducting sleeve, the sensing circuit located between an inner radial surface of a conductive interface sleeve and an outer radial surface of a male center conductor of the mating force sensing male coaxial cable connector; and

a capacitive space in proximity with the sensing circuit, said capacitive space having at least one defining wall configured to undergo elastic deformation as a result of mating forces.

15. The connector of claim 14 , wherein the sensing circuit is a capacitive circuit.

16. The connector of claim 14 further comprising a flexible abutment member to help facilitate changes in the size of the capacitive space proximate the sensing circuit.

17. The connector of claim 16 , wherein the wall of the cavity is a resilient portion of the flexible abutment member.

18. The connector of claim 14 , wherein the sensor insulator includes traces positioned at a location to make electrical contact with the male center conductor contact and traces positioned at a location to ground the sensing circuit when the connector is assembled.

19. The connector of claim 14 further comprising second supportive insulator located to operate with the sensor insulator to retain substantially coaxial alignment of the male center conductor contact with respect to the outer conducting sleeve when the connector is assembled.

20. A male coaxial cable connector comprising:

a connector body;

an sensor insulator and a flexible abutment member at least partially housed by the connector body, the flexible abutment member positionable proximate a conductive interface sleeve of the male coaxial cable connector;

a capacitive space formed between the sensor insulator and the flexible abutment member; and

means for sensing proper mating by determining a change in size of the capacitive space due to mating forces.

21. The connector of claim 20 further comprising a male center conductor contact to facilitate operable communication with a female mating component.

22. A method for detecting mating force of a mated male coaxial cable connector, said method comprising:

providing a male coaxial cable connector including:

a sensing circuit positioned on a face of a spacer component located within a connector body;

a capacitive space in immediate proximity with the sensing circuit; and

a flexible abutment member positionable proximate a conductive interface sleeve, the flexible abutment member having a portion thereof forming at least one boundary surface of the capacitive space, said portion of the flexible abutment member being movable due to mating forces;

mating the male connector with a connecting female device;

bending the axially displaceable element of the flexible abutment member to move the boundary surface portion thereof due to contact with the connecting female device during mating, thereby reducing the size of capacitive space; and

detecting mating force by sensing the reduction of size of the capacitive space by the sensing circuit.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising powering the sensing circuit.

24. The method of claim 22 further comprising grounding the sensing circuit.

25. The method of claim 22 further comprising calibrating the sensing circuit.