Coaxial-cable-assembly, ferrule, and method of making the same

1. A coaxial-cable-assembly comprising:

a coaxial-cable having an outer-jacket and an exposed outer-shield conductor;

a tubular-ferrule having a crimp-zone, a seamless skirt-zone, and a transition-zone therebetween, said tubular-ferrule defining a relief-slot having an open-end, a closed-end, and two parallel-edges that extend from the crimp-zone to the seamless skirt-zone, wherein the crimp-zone is brought into forcible contact with the exposed outer-shield conductor by drawing a portion of the two parallel-edges into close proximity such that a crimp-zone-diameter is reduced to less than a skirt-zone-diameter, and wherein the closed-end of the relief-slot forms an aperture in a junction of the transition-zone and the seamless skirt-zone, wherein the seamless skirt-zone overlaps the outer-jacket, and wherein the seamless skirt-zone is not crimped.

2. The coaxial-cable-assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the aperture is laterally elongated.

3. The coaxial-cable-assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the two parallel-edges are aligned parallel to a longitudinal-axis of the tubular-ferrule.

4. The coaxial-cable-assembly in accordance with claim 3 , wherein a segment of the two parallel-edges within the crimp-zone are aligned transverse to the longitudinal-axis of the tubular-ferrule.

5. The coaxial-cable-assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein a first-edge of the two parallel-edges defines a projection and wherein a second-edge of the two parallel-edges defines a corresponding interlocking-notch.

6. The coaxial-cable-assembly in accordance with claim 5 , wherein the projection and the interlocking-notch each define a corresponding trapezoidal-shape.

7. A tubular-ferrule configured to be attached to a coaxial-cable, said coaxial-cable having an outer-jacket and an exposed outer-shield conductor, comprising:

a crimp-zone;

a seamless skirt-zone; and

a transition-zone therebetween, said tubular-ferrule defining a relief-slot having an open-end, a closed-end, and two parallel-edges that extend from the crimp-zone to the seamless skirt-zone, wherein the tubular-ferrule is configured so that the crimp-zone is brought into forcible contact with the exposed outer-shield conductor of said coaxial-cable by drawing a portion of the two parallel-edges into close proximity such that a crimp-zone-diameter is reduced to less than a skirt-zone-diameter, thereby causing the closed-end of the relief-slot to form an aperture in a junction of the transition-zone and the seamless skirt-zone, wherein the seamless skirt-zone is configured to overlap the outer-jacket of the coaxial-cable, and wherein the seamless skirt-zone is not crimped.

8. The tubular-ferrule in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the aperture is laterally elongated.

9. The tubular-ferrule in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the two parallel-edges are configured to be aligned parallel to a longitudinal-axis of the tubular-ferrule.

10. The tubular-ferrule in accordance with claim 9 , wherein a segment of the two parallel-edges within the crimp-zone are configured to be aligned transverse to the longitudinal-axis of the tubular-ferrule.

11. The tubular-ferrule in accordance with claim 7 , wherein a first-edge of the two parallel-edges defines a projection and wherein a second-edge of the two parallel-edges defines a corresponding interlocking-notch.

12. The tubular-ferrule in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the projection and the interlocking-notch each define a corresponding trapezoidal-shape.

13. A method of forming a coaxial-cable assembly, comprising the steps of:

providing a coaxial-cable;

providing a tubular-ferrule having a crimp-zone, a seamless skirt-zone, and a transition-zone therebetween, wherein said tubular-ferrule includes a relief-slot having an open-end, a closed-end, and two parallel-edges that extend from the crimp-zone to the seamless skirt-zone;

removing a portion of an outer-jacket of the coaxial-cable to expose an outer-shield conductor;

placing the tubular-ferrule over the coaxial-cable such that the crimp-zone envelops an exposed outer-shield conductor and the seamless skirt-zone envelops the outer-jacket attached to the coaxial-cable;

drawing a portion of the two parallel-edges into close proximity such that a crimp-zone-diameter is reduced to less than a skirt-zone-diameter, said crimp-zone forcibly contacting the exposed outer-shield conductor, wherein the seamless skirt-zone is not crimped; and

forming the closed-end into an aperture in a junction of the transition-zone and the seamless skirt-zone.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the two parallel-edges are configured to be aligned parallel to a longitudinal-axis of the tubular-ferrule.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein a segment of the two parallel-edges within the crimp-zone are configured to be aligned transverse to a longitudinal-axis of the tubular-ferrule.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein a first-edge of the two parallel-edges defines a projection and wherein a second-edge of the two parallel-edges defines a corresponding interlocking-notch, and wherein the step of drawing the two parallel-edges into close proximity further comprises the step of placing the projection within the interlocking-notch.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the projection and the interlocking-notch each define a corresponding trapezoidal-shape.