Resilient coaxial connector interface and method of manufacture
A resilient connector interface provided with an outer conductor contact with a plurality of outer conformable members and an inner conductor contact with a plurality of inner conformable members. The outer conformable members provided with an outer conductor coupling surface on an outer diameter and the inner conformable members provided with an inner conductor coupling surface on an inner diameter. An alignment portion is provided at a proximal end of the outer conformable member. The alignment portion may be sinuous with respect to a longitudinal axis of the outer conformable member. An elastic bias member is positioned between the outer conformable members and the inner conformable members biasing the outer conformable members outward and the inner conformable members inward. The outer conductor coupling surface and the inner conductor coupling surface may be covered with a dielectric material to form a capacitive coupling interconnection.
1. A resilient connector interface of a coaxial connector, comprising:
an outer conductor contact with a plurality of outer conformable members;
an inner conductor contact with a plurality of inner conformable members;
the outer conformable members provided with an outer conductor coupling surface on an outer diameter and the inner conformable members provided with an inner conductor coupling surface on an inner diameter; and
an elastic bias member positioned between the outer conformable members and the inner conformable members;
the elastic bias member biasing the outer conformable members outward and the inner conformable members inward.
2. The resilient connector interface of claim 1 , wherein the outer conductor coupling surface and the inner conductor coupling surface are covered with a dielectric material.
3. The resilient connector interface of claim 1 , wherein the outer coupling surface is provided at a distal end of the outer conformable member and an alignment portion is provided at a proximal end of the outer conformable member; the alignment portion sinuous with respect to a longitudinal axis of the outer conformable member.
4. The resilient connector interface of claim 3 , wherein a minimum width of the outer coupling surface is greater than a minimum width of the alignment portion.
5. The resilient connector interface of claim 1 , wherein the resilient connector interface is dimensioned to mate with a receiving portion of a mating connector, the outer conductor coupling surface seating against an inner diameter of an outer contact of the receiving portion and the inner conductor coupling surface seating against an outer diameter of a center pin of the receiving portion.
6. The resilient connector interface of claim 1 , wherein the outer conductor contact is retained within a bore of a connector body of the coaxial connector and the inner conductor contact is retained coaxial with the outer conductor contact within the bore of the connector body by an insulator.
7. The resilient connector interface of claim 1 , wherein the elastic bias member is seated within a retention groove provided at a distal end of an inner diameter of the outer conformable members.
8. The resilient connector interface of claim 1 , wherein the elastic bias member is seated against a retaining shoulder provided upon an outer diameter of the inner conformable members.
9. The resilient connector interface of claim 1 , wherein the elastic bias member is dimensioned to provide a desired bias to each of the outer conformable members and the inner conformable members.
10. The resilient connector interface of claim 9 , wherein a cross sectional area of the elastic bias member proximate each of the outer conformable members and the inner conformable members is proportional to the desired bias towards each of the outer conformable members and the inner conformable members.
11. A method for manufacturing a resilient connector interface of a coaxial connector, comprising:
providing an outer conductor contact with a plurality of outer conformable members in the coaxial connector;
providing an inner conductor contact with a plurality of inner conformable members in the coaxial connector;
an outer conductor coupling surface provided on an outer diameter of the outer conformable member; and
an inner conductor coupling surface provided on an inner diameter of the inner conformable members;
positioning an elastic bias member between the outer conformable members and the inner conformable members;
the elastic bias member biasing the outer conformable members outward and the inner conformable members inward.
12. The method of manufacturing a resilient connector interface of claim 11 , wherein the outer coupling surface is formed at a distal end of the outer conformable member and an alignment portion is formed at a proximal end of the outer conformable member; the alignment portion sinuous with respect to a longitudinal axis of the outer conformable member.
13. The method of manufacturing a resilient connector interface of claim 12 , wherein the outer coupling surface is formed with a minimum width of greater than a minimum width of the alignment portion.
14. The method of manufacturing a resilient connector interface of claim 11 , further including covering the outer conductor coupling surface and the inner conductor coupling surface with a dielectric material.
15. The method of manufacturing a resilient connector interface of claim 11 , wherein the elastic bias member is an elastomeric material.
16. The method of manufacturing a resilient connector interface of claim 11 , wherein the outer conductor contact is machined.
17. The method of manufacturing a resilient connector interface of claim 16 , wherein the outer conformable members are formed by forming a plurality of holes in an alignment portion of the outer conductor contact and slotting the outer conductor contact from an interface end to each of the holes.
18. The method of manufacturing a resilient connector interface of claim 11 , wherein the outer conductor contact is stamped.
19. The method of manufacturing a resilient connector interface of claim 11 , wherein the outer conductor contact is seated within a bore of a connector body of the coaxial connector and the inner conductor contact is seated within an insulator, the insulator seated within the bore, retaining the outer conductor contact coaxial with the inner conductor contact.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the outer conductor contact is retained within the bore by providing the bore with a solder pre-form groove;
placing a solder pre-form within the solder pre-form groove;
seating the outer conductor contact within the bore, covering the solder pre-form groove; and
heating of the connector body until the solder pre-form has melted.