FR2703191A1 - Connector for coaxial cables with external conductor formed by a corrugated tube. - Google Patents

Abstract

This connector comprises a housing (1), a retaining and contact sleeve (11) surrounding the coaxial cable (7), and a compression member (2, 3) which is assembled to the housing by screwing, and which clamps the socket (11) for establishing a front side contact between the front edge of the outer conductor (6a) formed of a corrugated tube and the housing (1). Reliable clamping and mechanical retention of the outer conductor is achieved by resilient configuration of the sleeve in the radial direction, and by cooperating conical surfaces (3a) provided on the cable end of the sleeve (11). and on the compression member (2, 3), and oriented so that the end of the cable-side socket is radially compressed. In addition, there may be provided a connection by form safety between the sleeve (11) and the outer conductor (6a) with corrugated or helical corrugation.

Description

connector for coaxial cables with conductor

  exterior formed by a corrugated tube.

  A connector for a coaxial cable having an outer conductor formed of a corrugated tube, comprising: a connector housing that compares a bore receiving the outer conductor and having a conical annular surface on its bottom circumference for establishment of contact with the inner annular edge surface of the front end of the outer conductor, a retaining and contact sleeve which concentrically surrounds the outer conductor, and which has axial slots starting from its front edge, on the fitting side, and of which the front front edge forms a bead which projects at least radially inwards, engages in the first hollow of the outer conductor, has a conical clamping surface intended to be applied against the surface of the annular outer edge from the front end of the external conductor, and is supported by its external peripheral surface against the inner wall of the bore of the connector housing, and a compression member, which can be joined to the connector housing by screwing, and which loads the rear end, cable side, of the socket, in the

axial direction.

  A connector of this kind is known from document DE-A-27 24 862 Here, the retaining and contact socket forms a component in one piece with the

  compression that screws into the connector housing.

  This has the disadvantage that during the screwing of the compression member in the housing

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  connector (or, conversely, during the screwing of the connector housing on the compression member suitably positioned on the end of the outer conductor formed of a corrugated tube), when the annular marginal regions of the front end of the conductor outside are more strongly clamped between the conical, cooperating annular surfaces of the housing and the bead provided at the front edge on the fitting side of the bushing, increasing torsional forces are exerted on the elastic segments of the bushing which are formed by the slots axial Since the segments of the sleeve deform to varying degrees under the influence of these torsional forces which act on their front edges, one does not obtain a uniform contact over the entire circumference of the outer conductor formed by a corrugated tube Furthermore, it has been found that, when they are carried out only in the region of the front front edge of the corrugated tube, the tightening and blocking of the external conductor formed by a corrugated tube in the connector housing is not sufficient, especially when the coaxial cable is exposed in use to mechanical stresses and / or when the corrugated tube is made of an alloy of relatively soft copper and therefore susceptible to plastic deformation Insufficient tightening means a variation in the quality of contact along the circumference of the external conductor, which in turn leads to the formation of intermodulation products in the signal transmitted by the connector Another disadvantage, important in practice, of the known connector, is that it is exclusively usable for coaxial cables whose

  the outer conductor has a corrugated corrugation.

  The invention aims to create a connector whose construction principle allows

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  use it as well for coaxial cables with external conductor with helical undulation as for those with external conductor with corrugated undulation, and which ensures the reliability of the tightening and the retention of the external conductor, even in the presence of high mechanical stresses, so to obtain a durable, uniform quality contact on the circumference of the front edge of the external conductor and to prevent

  consequently the production of intermodulation products.

  This is accomplished using a connector for a coaxial cable having an outer conductor formed of a corrugated tube, comprising: a connector housing which compares a bore receiving the outer conductor and having a conical annular surface on its circumference base for establishing contact with the inner annular edge surface of the front end of the outer conductor, a retaining and contact sleeve which concentrically surrounds the outer conductor, and which has axial slots starting from its front edge, fitting side, and the front edge of which forms a bead which projects at least radially inwards, engages in the first hollow of the external conductor, has a conical clamping surface intended to be applied against the annular outer edge surface of the front end of the outer conductor, and is supported by its outer peripheral surface c ontre the inner wall of the bore of the connector housing, and a compression member, which can be joined to the connector housing by screwing, and which loads the rear end, cable side, of the socket, in the

axial direction.

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  This solution is based on the basic principle consisting, on the one hand, of making the retaining and contact sleeve separate from the compression member and, on the other hand, of compressing the cable side end or rear end of the socket until it rests on the nearest wave vertex In this way, not only is the circumferential forces acting on the front edge of the socket largely avoided, but displacement is also avoided relative of the outer conductor formed of a corrugated tube with respect to the connector, in particular at the place where the coaxial cable enters the connector housing, displacements which were inevitable, by construction, in the connector according to the prior art cited in

beginning.

  In the embodiment characterized in that the sleeve has axial slots, starting from its rear end, on the cable side, which are offset uniformly in the circumferential direction relative to the axial slots starting from the front front edge of the sleeve, and in that the end on the cable side of the sleeve has a front surface constituted by a conical annular surface, and which cooperates with a conical annular surface of the same direction, provided at the front edge of the compression member, to ensure a radial compression of the rear end of the socket when the compression member is tightened, the connector is well suited for coaxial cables with an outer conductor formed by a corrugated tube In the case of coaxial cables with an outer conductor with helical undulation, it suffices to adapt to the profile of the helical undulation the part of the bead which projects radially inwards at the front edge al

front of the socket.

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  A new improvement is obtained in the double clamping of the external conductor proposed previously, by the first embodiment in which the connector is characterized in that the main part of the socket is spaced, by an annular slot, from the internal wall of the bore of the connector housing, and in that the socket has, however, externally, approximately in the middle of its length, an annular bead by which it bears against the inner wall of the housing bore

of the connector.

  Thanks to a reduction in the wall thickness of the segments or lamellae formed, this embodiment considerably increases the elasticity of the sleeve in the radial direction, or, as desired, makes it possible to reduce the

number of segments.

  Unlike the connector according to the state of the art cited at the start, in the retaining and contact sleeve according to the present proposal, a high radial elasticity has not only become possible but also particularly preferred. This is obtained by the fact that the axial slots extending from the front front edge of the socket extend close to the cable-side end of the socket, and in that the axial slots extending from the cable-side end of the socket extend up to near the front front edge of the sleeve For this second embodiment, in the case of a small wall thickness of the sleeve, it is advantageous to adopt the annular shoulder mentioned in the first embodiment, by which this socket bears against the inner wall of the bore of the connector housing In the configuration of the socket according to the second embodiment, this shoulder has nnular also admits the application of large axial forces without

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  risk of buckling of one or more segments of the socket. In a third embodiment, the compression member is composed of a compression ring which carries the conical annular surface, and of a threaded member which receives the compression ring by a form-safe connection, and which is in engagement with the connector housing by thread The torsional forces developed by the screwing of the compression member and acting on the sleeve are thus

almost entirely avoided.

  A new improvement in the retention is obtained in the embodiment according to which the socket internally has a second bead which engages in the second hollow of the external conductor. An additional connection is thus obtained by safety form between the socket and the second trough of the external conductor (in the case of an external conductor with corrugated corrugation), or between the socket and a turn of the external conductor (in the

  case of an external conductor with helical undulation).

  A third bead which engages in a hollow of the outer conductor is also provided in the region of the cable side end of the socket. The proposed method of retaining the outer conductor in a circumferential region situated at an axial distance from the front edge. of this conductor is sufficiently reliable from the mechanical point of view, both in the case of an outer conductor cable with corrugated undulation and in that of an outer conductor cable with helical undulation, so that it is possible in certain cases to be dispense with additional mechanical tightening of the region of the front edge of the outer conductor Another solution to the problem cited above which is the basis of the invention here consists of a connector for

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  a coaxial cable having an outer conductor formed of a corrugated tube, comprising: a connector housing which has a bore receiving the outer conductor and having a conical annular surface, a retaining and contact socket which concentrically surrounds the outer conductor, and which has axial slots starting from its front front edge, fitting side, and whose front front edge forms a bead which projects at least radially inwards, engages in the first wave of the external conductor, and bears by its outer peripheral surface against the inner wall of the bore of the connector housing, and a compression member, which can be joined to the connector housing by screwing, and which loads the rear end, cable side, with the sleeve, in the axial direction, characterized in that the conical annular surface provided on the periphery of the bottom of the bore of the housing connector is oriented so as to cooperate with a conical annular surface in the same direction provided at the front edge of the bead of the sleeve to achieve radial compression of the bead of the sleeve when the compression member is tightened in that the sleeve has axial slits which start from its rear end, on the cable side, and which are offset uniformly in the circumferential direction with respect to the axial slits which start from the front front edge of the sleeve, and in that the cable-side end of the sleeve has a front surface which forms a conical annular surface and cooperates with a conical annular surface of the same direction, provided at the front edge of the compression member to establish radial compression of the rear end of the sleeve when tightened

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  the compression member In this solution, the mechanical tightening of the edge of the front end of the external conductor, in which the retaining and contact sleeve is biased in the direction of a radial widening in the region of its side front edge fitting, is replaced by a limited radial compression This radial compression is obtained by the fact that the conical annular surface of the circumference of the bottom of the bore of the connector housing and the conical annular surface formed at the end cable side of the socket have an orientation opposite to that of the corresponding surfaces of the connector according to the first solution Without it being necessary here to obtain a solid mechanical connection by form safety between the front front edge, fitting side, of the socket, and the corrugation of the outer conductor, the radial compression in this region creates here, in all cases, an electrical contact between the conductor outside and the fitting side of the socket as well as between its front edge and the connector housing, which is uniform on the circumference. The connector according to this second solution can be improved in the same way and further improved in the manner which has been described previously in connection with the

  connector according to the first solution.

  In the drawing, connectors of the kind according to the invention are shown in schematic and simplified form in longitudinal section in several

embodiments.

  Figures 1 to 3 show three embodiments of the connector according to the first solution for an outer conductor cable with corrugated corrugation;

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  Figures 4 to 6 show the same embodiment, but adapted to a cable having an outer conductor with helical undulation; Figures 7 -9 show three embodiments of the connector according to the second solution but, here for a cable having an outer conductor with helical undulation; and Figures 10 and it show enlarged half-sections of the retaining and contact sleeve of the

Figure 1 and Figure 4.

  In FIGS. 1 to 9, a connector is shown in each case comprising a connector housing 1, a socket forming a coupling nut, constituted by a hollow nut 2 and a compression ring 3 The connector is mounted at the end d 'a coaxial cable comprising an inner conductor 4, a dielectric 5 and either an outer conductor 6 a with corrugated corrugation (Figures 1 to 3), or an outer conductor 6 b with helical corrugation (Figures 4 to 9), as well as a

cable sheath 7.

  The bore of the housing 1 of the connector, which receives the external conductor 6 a or 6 b, has a conical annular surface 1a on the periphery of its bottom,

  (Figures 1 to 6) or lb (Figures 7 to 9).

  In the embodiment according to FIG. 1, the end of the external conductor 6a of the cable is surrounded by a retaining and contact socket 11, the details of which are shown more precisely in FIG. 10 The socket has a front front edge having the shape of a bead 111 This edge comprises a part 111 projecting radially inwards, by which it is engaged in the first hollow of the external conductor 6 a (see FIG. 1),

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  a part lllb projecting radially outwards, by the circumferential surface of which it bears against the internal wall ic of the bore of the housing 1 of the connector (see FIG. 1), a conical clamping surface ll 1 c, which has the same orientation as the conical annular surface of the

connector housing 1.

  An annular front edge region of the outer conductor 6 a is clamped and brought into contact between the conical annular surfaces lllc and la, under the action of the hollow nut 2 and the compression member 3 In the case of a outer conductor with corrugated corrugation, it is therefore essential to place the cutting plane so that it passes approximately through the crest of a

wave, see figure 1.

  At a distance from the bead 111 equal to a wave, the sleeve has a second bead 112, which only projects radially inward, and which, according to FIG. 1, is engaged in the second

  wave of the external conductor 6 a.

  About the middle of its length, the sleeve 11 has a circumferential annular shoulder 113, projecting radially outwards, by which it bears against the inner wall lc of the bore of the

  connector housing 1, as shown in figure 1.

  At its rear end, on the cable side, the sleeve 11 has a bulge 114, directed radially outwards, on which a conical annular surface 114 a is formed which cooperates with a conical annular surface 3 in the same direction, provided at the front edge. of the compression member 3, seen in FIG. 1, to effect radial compression of the rear end

  of the socket when tightening the hollow nut 2.

  Finally, the sleeve 11 has several axial slots 115 which start from its front bead 111, are

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  uniformly spaced in the circumferential direction, and extend to the bulge 114 of the sleeve 11 Slots of the same kind extend from the rear edge of the sleeve il to its bead 111 and are suitably offset from the slots 115 in the circumferential direction The segmentation of the bushing il which is determined by the slots 115 and 116 gives this bushing a high radial elasticity, which depends on the number of the slots, of the material of the

  socket and its material thickness.

  The axial length of the socket 11 is calculated so that, in the region of its rear end, on the cable side, it is preferably supported on a wave crest by its bottom wall. When the hollow nut 2 is tightened, the rear end of the sleeve is therefore compressed radially by the compression ring 3, and it securely blocks the conductor 6 has in this region At the same time, there is an axial thrust on the sleeve 11 which determines the mechanical tightening and bringing the front edge of the outer conductor 6a into electrical contact, the bushing 6 then bearing by its annular shoulder 113 against the inner wall lc of the bore of the housing 1 of the connector, so that not only is the buckling of the 1 l socket or some of its segments, but at the same time

gets a kneepad effect.

  The connector according to FIG. 2 is distinguished from that according to FIG. 1 only by the fact that the socket it is equipped, in the region of its rear end, with a third bead 117 which engages in a wave trough. of the external conductor 6 a, so that, in this region, a safety bond is established

further improved form.

  The connector according to FIG. 3 differs from that of FIG. 1 by the fact that the socket 11 certainly has (as in FIG. 2) a third bead 117 but dispenses with the second bead 112 (see FIG. 10) because, frequently , the shape safety plug formed at the end, cable side, of the

  socket it is fully sufficient.

  The connectors shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 correspond to those of FIGS. 1 to 3, with the difference that in replacing the socket 11, a socket 12 is used which is shown separately in FIG. 11 for the embodiment according to the Figure 4, and which is distinguished from the socket there only by the fact that the inner profile is adapted to the helical ripple of the outer conductor 6 b, see the reference signs 121 a and 122 in Figure 11. The three forms for producing a connector according to the second solution which are shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 are provided for a coaxial cable with external conductor 6 b with helical undulation and therefore correspond in all their parts to the embodiments of the connector according to the first solution represented in FIGS. 4 to 6, with the only difference that one dispenses with a tightening of the region of the front front edge of the outer conductor 6 b For for this reason, no further attempt is made to obtain a connection for safety in shape between the outer annular edge surface of the front end of the outer conductor 6b and a conical annular surface provided at the front end of the socket 12, such that the surface lllc of FIG. 10 As a replacement, there is provided, at the front edge of the bead 121 of the sleeve 12, a conical annular surface 121 d (see FIG. 11) which extends in the same direction as the annular surface

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  taper lb of the bottom of the bore of the housing 1 of the connector and this in such a way that, when the hollow nut 2 is tightened, not only the rear end on the cable side of the sleeve 12 but also the front region, fitting side, of this sleeve, are compressed radially. To ensure the safety of the mechanical retention of the cable, it is obviously necessary to make a grip for safety form between the socket and the outer conductor 6 b in at least one place This assembly for safety shape can be achieved by a second bead 122, projecting inwardly, as in FIG. 7, or by a third bead 127 provided in the region of the end, cable side, of the socket 12, as in FIG. 9, or by these two beads 122 and 127 simultaneously, as in the

figure 8.

  The embodiments of the connector according to the second solution which are shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 can be adapted to an external conductor with corrugated corrugation by an appropriate configuration of the internal profile of the retaining and contact socket, as indicated the corresponding reference signs

Figures 10 and 11.

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Claims (11)

R E V E N D I C A T I O N S   1 connector for a coaxial cable having an outer conductor (6 a, 6 b) formed of a corrugated tube, comprising: a connector housing (1) which has a bore receiving the outer conductor and having a conical annular surface (la) on its bottom circumference for establishing contact with the inner annular edge surface of the front end of the outer conductor, a retaining and contact socket (11, 12) which concentrically surrounds the outer conductor, and which has axial slots (115) starting from its front front edge, fitting side, and the front front edge of which forms a bead (111, 121) which projects at least radially inwards, engages in the first wave trough of the outer conductor, has a conical clamping surface (111 c, 121 c) intended to be applied against the annular outer edge surface of the front end of the outer conductor, and is supported by r its outer peripheral surface against the inner wall (lc) of the housing bore (1) of the connector, and a compression member (2, 3), which can be joined to the connector housing by screwing, and which loads l rear end, cable side, of the socket, in the axial direction.   According to the invention, the connector is characterized in that the socket (11, 12) has axial slots (116), starting from its rear end, on the cable side, which are offset uniformly in the circumferential direction relative to the axial slots ( 115) starting from the front front edge of the sleeve, and in that the cable-side end of the sleeve has a front surface constituted by a conical annular surface (114 a, 124 a), and which cooperates with a conical annular surface ( 3 a) in the same direction, provided at the front edge of the compression member (3), to ensure radial compression of the rear end of the sleeve   when the compression member (2, 3) is tightened.   2 connector according to claim 1, characterized in that the main part of the socket (11, 12) is spaced, by an annular slot, from the inner wall (the) of the housing bore (1) of the connector, and in that the sleeve has, however, externally, approximately in the middle of its length, an annular bead (113, 123) by which it bears against the internal wall (10) of the bore of the housing (1) of the connector.   3 connector according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the axial slots (115) which extend from the front front edge of the socket extend to near the end, cable side, of the socket, and in that that the axial slots (116) which extend from the end, cable side, of the sleeve extend as far as close to the front front edge of the sleeve. 4 Connector according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the compression member is composed of a compression ring (3) which carries the conical annular surface (3a), and a threaded member ( 2) which receives the compression ring by a connection for safety in shape, and which is engaged with the housing (1) of the connector by thread.   Connector according to one of claims 1 to   4, characterized in that the socket internally has a second bead (112, 122) which engages in the second wave hollow of the conductor exterior (6 a, 6 b). 16 2703191   6 Connector according to one of claims 1 to   , characterized in that, in the region of its end, on the cable side, the sleeve has internally a third bead (127) which engages in a hollow of the external conductor. 7 Connector for a coaxial cable having an outer conductor (6 a, 6 b) formed of a corrugated tube, comprising: a connector housing (1) which has a bore receiving the outer conductor and having a conical annular surface (la) , a retaining and contact socket (11, 12) which concentrically surrounds the outer conductor, and which has axial slots (115) starting from its front front edge, fitting side, and whose front front edge forms a bead (111 , 121) which projects at least radially inwards, engages in the first wave trough of the external conductor, and is pressed by its external peripheral surface against the internal wall (lc) of the housing bore (1) of the connector, and a compression member (2, 3), which can be joined to the connector housing by screwing, and which loads the rear end, cable side, of the sleeve, in the axial direction, characterized in what the on conical annular face (lb) provided on the periphery of the bottom of the bore of the connector housing (1) is oriented so as to cooperate with a conical annular surface (121 d) of the same direction provided at the front edge of the bead (111, 121) of the sleeve (11, 12) to achieve radial compression of the bead of the sleeve when the compression member (2, 3) is tightened, in that the sleeve (11, 12) has axial slots ( 116) which start from its rear end, cable side, and which are offset uniformly in the direction 17 2703191   circumferential to the axial slots (115) which extend from the front front edge of the socket, and in that the cable-side end of the socket has a front surface which forms a conical annular surface (114a, 124a) and cooperates with a conical annular surface (3 a) in the same direction, provided at the front edge of the compression member (2, 3) to establish a radial compression of the rear end of the sleeve   when the compression member (2, 3) is tightened.   8 A connector according to claim 7 characterized in that the main part of the socket (11, 12) is spaced, by an annular slot, from the inner wall (lc) of the housing bore (1) of the connector, and in what the socket has, however, externally, approximately in the middle of its length, an annular bead (113, 123) by which it bears against the inner wall (lc) of   the bore of the connector housing (1).   9 A connector according to claim 7 or 8 characterized in that the axial slots (115) which start from the front front edge of the socket extend to near the end, cable side, of the socket, and in that the axial slots (116) which start from the end, cable side, of the sleeve extend up to near the front front edge of the sleeve.   Connector according to one of claims 7   9 characterized in that the compression member is composed of a compression ring (3) which carries the conical annular surface (3a), and a threaded member (2) which receives the compression ring by a form safety connection, and which is in engagement with the housing (1) of the connector by thread.   11 Connector according to one of claims 7   to 10 characterized in that the socket has 18 2703191   internally a second bead (112, 122) which engages in the second wave hollow of the conductor exterior (6 a, 6 b).   12 Connector according to one of claims 7   11, characterized in that, in the region of its end, on the cable side, the sleeve has internally a third bead (127) which engages   in a wave of the external conductor.