GB2249979A

GB2249979A - A method for assembling the coupling ring of a plug connector

Info

Publication number: GB2249979A
Application number: GB9117167A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Georg Spinner
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1990-08-24
Filing date: 1991-08-08
Publication date: 1992-05-27
Anticipated expiration: 2011-08-08
Also published as: CH684720A5; GB9117167D0; GB2249979B; FR2666179B1; ITMI912030A0; DE4026840C1; IT1251092B; FR2666179A1; ITMI912030A1

Description

2 2 4 99) 2 A Method for the Assembly of a Plug Connector Coupling Nut

This invention relates to a method for the assembly of a plug connector coupling nut.

A process for providing an HF-coaxial plug with a coupling nut is disclosed in DE-PS 25 46 942. The process is admittedly advantageous in that the coupling nut can be pushed onto the plug from the front, i.e. from the plug side. However, the part of the coupling nut which is threaded has to be relatively solid in design to prevent deformation of the sleeve-like end of the coupling nut, which causes a reduction in diameter, from extending to the threaded part, and from affecting the inner thread in like manner. In addition, it has been shown that the positioning of the cylinder or roller whereby the sleeve-like end of the coupling nut is pushed, with deformation, has to be very accurately set both in the axial and in the radial direction, if cracks due to stressing are to be avoided in the deformed transitional region of an approximately S-shaped cross-section between the part of the coupling nut bearing the inner thread and the sleeve-like end.

According to the invention, there is provided a method of securing a coupling nut onto a plug connector, the plug connector including an outwardly extending rib or flange having a rearwardly directed face adjacent its forward end; and the coupling nut including a rearwardly extending member having an inwardly extending detent for engaging with said rearwardly directed surface to retain the coupling nut on the plug connector, the detent being initially freely movable relative to the rib or flange; the method comprising the steps of pushing the coupling nut onto the plug connector so that the detent lies to the rear of the rib or flange; and compressing the rearwardly extending member to deform it and bring the detent into alignment with the rib or flange thereby to prevent removal of the coupling nut, wherein the detent comprises a face which lies on the surface of an imaginary cone the apex of which lies rearwardly beyond the member and has a half angle of approximately 50 to 70 degrees and wherein the member is compressed along a line inclined at approximately 20 to 40 degrees to a normal to the longitudinal axis of the plug connector, said compression continuing until said face of the detent is aligned normal to said longitudinal axis and engages the rearwardly directed surface of the rib or flange.

Thus the invention further develops the process of the kind mentioned in the introduction so as to avoid the drawbacks linked with it, in such a way that less deformation occurs in the assembly of the coupling nut.

In contrast to the prior art process, in the process of the invention the part of the sleeve-like end of the coupling nut, which part bears the inner collar, is not radially squeezed until it comes to rest behind the outer collar of the plug body, but is pressed diagonally, i.e. tilted slightly to the rear of the outer collar. The deformation operation to be performed is thus substantially less, and this is advantageous because reciprocating effects from the deformation operation on the threaded part of the coupling nut are almost excluded. This means that the front part can be less of a solid design than the prior art. For the same reason, the positioning of the deforming tool, and therefore generally the positioning of a roller or a cylinder, is relatively uncritical. No particularly grea expenditure is necessary in the prefabrication of the coupling nut.

Preferably, the coupling nut is provided with a reduction in its wall thickness at the sleeve-like end thereof in the region of the base of the annular surface of its inner collar.

Thus a further reduction to the deformation operation to be performed results, so that the demands on the material of the coupling nut are further reduced and the forces to be applied by the pressing apparatus are reduced.

There now follows a description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, by way of example, with reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows the coupling nut after it has been pushed onto the plug body, shown by broken lines, Figure 2 shows the coupling nut after the sleeve-like end thereof has been pressed by a first design of tool, and Figure 3 shows the coupling nut after the sleeve-like end thereof has been pressed by a second design of tool.

A coupling nut generally of the shape as shown in Figure 1 is a prerequisite for the realisation of the process according to the invention. The coupling nut 1 has a front part 2 with an inner thread 2a and a sleevelike end 3. The sleeve-like end 3 has an inner collar 4 close to one end. The inner diameter d of the inner collar is somewhat greater than the outer diameter D of the outer collar 5 of the plug body 6 illustrated by broken lines. The inner collar 4 is defined by a first annular surface 4a and a second annular surf ace 4b. In the region of the base 4c of the annular surface 4a, the sleeve-like end 3 of the coupling nut has a small end relief, resulting in a reduction in the wall thickness at this point. The annular surf ace 4a lies on the surf ace of a cone, the apex A of which is disposed outside the sleeve-like end of the coupling nut on the central axis I thereof. The angle 011.of the cone is preferably between about 50 and 70 degrees. The second annular surface 4b is preferably produced such that together with the first annular surface 4a it encloses an angle which is at least approximately a right angle.

- As shown, the coupling nut is initially pushed onto the plug connector so that the sleeve-like end overlies the end of the plug connector and the first annular surf ace 4a lies rearwardly of the outer collar 5.

During the next stage of the process, the sleeve-like end 3 of the coupling nut is pressed in the region of the inner collar 4 in the extent of the axis I such that the annular surface 4a comes to lie in a plane which is at least approximately disposed in a right-angled plane and thus extends radially from the axis 1. Thereby, the inner collar 4 engages behind the outer collar 5 of the plug body 6.

This condition is shown in Figures 2 and 3. If the axial tractive force, orientated to the left, is now applied to the plug body, then this tractive force is transmitted to the coupling nut by the annular surfaces, disposed adjacent to each other, of the outer collar of the plug body and of the inner collar of the coupling nut. Since these annular surfaces are disposed in a radial plane, the inner collar of the coupling nut offers considerably greater resistance to rear deformation into the shape shown in Figure 1, i.e. an expansion, than to deformation from the shape shown in Figure 1 into the shape given in Figures 2 and 3.

The pressing operation can alternatively be effected using the tool shown in Figure 2 or by that shown in Figure 3. Both drawings show the coupling nut at the end of the pressing operation.

In the case of Figure 2, a cylindrical cylinder or roller 8 is used as the tool, and this is rotatably mounted about an axis 11 and can be moved along the direction of forward movement III at right angles thereto. The direction of forward movement III, thus the line of action of the roller 8 together with the plane at right angles to the axis 1, encloses an angle fl of approximately 20 to 40 degrees along the line IV.

Alternatively, the roller 9 shown in Figure 3 can be used. It is rotatable about an axis V parallel to the central axis 1 and can be moved in the direction of forward movement VI at -right angles thereto. The roller 9 should in that case not be cylindrical, as in Figure 2, but must be of the frusto conical shape shown in Figure 3. The angle of the cone should be so selected that the roller surface 9a and the outer surface 4d of the sleeve-like end pressed thereagainst are at least substantially parallel after the pressing operation has been completed.

Claims

A method of securing a coupling nut onto a plug connector, the plug connector including an outwardly extending rib or flange having a rearwardly directed face adjacent its forward end; and the coupling nut including a rearwardly extending member having an inwardly extending detent for engaging with said rearwardly directed surface to retain the coupling nut on the plug connector, the detent being initially freely movable relative to the rib or flange; the method comprising the steps of pushing the coupling nut onto the plug connector so that the detent lies to the rear of the rib or flange; and compressing the rearwardly extending member to deform it and bring the detent into alignment with the rib or flange thereby to prevent removal of the coupling nut, wherein the detent comprises a face which lies on the surface of an imaginary cone the apex of which lies rearwardly beyond the member and has a half angle of approximately 50 to 70 degrees and wherein the member is compressed along a line inclined at approximately 20 to 40 degrees to the normal to the longitudinal axis of the plug connector, said compression continuing 0 until said face of the detent is aligned normal to said longitudinal axis and engages the rearwardlY directed surface of the rib or flange.
2. A method for the assembly of the coupling nut of a plug conenctor, in particular a coaxial plug connector, onto the plug body, by radially pressing, with deformation, the sleeve-like end, which includes an inner collar, of the coupling nut until the inside engages behind an outer collar formed on the plug body, over which outer collar the sleeve-like end of the coupling nut has previously been pushed onto the plug body, wherein the annular surface of the outer collar of the plug body, which surface comes into a position on the opposite side when the coupling nuts are tightened, and of the inner collar of the coupling nuts, are disposed in planes which are at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the plug connector, and wherein the annular surface of the inner collar of the coupling nut is fabricated such that it is disposed on the casing of a cone, the half angle of the cone being approximately 50 to 70 degrees and the apex being disposed outside the sleeve-like end of the coupling nut, and this sleeve-like end is pushed, with deformation, along a line of action which is inclined at an angle of ca. 20 to 40 degrees to the plane which is at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the plug connector, and this is continued until the annular surface of the inner collar is disposed in the plane at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the plug connector, and engages behind the complementary annular surface of the outer collar of the plug body.
3. A method acording to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the coupling nut is provided with a reduction in its wall thickness at the sleeve-like end thereof in the region of the base of the annular surface of its inner collar.
I. A method -acccording to Claim 2 or-Claim 3 when dependent on Claim 2, wherein the sleeve-like end of the coupling nut is pressed, with deformation, using a cylinder or roller.
5. A method according to any of Claims 1 to 4 characterised in that a cylindrical roller is used, the axis of rotation of which roller extending at right angles to the line of action forming the direction of forward movement of the cylinder.
6. A method according to any of Claims 1 to 4 characterised in that a conical roller is used, the axis of rotation of which roller extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the plug connector, and the direction of forward movement of which is substantially at right angles to the axis of rotation thereof.
7. A process substantially as herein described, with reference to or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
8. Apparatus substantially as herein described, with reference to or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
9. Any novel combination or sub-combination disclosed and/or illustrated herein.