Floating panel-mounted coaxial connector for use with stripline circuit boards

Claim 2

The improved coaxial connector assembly (50,200) of claim 1 wherein said annular spring (94) is compressed upon assembly of said subassembly (60) within said outer shell (56) between said abutment surface (100) and said outer shell flange (92).

Claim 3

The improved coaxial connector assembly (50,200) of claim 1 wherein said annular spring (94) is a curved cylindrical washer of minimal axial dimension resulting in a reduced overall axial dimension of said coaxial connector (50,200).

Claim 4

An improved coaxial connector assembly (50,200) mountable in a panel aperture (58) in electrical engagement with a stripline circuit board (54) and matable with a complementary panel-mounted coaxial connector (10), wherein a conductive outer shell (56) is fixedly secured within the aperture (58) through a panel (52) extending from a first surface thereof to an opposed second surface, a coaxial connector subassembly (60) secured within the outer shell (56) and secured against forward axial movement with respect thereto at a rearward section (72) of a conductive intermediate housing (62) at a rearward end of the outer shell (56), the subassembly (60) including a contact member (68,134,150,160,170,188,222) defining an inner conductor and secured within a dielectric sleeve (70) to be centered with respect to an inner surface of the intermediate housing (62), and a resilient contact (116,138,156,168,182,226) associated with the stripline circuit board (54) and in electrical engagement with a signal circuit (110) thereof and with a rearward contact section (76,132,152,162,174) of the contact member (68,134,150,160,170,188,222) of the subassembly (60) while isolated from ground planes (218) of the stripline circuit board (54), the panel (52), the intermediate housing (62) and the outer shell (56), with the contact member and the intermediate housing being adapted for mating with a complementary contact member and outer conductor of the mating coaxial connector (10), characterized in that: said rearward section (72) of said intermediate housing (62,204) being smaller in diameter than a forward section (80) thereof to define a rearwardly facing abutment surface (100), said outer shell (56) and said intermediate housing (62,204) of said subassembly (60) being dimensioned to permit incremental axial movement and incremental radial movement of said subassembly (60) within said outer shell (56) and including a conductive annular spring (94) disposed around said rearward section (72) of said intermediate housing (62,204) and rearwardly of said abutment surface (100), and said annular spring (94) being disposed forwardly of a reduced diameter radially inward flange (92) of said outer shell (56), all such that a leading end (98) of said annular spring (94) is at least abuttable with and compressible between said abutment surface (100) and said outer shell flange (92) to permit incremental axial movement of said subassembly (60) with respect to said outer shell (56) upon connector mating when urged rearwardly by engagement with said mating coaxial connector (10); and said annular spring (94) having inner and outer diameters selected to define a clearance between at least one of said rearward section (72) of said intermediate housing (62,204) and an inwardly facing surface of said outer shell (56) permitting incremental lateral movement of said subassembly (60) within said outer shell (56) upon connector mating when urged laterally by engagement with said mating coaxial connector (10), whereby said subassembly (60) is float-mounted within said outer shell (56) to accommodate a range of mated positions axially and laterally with respect to said mating coaxial connector (10).

Claim 5

The improved coaxial connector assembly (50,200) of claim 4 wherein said annular spring (94) is compressed upon assembly of said subassembly (60) within said outer shell (56) between said abutment surface (100) and said oucer shell flange (92).

Claim 6

The improved coaxial connector assembly (50,200) of claim 4 wherein said annular spring (94) is a curved cylindrical washer of minimal axial dimension resulting in a reduced overall axial dimension of said coaxial connector (50,200).

Claim 7

The improved coaxial connector assembly (50,200) of claim 4 wherein said intermediate housing (62,204) includes a rearwardly extending contact section (202) adapted to engage plating material of a said ground plane (218) of said stripline circuit board (54) to complete a direct ground circuit between said intermediate housing (62) and said ground plane (218).

Claim 8

The improved coaxial connector assembly (50,200) of claim 7 wherein said rearwardly extending contact section (202) comprises an array of spring arms (206) extending into an aperture (216) of said stripline circuit board (54) surrounding said resilient contact (116), said spring arms (206) spaced radially from said rearward contact section (202) and said resilient contact (226) and adapted to be in continuous electrical engagement with conductive material on sidewalls (214) of said aperture (216), whereby said ground circuit is maintained during incremental axial and lateral movement of said intermediate housing (62) during mating with said mating coaxial connector (10).

Claim 9

A coaxial connector (50) float-mounted in a panel (52) for mating with a mating coaxial connector (10) fixedly mounted in a second panel (12) and spring biased to adapt to a range of axial positions of the mating coaxial connector upon full mating, the coaxial connector comprising a subassembly (60) movably mounted within an outer shell (56) and containing a contact member (68) within a dielectric sleeve (70), all within an intermediate conductive housing (62), wherein an annular spring (94) of minimal axial dimension is disposed between a rearwardly facing abutment surface (100) of theintermediate housing (62) and a flange of the outer shell (56) rearwardly thereof, biasing the subassembly (60) forwardly, the annular spring (94) permitting radial movement of the subassembly (60) within the outershell (56) to adjust to an offset mating coaxial connector.