Connector assembly adapted for use with a coaxial cable

Claim 2

An electrical connector adapted for use with a coaxial cable, said coaxial cable including an inner and an outer conductor separated by an insulator means and a jacket over said outer conductor, said connector comprising: a housing; a coaxial insert suitably installed within said housing, said coaxial insert including inner and outer conductors for receiving, respectively, said inner and outer conductors of said coaxial cable, said outer conductor of said coaxial insert having a frustoconical projection; retainer means operative connected to said housing; wedge means carried within said retainer means to wedge said jacket and said outer connector of said coaxial cable to said frustoconical projection, said wedge means including a sleeve member carried by said retainer means and being generally cupshaped and circumferentially free to allow rotation of said retainer means relative to said sleeve member, and resilient means carried in said sleeve member and having an interior frustoconical surface for locking said jacket and said outer connector of said coaxial cable to said frustoconical projection; and first seal means carried in an annular groove formed by said retainer means, said sleeve member and said resilient means.

Claim 3

The electrical connector, as recited in claim 1, further including second seal means interposed between said retainer means, said sleeve means, said resilient means and said coaxial insert.

Claim 4

The electrical connector, as recited in claim 1, wherein said resilient means is specifically shaped so that, when said retaining means abuts said housing, said resilient means will exert a sufficient force against said outer conductor and said jacket of said coaxial cable to firmly hold the coaxial cable in place and, simultaneously, prevent damage to said coaxial cable.

Claim 5

In an electrical connector for use with a coaxial cable having inner and outer conductors, an insulating layer between said inner and outer conductors, and an insulating jacket surrounding said outer conductor: an annular, electrically conductive housing; a conductor pin within said housing fOr receiving said inner conductor; means insulating said conductor pin from the wall of the housing; an annular conical member disposed within said housing between said insulating layer and said outer conductor, said conical member being in electrical contact with the wall of the housing; a resilient annular member circumscribing said conical member, said outer conductor and said jacket being disposed between the outer circumferential surface of said conical member and the inner circumferential surface of said resilient annular member; retaining means carried by said housing and movable relative thereto along the axis of the housing, said retaining means and said housing having opposite abutment surfaces thereon; said retaining means exerting an increasing axially directed force on said resilient annular member as the abutment surface on the retaining means is advanced toward the abutment surface on the housing to compress said annular member axially to permit the latter to expand radially, whereby said annular member exerts an increasing radial force on said outer conductor and jacket to retain the latter against the conical member; the axially directed force exerted by the retaining means on said resilient annular member being limited by the engagement of the abutment surface on the retaining means with the abutment surface on said housing to thereby limit the radially directed force exerted by said resilient annular member on said outer conductor and said insulating jacket to a predetermine maximum level; said retaining means including a portion engaging the inner circumferential surface of said housing; and a sleeve circumscribing the outer circumferential surface of said resilient annular member to limit radial outwardly expansion of the latter to permit relative movement between the retaining means and the housing; said sleeve having an inwardly extending projection between the end of said annular resilient member and said retaining means; and an annular seal disposed in the cavity defined by said inwardly extending projection, the retaining means, the end of said annular resilient member and said insulating jacket.

Claim 6

In an electrical connector for use with a coaxial cable having inner and outer conductors, an insulating layer between said inner and outer conductors, and an insulating jacket surrounding said outer conductor: an annular, electrically conductive housing; a conductor pin within said housing fOr receiving said inner conductor; means insulating said conductor pin from the wall of the housing; an annular conical member disposed within said housing between said insulating layer and said outer conductor, said conical member being in electrical contact with the wall of the housing; a resilient annular member circumscribing said conical member, said outer conductor and said jacket being disposed between the outer circumferential surface of said conical member and the inner circumferential surface of said resilient annular member; retaining means carried by said housing and movable relative thereto along the axis of the housing, said retaining means and said housing having opposite abutment surfaces thereon; said retaining means exerting an increasing axially directed force on said resilient annular member as the abutment surface on the retaining means is advanced toward the abutment surface on the housing to compress said annular member axially to permit the latter to expand radially, whereby said annular member exerts an increasing radial force on said outer conductor and jacket to retain the latter against the conical member; the axially directed force exerted by the retaining means on said resilient annular member being limited by the engagement of the abutment surface on the retaining means with the abutment surface on said housing to thereby limit the radially directed force exerted by said resilient annular member on said outer conductor and said insulating jacket to a predetermine maximum level; said retaining means including a portion engaging the inner circumferential surface of said housing; and a sleeve circumscribing the outer circumferential surface of said resilient annular member to limit radial outwardly expansion of the latter to permit relative movement between the retaining means and the housing; said sleeve having an inwardly extending projection between the end of said annular resilient member and said retaining means; and an annular seal disposed in the cavity defined by said inwardly extending projection, the retaining means, the end of said annular resilient member and said insulating jacket.