Coaxial cable connectors

Claim 1

In a connector for coaxial cables of the RF type, a combination which permits one connector to be suitable for use on a group of cables having the same impedance characteristics and similar nominal size but different structural details while reducing the number of loose components thereof in order to facilitate its connection onto a cable, said combination comprising: a. a body having an inner conductor and outer conductor and dielectric therebetween arranged at its forward end for connection with another connector and at its rear end for receiving any one of said group of cables, the outer conductor and some of the dielectric of said cable being removed from a forward portion thereof and said dielectric of said body extending rearwardly over said exposed dielectric of said cable to provide a voltage standoff, and screw threads on the rear end of said outer conductor for connection to a backshell, b. a collet and collet clamp pair positioned at the rear end of said body for applying clamping force upon the outer conductor of said cable in the radially inward direction, only, upon axially forward movement of said collet clamp relative to said collet, a forward portion of said collet extending over said tubular extension of the dielectric of the body being dimensioned to provide an annular space between said portion of the collet and said extension of the dielectric to provide adjustment of the dielectric value of the space between the outer surface of the inner conductor and the inner surface of said portion of said collet, and c. a subassembly including a backshell having screw threads at its forward end for connection with said body and a radially inwardly extending portion at its rear end, a deformable seal, a longitudinally extending spacer positioned forward of said seal and means for captivating said seal and said spacer within said backshell, the dimensions of the captivated members and backshell being such that upon the connection of said backshell to said body, said spacer is forced against said seal thereby deforming said seal against said cable to make sealing contact with said cable.