Patent ID: 9543691
Date: 2017-01-10
CPC Classifications: H01R

Claim:
1. A connector comprising: a body including a bearing surface and defining a bore disposed about an elongate axis, the body being configured to receive a prepared end of a coaxial cable having a dielectric core disposed between an inner conductor and an outer conductor; a coupler configured to be rotationally coupled to the bearing surface of the body, engage an interface port, form an inwardly facing coupler groove defining a seal coupler cavity when the connector is assembled, the coupler including a rearward sealing coupler surface; a post having a head end portion and a rear end portion, the head end portion including a first circumferential ridge and a second circumferential ridge each disposed along an outer periphery of the head end portion, the first and second circumferential ridges configured to together define a seal post cavity when the connector is assembled and before the connector is installed on a cable; and a sealing member configured to fit between the seal coupler cavity and the seal post cavity when the connector is assembled and before the connector is installed on a cable; wherein the seal coupler cavity and the seal post cavity are configured to cooperate with each other so as to selectively maintain the sealing member in an inactive seal position when the connector is assembled and before the connector is installed on a cable; wherein the seal post cavity is formed by a concave surface shaped to fit a portion of the sealing member so as to selectively maintain the sealing member in the inactive seal position when the connector is assembled and before the connector is installed on a cable; wherein the post and the coupler are arranged to move from a first coupler-to-post position, where the sealing member is in an inactive seal position between the seal coupler cavity and the seal post cavity and where the sealing member does not form a seal between the coupler and the post, to a second coupler-to-post position, where the sealing member is in an active seal position and where the sealing member forms a seal between the coupler and the post; and wherein the post and the coupler are configured to lift and roll the sealing member from the inactive seal position to the active seal position when the post and the coupler move from the first coupler-to-post position to the second coupler-to-post position, when the coupler engages an interface port, and when the interface port causes the post to move toward the body; wherein the first seal coupler cavity includes a shoulder extending away from a longitudinal axis of the connector by a first radial distance, the sealing member defining a centroid extending away from the longitudinal axis of the connector by a second radial distance, the first radial distance of the shoulder being less than the second radial distance of the centroid of the sealing member, and wherein the shoulder is configured to lift the sealing member over the first circumferential ridge when the post and the coupler move from the first coupler-to-post position to the second coupler-to-post position.