RF coaxial connector

A connector assembly for interconnecting conventional RF equipment with a connector having a cylindrical ground conductor with a signal conductor male member insulated from and extending outward from the cylindrical ground conductor. The assembly comprises a cylindrical member having a cavity formed with an electrically insulated signal conductor female member positioned therein to extend along an axis of the cylindrical member for engaging the signal conductor male member. An adaptor having a tubular section sized for insertion into the cylindrical member cavity receives the cylindrical ground conductor with the signal conductor male member in electrical engagement with the signal conductor female member. The adapter is formed with an annular section abutted the tubular section that supports the tubular section within the cylindrical member cavity in electrical engagement therewith and has a projecting member formed thereon for use with a cap to secure the adaptor within the cylindrical member cavity.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
The invention relates to connector apparatus and in particular to a 
connector assembly for use in interconnecting radio frequency equipment. 
BACKGROUND AND PROBLEM 
Radio frequency equipment oftentimes has devices that require the use of 
connectors to interconnect components of the equipment. Such types of 
connectors are referred to as RF connectors and function to interconnect 
coaxial cables, coaxial cables with components or components with other 
components. In one such example, a component, such as a circuit board, may 
be interconnected with an RF device in order that communication facilities 
located on the circuit board may be interconnected with RF channels 
provided by the RF device. 
Such a circuit board may have a connector typically consisting of a base 
portion constructed of an electrically conducting material and which is 
positioned on the circuit board and coupled to the circuit board ground 
circuitry. The base portion extends outward from the circuit board into a 
cylindrical member which forms the ground conductor of the connector. An 
elongated male member is positioned within the cylindrical ground 
conductor along a center line thereof and insulated therefrom to extend 
outward from the cylindrical ground conductor to form the connector signal 
conductor. In operation, the circuit board is inserted into an equipment 
mounting such that the connector signal conductor male member extends into 
an opening of a RF device to engage signal circuitry of the RF device. The 
cylindrical ground conductor is also engaged with the RF device to provide 
ground for the coaxial connection. 
A problem arises in that this type of connector design prevents 
conventional RF devices from being interconnected with the circuit board 
thereby severely restricting the design of RF devices that may be used 
with circuit boards of the RF equipment. 
SOLUTION 
The foregoing problem is solved by an assembly arranged to engage a 
connector having a cylindrical ground conductor with an elongated signal 
conductor male member extending outward from the cylindrical ground 
conductor and insulated therefrom. The assembly comprises a cylindrical 
member having a cavity formed at one end along a longitudinal axis 
thereof. A signal conductor female member for engaging the elongated 
signal conductor male member is positioned within the cavity to extend 
along the cylindrical member axis and is electrically insulated from the 
cylindrical member. The connector also comprises an adaptor having a 
tubular member formed with an inner duct for receiving the cylindrical 
ground conductor with the elongated signal conductor male member 
maintained in electrical engagement with the cylindrical member signal 
conductor female member. The adaptor tubular member has an outer dimension 
sized for insertion into the cylindrical member cavity with sides of the 
cavity in electrical engagement with the tubular member. The adaptor is 
formed with an annular section or member abutted an end of the tubular 
member for supporting the tubular member within the cavity in electrical 
engagement with the cylinder member. A projecting section or member is 
formed on a top surface of the annular member thereby enabling the adaptor 
to be secured within the cavity of the cylindrical member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, FIG. 2, apparatus 2 has a 
circuit board 21 with a male RF connector 20 mounted thereon that is 
intended for use in interconnecting circuit board 21 with an RF device. RF 
connector 20 consists of a base portion 200 constructed of an electrically 
conducting material, such as copper or a copper alloy, and which is 
positioned on circuit board 21 and coupled to ground circuitry positioned 
thereon. Base portion 200 extends outward from circuit board 21 into a 
cylindrical ground conductor 202 which forms the ground conductor of RF 
connector 20. An elongated male member 201, positioned within cylindrical 
ground conductor 202 along a center line thereof, is surrounded by 
insulation 203 such that elongated male member 201 is electrically 
insulated from cylindrical ground conductor 202. Male member 201 extends 
outward from cylindrical ground conductor 202 to form the signal conductor 
of RF connector 20. Thus, RF connector 20 enables a coaxial connection to 
be made with RF circuitry of circuit board 21. 
Connector assembly 1 comprises apparatus 12 consisting of a cylindrical 
member 120 having cavity 123 formed at one end along a longitudinal center 
axis of cylindrical member 120. A signal conductor female member 121 is 
positioned within cavity 123 of cylindrical member 120 to extend along the 
longitudinal axis and is electrically insulated by surrounding insulating 
material 122 from cylindrical member 120. Signal conductor female member 
121 has an open end intended for use in receiving signal conductor male 
member 201 of RF connector 20. 
Adaptor 10 is provided for use with connector assembly 1 and is formed of 
an electrical conducting material, such as the aforementioned copper or 
copper alloy. A tubular member 100 of adaptor 10, FIG. 1, has an inner 
duct 1001 configured for receiving and electrically engaging cylindrical 
ground conductor 202 of RF connector 20 such that elongated signal 
conductor male member 201 is inserted into and in electrical engagement 
with signal conductor female member 121. Annular recess 1000, FIG. 2, is 
formed on a surface of inner duct 1001 and serves to engage lip section 
2020 of cylindrical member 202 thereby insuring that cylindrical member 
202 and elongated signal conductor male member 201 of RF connector 20 are 
in engagement with adaptor 10 and signal conductor female member 121, 
respectively, of apparatus 12. The outer dimension of tubular member 100 
is sized for insertion into cavity 123 of cylindrical member 120 with the 
sides of cavity 123 in electrical engagement with the outer dimensions of 
tubular member 100. Adaptor 10 is formed with an annular section or member 
101 mounted upon or abutted an end of tubular member 100 and serves to 
support adaptor 10, FIG. 1, such that tubular member 100 is positioned 
within cavity 123 in electrical engagement with cylinder member 120. 
Projecting member 102 is formed on a top surface of annular member 101 for 
use in securing adaptor 10 to cylindrical member 120. 
Cylindrical member 120, FIG. 2, may be provided with a thread section 1200 
formed on an outer surface of the adaptor receiving end thereof which is 
matched to receive a similar thread section 1100 formed on an inner 
surface of a cap member recess 110. Cap member 11 is intended to engage 
apparatus 12, FIG. 1, for the purpose of securing adaptor 10 to 
cylindrical member 120. Cap member recess 110, FIG. 2, is sized to fit 
over and receive the adaptor receiving end of cylindrical member 120 and 
threaded thereon by engaging thread section 1100 with corresponding thread 
section 1200. Overlap section 111 is formed on an end of cap member 11 
opposite threaded section 1100 and is of such a diameter sized to receive 
projecting member 102 of adaptor 10. Although apparatus 12 is set forth in 
FIGS. 1 and 2 as having a generally cylindrical outer configuration, it is 
to be understood that other types of configurations are also within the 
teaching of the invention. For example, apparatus 12 could be of a 
generally outer rectangular configuration having circular cavity 123 
located therein with signal conductor female member 121 formed to extend 
perpendicularly from a bottom surface of cavity 123 along an axis parallel 
to sides of cavity 123. Such a rectangular structure may be provided with 
a conventional latch structure for securing cap 11 thereto or may receive 
cap 11 in an interference fit thereby enabling cap 11 to secure adaptor 10 
to apparatus 12 with tubular member 100 in electrical engagement with 
sides of cavity 123. Similarly, cap 11 could be formed with a generally 
rectangular configuration sized to receive the adaptor end of apparatus 
12. Such a configured cap could have an overlap section 111 sized to 
receive a similarly configured projecting member 102 of adaptor 10 so that 
adaptor 10 may be secured to apparatus 12. 
In assembly, tubular member 100, FIG. 2, of adaptor 10 is inserted into 
cavity 123 to fit over signal conductor female member 121 until the under 
surface of annular member 101 is positioned upon an end surface of 
cylindrical member 120. Cap 11, FIG. 1, is then positioned on the end of 
cylindrical member 120 and threaded to secure adaptor 10 to cylindrical 
member 120 so that adaptor projecting member 102 extends into and through 
the opening of the cap overlap section 111 thereby securing tubular member 
100 of adaptor 10 within cavity 123. 
RF connector 20 is connected with connector assembly 1 by inserting 
elongated signal conductor male member 201 into the opening of adaptor 10 
positioned within cylindrical member 120. As signal conductor male member 
201 is further inserted into adaptor 10, lip section 2020 is slightly 
compressed and engaged by the sides of adaptor duct 1001. This results in 
the alignment of the end of signal conductor male member 201 with signal 
conductor female member 121. The continued insertion of RF connector 20 
into adaptor 10 of connector assembly 1 results in the entry of the end of 
signal conductor male member 201 into the end of signal conductor female 
member 121. Lip section 2020 is received by annular recess 1000 and 
expands to engage the sides thereof to insure the insertion of signal 
conductor male member 201 into signal conductor female member 121 and the 
engagement of cylindrical ground conductor 202 with the sides of adaptor 
duct 1001. 
The interconnected connectors 1, 2, FIG. 1, provide an RF coaxial 
connection between the circuitry of circuit board 21, FIG. 2, and an RF 
device that may be coupled with connector 1. The completed RF coaxial 
connection comprises a shielded signal path that extends from the RF 
equipment coupled with connector assembly 1 through signal conductor 
female member 121 and engaged signal conductor male member 201 to the 
circuitry of circuit board 21, FIG. 2, coupled with signal conductor male 
member 201. The signal path is shielded by ground applied to cylindrical 
member 120 by ground circuitry of the RF device coupled with connector 1 
and by the ground circuitry of circuit board 21 coupled with base 200 of 
RF connector 20. The connection ground path, FIG. 1, is completed by the 
engagement of cylindrical member 202 with the sides and annular recess 
1000 of duct 1001 of adaptor 10 and with the engagement of the outer 
surface of adaptor tubular member 100 and annular member 101 with 
cylindrical member 120. The coaxial connection may be broken by extracting 
cylindrical member 202 and signal conductor male member 201 from connector 
assembly 1. 
Annular section 101 and projecting member 102 may be positioned on tubular 
member 100 such that an end of tubular member 100 extends outward from 
overlap section 111 of cap member 11 to aid in the alignment of elongated 
signal conductor male member 201 with signal conductor female member 121.