RF coaxial plug connector part

An RF coaxial plug connector part includes coaxial plug parts disposed at a front of a housing of a coaxial plug part module mounted on or attached to a board, for example a printed circuit board. The housing has a grid-type frame which defines its external dimensions, is open on all sides, has frame parts that are disposed at right angles to one another, and is made of a first plastic, which cannot be metallized. Free spaces in the grid-type frame are completely filled with cable inserts which are DC-isolated from one another by the frame parts and are made of a second plastic, which can be metallized. At least one coaxial connecting cable, which extends from the front surface to the lower surface of the housing is integrated in each of the cable inserts.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Field of the Invention 
The invention relates to an RF coaxial plug connector part, including 
coaxial plug parts disposed at a front of a plastic housing of a coaxial 
plug part module mounted on or attached to a board, for example a printed 
circuit board, inner conductors each inserted in the housing and insulated 
within an outer conductor in the housing, and the housing having a lower 
surface with an edge accommodating a multiplicity of contact stand feet 
having standing surfaces representing SMD connections and used both for 
mounting the housing on the board or attaching it to the board as well as 
for conductive connection of the SMD connections to connections disposed 
on the board side. 
Such an RF coaxial plug connector part has already been disclosed in German 
Patent DE 197 16 139 C1 and German Published, Non-Prosecuted Patent 
Application DE 197 46 637 A1, corresponding to U.S. patent application 
Ser. No. 09/176,816, filed Oct. 22, 1998. In comparison with such 
monoblocks of a known type, as have been disclosed, for example, in 
European Patent 0 555 933 B1, the structure of such a coaxial plug part 
module has the advantage of being considerably less expensive to 
manufacture and having a lower overall weight. 
The housing of the coaxial plug part module in which the coaxial connecting 
cables are integrated between its front coaxial plug parts and its 
connections that are provided on the lower surface or underside in the 
form of contact stand feet with SMD connections, must be metallized at 
least in the region of its tubular inner wall parts (that form the outer 
conductors of the coaxial connecting cables) as well as on its front 
surface and its lower surface. During production it is simple to metallize 
the entire housing internally and externally except for annular zones 
which are free of metallization around the contact stand feet (which are 
associated with the inner conductors) with the SMD connections. 
In that case, all of the outer conductors of the coaxial connecting cables 
are then jointly at a ground potential. If the outer conductors of the 
coaxial connecting cables including their front coaxial plug parts are 
intended to be at mutually isolated potentials, the metallization on the 
outer walls of the housing must be interrupted in a suitable manner 
between the outer conductors of the coaxial connecting cables. That can be 
done through the use of a cutting method using a laser or through the use 
of mechanical milling. Those cutting methods are relatively 
labor-intensive and involve a considerable amount of time. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an RF coaxial plug 
connector part, which overcomes the herein-aforementioned disadvantages of 
the heretofore-known devices of this general type in such a way that, 
while maintaining simple metallization of a housing, it is possible to 
completely dispense with subsequently cutting the metallization on outer 
walls of the housing to provide DC isolation or potential separation 
between outer conductors of coaxial connecting cables. 
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in 
accordance with the invention, an RF coaxial plug connector part, 
comprising a coaxial plug part module to be mounted on or attached to a 
board, for example a printed circuit board, and having a housing open on 
all sides; the housing having a grid-type frame defining external 
dimensions of the housing and defining free spaces in the grid-type frame, 
the housing having frame parts disposed at right angles to one another, a 
front surface, a lower surface, and an edge of the lower surface, the 
housing formed of a first plastic which cannot be metallized; coaxial plug 
parts disposed at the front surface of the housing; outer conductors 
disposed in the housing and inner conductors disposed in the housing and 
each inserted within and insulated from a respective one of the outer 
conductors; cable inserts completely filling the free spaces, the cable 
inserts DC-isolated from one another by the frame parts, formed of a 
second plastic which can be metallized, and having inner wall parts 
forming the outer conductors and end surfaces on the front surface and the 
lower surface of the housing; a multiplicity of contact stand feet 
disposed at the edge of the lower surface of the housing, the contact 
stand feet having standing surfaces representing SMD connections for 
mounting the housing on or attaching the housing to the board and for a 
conductive connection of the SMD connections to connections of the board, 
the contact stand feet with the SMD connections forming part of the cable 
inserts; and at least one coaxial connecting cable extending from the 
front surface to the lower surface of the housing, the at least one 
coaxial connecting cable integrated in each of the cable inserts with the 
aid of a metallization of the cable inserts at least in vicinity of the 
inner wall parts and the end surfaces. 
The invention is based on the knowledge that, by using a grid-type frame 
for the housing made of plastic which cannot be metallized, all of the 
cable inserts which are inserted in this grid-type frame and are composed 
of a plastic which can be metallized are always DC-isolated from one 
another even if the completed housing is metallized in a metallization 
bath, in a simple manner. If the outer conductors of two or more coaxial 
connecting cables in the coaxial plug part module are at the same 
potential, that is to say they are conductively connected to one another, 
then this can easily be achieved with an appropriate structure of the 
grid-type frame, by placing these coaxial connecting cables jointly in one 
cable insert. 
In accordance with another feature of the invention, there are provided 
inner conductor connecting feet for the inner conductors of the coaxial 
connecting cables in the cable inserts, instead of contact stand feet with 
SMD connection, the inner conductor connecting feet disposed in groove 
channels pointing outward and open toward the lower surface of the 
housing. 
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the contact stand 
feet are short, outer wall, supporting web-type attachments to the cable 
inserts, and the inner conductor connecting feet have free ends projecting 
out of the groove channels to the side of the contact stand feet. 
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the coaxial 
connecting cables of the cable inserts are straight coaxial connecting 
cables, and the lower surface of the housing including the grid-type frame 
with the cable inserts is located on a side opposite the front surface. 
In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the coaxial 
connecting cables of the cable inserts are rectangular coaxial connecting 
cables, and the lower surface of the housing including the grid-type frame 
with the cable inserts is a housing surface pointing at right angles to 
the front surface. 
In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, the outer 
conductors of the coaxial plug parts on the front surface of the housing 
are an integral component of the cable inserts in the housing. 
In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, the coaxial plug 
parts have outer conductor sockets on the front surface of the housing in 
the form of metallic sleeves screwed, pressed or inserted into end-face 
recesses formed in the cable inserts. 
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are 
set forth in the appended claims. 
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in 
an RF coaxial plug connector part, it is nevertheless not intended to be 
limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural 
changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the 
invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims. 
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, 
together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best 
understood from the following description of specific embodiments when 
read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, 
particularly, to FIG. 1 thereof, there is seen an exemplary embodiment of 
a coaxial plug part module 1 which is constructed as an angled plug 
connector part. The coaxial plug part module 1 is constructed for nine 
coaxial connecting cables, having coaxial plug parts 2 which project out 
of a front surface 3 of its plastic housing 4, in a row-and-column 
configuration. The number and configuration of the coaxial plug parts 2 
fitted in such coaxial plug connector parts can, of course, be varied. 
The housing 4 of the coaxial plug part module 1 includes a grid-type frame 
5 which defines its external dimensions, is open on all sides, has frame 
parts 6, 7 and 8 pointed at right angles to one another, and is 
illustrated in FIG. 2. The grid-type frame 5 is completed to form the 
housing 4 through the use of nine cable inserts 9, which are inserted into 
free spaces 10 in the grid-type frame 5. In contrast to the gridtype frame 
5, the cable inserts 9 are composed of a plastic which can be metallized. 
A coaxial connecting cable is integrated in each of the cable inserts 9, 
for extending conductors of the coaxial plug parts 2 on the front surface 
3 of the housing 4 as far as a lower surface 11 of the housing 4. To this 
end, the cable inserts 9 are metallized in the region of their inner wall 
parts, which represent the outer conductors of the coaxial connecting 
cables, and in the region of their outer wall parts, which are exposed in 
the housing 4. In this case the metallization coating thickness is 
constructed to be at least equal to the penetration depth of 
electromagnetic waves which are transmitted through the coaxial plug part 
module 1. The grid-type frame 5 is composed, as already mentioned, of a 
plastic which cannot be metallized. For this reason, the metallization on 
the cable inserts can be carried out in a simple manner, while ensuring 
the desired DC isolation or potential separation between the outer 
conductors of the coaxial connecting cables integrated in them, after the 
cable inserts 9 have been inserted into the free spaces 10 in the 
grid-type frame 5, that is to say after completion of the housing 4. 
In all of the exemplary embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5, outer 
conductor sockets 12 of the coaxial plug parts 2 of the coaxial connecting 
cables are metal sleeves which are screwed into end-face recesses 13 in 
the cable inserts 9, to the side of the front surface 3 of the housing 4. 
Inner conductors 14 are held in insulating sleeves, which cannot be seen, 
in these outer conductor sockets 12 and those outer conductors, which 
continue further, of the coaxial connecting cables that are integrated in 
the cable inserts 9. The coaxial plug parts 2 may be constructed as male 
or female plug parts. 
The housing 4 of the coaxial plug part module 1 has contact stand feet 15 
with SMD connections which can be tinned at the foot end. These contact 
stand feet 15 are fitted to outer walls of the cable inserts 9, close to 
the lower surface 11 of the housing 4. They are used both for mounting the 
coaxial plug part module 1 on a connecting board, and for connecting the 
outer conductors of the coaxial connecting cables to connections disposed 
on the connecting board. 
Inner conductor connecting feet 16 are provided for corresponding 
connections of the inner conductors 14 on the lower surface 11 of the 
housing 4. Instead of using contact stand feet 15 with SMD connections, 
the inner conductor connecting feet 16 are disposed in groove channels 17 
(which point outward and are open toward the lower surface 11 of the 
housing 4) in the cable inserts 9, and have free ends projecting out of 
the groove channels 17 to the side of the contact stand feet 15. 
Corresponding to FIGS. 1 and 2, FIGS. 3 and 4 show a further exemplary 
embodiment of an angled coaxial plug connector part. A coaxial plug part 
module 18 is once again constructed for nine coaxial connecting cables, 
but has only six cable inserts 9, in each of which a coaxial connecting 
cable is integrated. Instead of the three lower cable inserts 9 in the 
housing 4 of the coaxial plug part module 1 in FIG. 1, these three lower 
cable inserts 9 in a housing 19 of the coaxial plug part module 18 in FIG. 
3 are combined to form a single cable insert 20, with three coaxial 
connecting cables integrated therein. Such combinations are expedient if, 
as is envisaged herein, the outer conductors of the three coaxial 
connecting cables which are associated with the cable insert 20 are 
intended to be at the same potential. As is particularly evident in the 
case of a grid-type frame 21 which is illustrated in FIG. 4 and is used 
for the housing 19, the cable insert 20 requires a correspondingly 
enlarged free space 22 for the insertion of the cable insert 20. 
The coaxial plug connector part, which is preferably constructed as an 
angled coaxial plug connector part, may also be a straight plug connector 
part, as is illustrated in FIG. 5. In a manner corresponding to the 
coaxial plug part module 1 in FIG. 1, a coaxial plug part module 23 in 
FIG. 5 is likewise constructed for nine coaxial connecting cables. In 
contrast to the grid-type frame 5 in the housing 4 of the coaxial plug 
part module 1 in FIGS. 1 and 2, a grid-type frame 24 of a housing 25 of 
the coaxial plug part module 23 for accommodating nine cable inserts 26 
has only intrinsically straight free spaces, which are not shown in great 
detail in FIG. 5.