Contact for crimp termination to a twinaxial cable

Abstract: A contact for crimp termination to a twinaxial cable is disclosed. The contact includes an outer assembly and an intermediate/inner assembly concen­ trically disposed within the outer assembly. The intermediate/inner assembly includes a concentric arrangement of permanently affixed components for receiving the two conductors of the twinaxial cable, and for retaining said conductors to effect the termination.

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Prior to the present invention pin and mating socket contacts for twinaxial cables have included a plurality of non-integrated components, and terminating the cable to the contacts has been accomplished by soldering and the like. Modern uses for twinaxial cables such as, for example, in aerospace applications have placed increased emphasis on shielding electrical signals transmitted over these cables from electromagnetic interference. This is accomplished by shielding the cables, and an arrangement for terminating the shielded cables to the contacts is necessary. It is desirable that this arrangement be simple in structure and have as few loose components as possible. References EP-A-0 190 843, EP-A-0 067 727 and GB-A-2 085 676, all disclose contacts for a twinaxial cable. However, these contacts have not a construction which permits securing of the conductors in one simple crimping operation. The present invention is advantageous for the aforenoted purposes in that it enables simplified crimp termination to twinaxial cables, while having the advantageous feature of a minimal number of bonded or otherwise integral components. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention contemplates a contact for crimp termination to a twinaxial cable. The contact includes an outer contact assembly and an intermediate/inner contact assembly. The outer contact assembly includes an outer contact and a dielectric insulator concentrically affixed internal the outer contact. The intermediate/inner contact assembly includes an intermediate contact, a dielectric intermediate to inner insulator, an inner contact and a dielectric insulator concentrically affixed together. Upon terminating the contact to the twinaxial cable, the pair of conductors of the cable are simultaneously directed through apertures and bores in the intermediate/inner contact assembly. The bores are then crimped or deformed to retain and electrically join the contact to the conductors. This invention discloses and claims a contact arranged for termination to a twinaxial cable which includes first and second conductors, comprising an outer contact assembly and an intermediate/inner contact assembly disposed within the outer contact assembly, the intermediate/inner contact assembly comprising a conductor receiving and directing member for receiving said first and second conductors of the twinaxial cable and for directing said first conductor to an intermediate contact member which includes a first portion for receiving said first conductor, said receiving and directing member directing said second conductor to a second conductor receiving member which includes a second portion for receiving said second conductor, and said intermediate/inner contact assembly further comprising a concentrically arranged member concentrically positioned between the second conductor receiving member and the intermedaite contact, and characterized in that the intermediate contact, the conductor receiving and directing member, the second conductor receiving member and the concentrically arranged member each have substantially flat sections in cooperative relation for providing location surfaces for simultaneous deformation of first and second conductor receiving portions in order to secure said conductors in said conductor respective first and second receiving portions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectioned view of a wired twinaxial pin contact according to the invention. Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectioned view of a wired twinaxial socket contact according to the invention. Figure 3 is an exploded longitudinal sectioned view of a male twinaxial pin contact according to the invention. Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectioned view of an intermediate contact according to the invention. Figure 5 is a right end view thereof. Figure 6 is a left end view thereof. Figure 7 is a longitudinal sectioned view of an intermediate to inner contact insulator according to the invention. Figure 8 is a right end view thereof. Figure 9 is a left end view thereof. Figure 10 is a longitudinal, partially sectioned view of an inner contact according to the invention. Figure 11 is a right end view thereof. Figure 12 is a left end view thereof. Figure 13 is a longitudinal sectioned view of an insulator according to the invention. Figure 14 is a right end view thereof. Figure 15 is a left end view thereof. Figure 16 is a sectioned view taken along line 16-16 in Figure 1. Figure 17 is an exploded isometric representation of the intermediate/inner contact assembly of the invention. Figure 18 is an isometric representation illustrating another embodiment of the inner contact shown in Figure 10. Figure 19 is an isometric representation illustrating yet another embodiment of the inner contact shown in Figure 10. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A concentric twinaxial pin contact 2 is shown in Figure 1 and a mating socket contact 4 is shown in Figure 2. The contacts are crimp terminated to a twinaxial cable 6 including an insulating dielectric outer jacket 8 of Teflon or the like, a copper alloy braided shield conductor 10 and a pair of conductors 12 including Teflon insulation over stranded copper alloy conductors. It will be understood that the structural relationships of the several components to be herein described relate substantially to both the pin and socket contacts. With reference to Figure 3, the arrangement contemplated includes an outer contact assembly 14, an intermediate/inner contact assembly 16 disposed in outer contact assembly 14 and a gold plated copper alloy crimped ferrule 18. Outer contact assembly 14 includes a gold plated copper alloy outer contact 20 and a dielectric insulator 22 of a rigid plastic such as polyamide-imide or polyetherimide, or the like disposed therein and permanently affixed thereto as by adhesive bonding or the like to the outer contact. Intermediate/inner contact assembly 16 includes a gold plated intermediate contact 24, a dielectric intermediate to inner insulator 26 of a material such as that for insulator 22 disposed in contact 24, a gold plated copper alloy inner contact 28 disposed in insulator 26 and a dielectric insulator 30 of a material such as that for insulators 22 and 26 adjacent to contact 28. The several components of assembly 16 are likewise affixed to each other as by adhesive bonding or the like. It will now be understood that outer contact assembly 14 and intermediate/inner contact assembly 16 each include a plurality of concentrically arranged components as shown and described. With reference to Figures 4, 5 and 6, intermediate contact 24 includes an axial bore 32 which receives insulator 26, and an area 34 which includes a circular segment 36 having a deformable bore 38 for receiving one of the conductors 12 when cable termination occurs. A flattened area 40 of circular segment 36 adjoins a like flat area 43 of rear insulator 30 (Figure 13). Intermediate contact 24 has a flat 41 best shown in Figures 4, 5 and 17. With reference to Figures 7, 8 and 9, intermediate to inner insulator 26 has a bore 42 which receives inner contact 28. The insulator has a basically rectangular portion 44 which is aligned with a flat area 45 of insulator 30 (Figure 15). Insulator 26 has a flat 47 best shown in Figures 8, 9 and 17. With reference to Figures 10, 11 and 12, inner contact 28 has a mating end 46 and a termination end 48. The termination end has a flat 50 which aligns with flat area 49 of insulator 30. Inner contact 28 has a deformable bore 54 for receiving the other of the conductors 12 when cable termination occurs. Inner contact 28 has a flat 55 best shown in Figures 11, 12 and 17. With reference to Figures 13, 14 and 15, insulator 30 has a pair of apertures 56 which are generally cone shaped (Figure 13) for simultaneously directing the one and the other conductors 12 into bores 38 and 54 of intermediate and inner contacts 24 and 28, respectively. Insulator 30 has a flat 57 best shown in Figures 14 and 17. Flats 41, 47, 55 and 57 provide location surfaces for the described crimp termination, and are hence an important feature of the invention. Figure 16 is a sectional view taken along line 16-16 in Figure 1 and particularly showing the aforementioned concentric relation of the several components of the invention described in detail with reference to Figures 4-15. Figure 17 is an exploded view showing the assembly relationship of said several components and further showing flats 41, 47, 55 and 57 for enhancing crimping as aforenoted. To accomplish termination of the above described contact to cable 6, intermediate/inner contact assembly 16, including intermediate contact 24 and inner contact 28, receives the one and the other conductors 12 which are piloted through apertures 56 of insulator 30, and therefrom simultaneously into bores 38 and 54 of intermediate contact 24 and inner contact 28, respectively, as shown in Figure 3. A tool or the like 58 is used to simultaneously deform or crimp bores 38 and 54 to retain and electrically join or terminate conductors 12 to the contact. Insulator 30 is of a rigid material as aforenoted and acts as a rigid backing so that the described crimp termination can be accomplished. Following termination of conductors 12 as described, shield 10 is crimped to the outer contact to complete the contact assembly as shown in Figures 1 and 2. In one embodiment of the invention, as shown in Figures 10 and 17, inner contact 28 is a machined component. In another embodiment of the invention as shown in Figure 18, inner contact 28 includes a member 28A having bore 54 therein and a member 28B having mating end 46 formed thereon. Members 28A and 28B are brazed together as at A to provide the inner contact. In yet another embodiment of the invention as shown in Figure 19, inner contact 28 is formed as a bent machined member having a section 28C carrying bore 54 and a section 28D carrying mating end 46. It will be understood that the several embodiments of inner contact 28 will satisfy particular assembly and/or manufacturing requirements, as the case may be.

Claims: A contact arranged for termination to a twinaxial cable which includes first and second conductors, comprising an outer contact assembly (14) and an intermediate/inner contact assembly (16) disposed within the outer contact assembly, the intermediate/inner contact assembly comprising: a conductor receiving and directing member (30) for receiving said first and second conductors of the twinaxial cable and for directing said first conductor to an intermediate contact member (24) which includes a first portion (34) for receiving said first conductor, said receiving and directing member directing said second conductor to a second conductor receiving member (28) which includes a second portion (54) for receiving said second conductor, and said intermediate/inner contact assembly further comprising a concentrically arranged member (26) concentrically positioned between the second conductor receiving member and the intermediate contact, and characterized in that the intermediate contact (24), conductor receiving and directing member (30), the second conductor receiving member (28), and the concentrically arranged member (26) each have substantially flat sections (40; 43, 49, 45; 50; 54) in cooperative relation for providing location surfaces for simultaneous deformation of first and second conductor receiving portions (34; 54) in order to secure said conductors in said conductor respective first and second receiving portions. A contact as described by claim 1, characterized in that the outer contact assembly includes an outer contact (20) and a dielectric insulator (22) concentrically disposed therein and affixed thereto. A contact as described by claim 1, characterized in that the conductor directing and receiving member includes: first and second apertures (56) for respectively receiving the first and second conductors and directing them to the respective first and second conductor receiving portions of said intermediate contact and said second conductor receiving member. A contact as described by claim 3, characterized in that the first conductor receiving portion includes a bore (38), said bore being deformed upon deformation of said first conductor receiving portion in order to retain said first conductor in the bore. A contact as described by claims 1 or 4, characterized in that the second conductor receiving portion includes a second bore (54) for receiving said second conductor, said bore being deformed upon deformation of said second conductor receiving area to retain said second conductor in the second bore. A contact as described by claim 5, characterized in that the conductor receiving and directing member is made of a rigid material so as to provide a rigid backing for the deformation of the contact receiving portions. A contact as described by claim 1, characterized in that said conductor directing and receiving member is a dielectric insulator, said second conductor receiving member is an inner contact, and said concentrically arranged member is a dielectric insulator. A contact as described by claim 1, characterized in that the intermediate contact has an axial bore (38), the concentrically arranged member includes a section concentrically disposed within the axial bore of the intermediate contact, said section also including an axial bore (42), the second conductor receiving member (28) includes a termination end (48) concentrically disposed in the axial bore of the concentrically arranged member and a mating end (46), and the intermediate contact has a mating end which extends to the mating end of the inner conductor receiving member.

Inventors: FREAR DAVID L, HEMMER VALENTINE J, FREAR, DAVID L., HEMMER, VALENTINE J.
Applicants: AMPHENOL CORP, AMPHENOL CORPORATION
Application year: 1988
Main classification: H01R17
IPC codes: H01R9