Abstract:
Apparatus, methods and articles of manufacture for a coaxial cable connector that allows variable wire termination orientations are disclosed. A connector housing is used to install the embodiments upon a mating connector, with a cable housing providing contact for a coax cable. A core member provides connection for an inner conductor, and a cap is used to seal the connector, once the cable is installed within the cable housing.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to articles of manufacture, apparatus and methods for coaxial cable connectors. More particularly, this invention relates to articles of manufacture, apparatus and methods for radio frequency coaxial connectors. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Radio frequency (RF) coaxial cable connectors are used for numerous automotive navigation and communication systems applications, such as global positioning systems (GPS), car radio, mobile phone, after-crash management, and multimedia. The configuration of any given connector may depend on a number of requirements, such as wire termination configuration, (cable to cable connectors, cable to printed circuit board connectors, etc.), operational, performance and space requirements. For example, a specific automotive application may require a right angle, crimping-type SMB connector with 50 ohm impedance. 
     Soldering or crimping is generally used to install a connector on a cable. Crimping is more commonly used, as a connection can usually be crimped more easily than soldered. However, soldering may be used where a more secure connection is desired. Insofar as cable-connector installation means (i.e. soldering or crimping) may be changed by the end user as desired, it would be beneficial to have a connector that is adaptable to either installation means. 
     Whether soldering or crimping is chosen, connector installation may be complicated by installation on an angle. For example, a soldering configuration may require soldering a wire to the terminal at an angle, which may be a more intricate process than soldering parallel connections. If a crimping configuration is used, however, the process may be complicated insofar as crimping on an angle may require using a terminal that has two sections, one section for termination to the wire and one section at an angle for the connector interface, thus complicating installation. Moreover a crimping connection may result in a less secure connection than a soldering connection. Accordingly, it would be beneficial to have a coaxial cable connector that simplifies the soldering process for angle terminals. 
     In addition to angle connectors, in line connectors are used as well to fasten cables to connectors. Here, too, it would be beneficial to have an installation means that could accommodate either crimping or soldering. 
     Whichever installation means is chosen, it would be beneficial to have a sealed connection so that the electrical connection is secure. Sealing may be done in a number of ways, however, a simple seal mechanism would be extremely beneficial for ease of installation. 
     Additionally, installation of a connector on a cable, besides a soldering or crimping step, and sealing step, may include a plating step. Therefore, it would be beneficial to have a means by which plating can occur, and excess plating can be drained off easily. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved coaxial cable connector. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved coaxial cable connector that permits crimping or soldering connections. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved coaxial cable connector that permits crimping or soldering connections for angled or in line applications. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The summary, as well as the following detailed description of the invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there are shown in the drawings, certain embodiment(s) which are presently preferred. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. 
     The present invention comprises articles of manufacture, apparatus and methods for an improved coaxial cable connector that permits crimping or soldering connections for angled or in line applications. 
     The preferred embodiment comprises a connector housing, cable housing, core member and cap. The connector housing provides for an interface with a mating connector, such as jack, plug, etc., and is accordingly configured to be compatible with that mating connector. The cable housing provides an installation interface for the cable. The core member provides the electrical contact for the inner cable conductor. The cap seals the assembly once the cable is installed onto the connector. 
     Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description and figures which follow, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art on examination of the following, or may be learned by practice of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 shows a view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 shows a view of the embodiment of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 shows yet another view of the embodiment of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 4 shows yet another view of the embodiment of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 5 shows yet another view of the embodiment of FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Reference is now made to the accompanying Figures for the purpose of describing, in detail, the preferred embodiments of the present invention. The Figures and accompanying detailed description are provided as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims appended hereto. 
     FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the present invention wherein cable termination is at a 90 degree angle from a mating connector. Other embodiments, it should be noted, may be adaptable to any other angles of termination from 0-180 degrees, e.g. 45 degrees, 135 degrees, in line or parallel termination, etc. Area a is the mating area for a mating connector, such as that shown at m. 
     Returning now to FIG. 1, area b is where a coax cable, such as that shown at w, is inserted. Coax cable w consists here of outer conductor o, inner conductor i, and dielectric e. The outer conductor o and inner conductor i of cable w will interface with the embodiment to provide an electrical contact, as will be described further below. Area c provides access for crimping and/or soldering of inner conductor i inserted in b, as will be explained in further detail below. Thus, when wire w is soldered within area c and area a mated with an appropriate mating connector m, connection is made for conduction through the connector. 
     Components of the embodiment of FIG. 1 are shown in FIG.  2 . Connector housing  30  comprises outer contact  31 , configured for mating with a corresponding contact of a mating connector; dielectric  32 , providing insulation between the outer contact and core member; retaining ring  33 , providing security for retention of the dielectric; and external connector housing  34 , which may be configured as desired, for example to mate with an external housing as is further described below. 
     External connector housing  34 , as was mentioned above, may be adapted for installation of an external housing (not shown) that is configured to mate with specific housings. For example, FAKRA keyed connections are known in the art, and so an external FAKRA housing may be employed over housing  34  to mate with a corresponding FAKRA connector. 
     Outer contact  31 , dielectric  32 , retaining ring  33  and external connector housing  34  are made of materials as known in the art. For example, outer contact  31  may be stamped or formed, dielectric  32  may be screw machine or molded, retaining ring  33  may be screw machine or drawn and external connector housing  34  may be screw machine or die cast. 
     The specific shape of a connector housing of any particular embodiment of the present invention is determined by the mating connector with which it is to interact. In the preferred embodiments, these, along with any external housing, are standardized shapes and/or configurations. It should be noted that embodiments may be used, as well, for PCB connection. 
     Cable housing  20 , comprised here of external cable housing  21 , surrounding a bore  23 , and farther has depending therefrom outer conductor surface  24  and ferrule  25 , is connected at a 90 degree angle in this embodiment to connector housing  30 . In other embodiments, cable housing  20  and connector housing  30  may be connected at any, desired predetermined degree angle from 0-180 degrees, e.g., 45 degrees, 135 degrees, in line or parallel termination, thus providing a connector adaptable for a variety of cable orientations. Each of these components is made from materials as known in the art. These and other components may be plated as well, and, turning briefly to FIG. 3, recess  26  as well as bores  12 ,  13  and  23  provide drainage capacity for excess plating. 
     Returning to FIG. 2, the outer conductor o of a coaxial cable (shown as w) is mounted between outer conductor surface  24  and mating ferrule  25 . Cable dielectric e passes into interior bore  23  and terminates. Inner conductor i of cable w passes through interior bore  23 , into bore  13  of core member  50 , where it will be crimped and/or soldered as will be further described below. 
     FIG. 3 shows core member  50  extending within cable housing  20  and connector housing  30 , and further extending at least partially into open ended recess  26 , whereby it may be accessed in order to permit crimping and/or soldering of a cable inner conductor, as is described further herein. 
     Turning now to FIG. 4, a rear view of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 is seen. Open ended recess  26  is shown. Port  27  is a circular opening within external cable housing  21 . Cutouts  28  and  29  are U-shaped openings, bounding open ended recess  26 , and located on opposite sides of external cable housing  21 . When an inner conductor is passed through bore  23 , and in turn through bore  13 , then cutouts  28  and  29  provide access for crimping. It should be noted that, in other embodiments, no cutouts, a single cutout or multiple cutouts located as desired, may bound open ended recess  26 , depending upon the installation means required. For example, in embodiments wherein only soldered connections are made, there may be no cutouts used. 
     In the preferred embodiment, soldering of the inner conductor to the core member may occur through pre-tinning the inner conductor, feeding the inner conductor into bore  13 , and heating the core member  50  to melt the solder, and thereby establish a connection. 
     Use of bore  13  is especially advantageous for either or both soldering and crimping installation, as it provides a closed guide means for the inner conductor to be fed within core member  50 . A closed guide means disposed within a core member, such as bore  13 , is used in the preferred embodiments of the present invention, to assist in guiding the inner conductor. 
     FIG. 5 shows the cap member  40  of the preferred embodiment of FIG.  1 . Cap member  40  is formed to be disposed into open ended recess  26  of external cable housing  21  to provide a cover for access port  27  and cutouts  28  and  29  after the wire has been installed onto core member  50 . In this particular embodiment, cap member  40  is comprised of cover  41 , flanges  42  and  43  depending therefrom, and mating flanges  48  and  49  depending from flanges  42  and  43  respectively. This particular configuration is appropriate to mate with open ended recess  26  (as shown in FIG. 4) with flange  48  mating with cutout  28  and flange  49  mating with cutout  29 . Thus the cap is press fit upon the remaining assembly. It should be noted that the configuration of a cap member, and installation thereon, in any given embodiment is dependant upon the configuration of the open ended recess in that embodiment, so that the two are in complimentary mating configuration. It should also be noted that, by use of unitary cap member in this and other embodiments, a single means is provided for sealing the access area, thus simplifying assembly. 
     It should be noted that other embodiments may utilize cable to cable connection, such as, for example, where a connector housing component is configured to mate with the appropriate connector on a cable, as well as cable—PCB connection, such as, for example where a connector housing component is configured to mate with the appropriate connector on a PCB. Therefore, the term “connector housing,” as used herein, is intended to include those embodiments that are configured to connect to a cable as well as those configured to connect to a printed circuit board, and, similarly, the term “mating connector” is intended to include cable and printed circuit board connectors. 
     The above description and the views and material depicted by the figures are for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to be, and should not be construed as, limitations on the invention. 
     Moreover, certain modifications or alternatives may suggest themselves to those skilled in the art upon reading of this specification, all of which are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the attached claims.