Patent Publication Number: US-6910919-B1

Title: Coaxial cable connector having integral housing

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to connectors and more particularly to an improved coaxial cable connector having an integral housing such that the manufacturing processes can be simplified and a tool is not necessary in mounting a coaxial cable therein. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Coaxial cable connectors are well known and are widely used in many applications. A conventional coaxial cable connector  10  is shown in a sectional view of FIG.  1 . The connector  10  comprises a hollow, cylindrical member  11 , a cylindrical shell  12  coaxially provided in the cylindrical member  11 , and a rotatable nut  13  mounted on one end of the cylindrical member  11 . A cable (not shown) has its end inserted into a channel  14  formed by the cylindrical member  11  with both the central conductor and the adjacent insulating medium of the cable disposed in the shell  12  and the outside conductor and the outermost insulating sleeve thereof disposed between the shell  12  and the cylindrical member  11 . A tool such as pliers is used to press the cylindrical member  11  to cause it to have a hexagonal section so as to secure the connector  10  to the cable. 
   However, the prior art suffered from a couple of disadvantages. For example, a tool is required and this may bring inconvenience if the tool is not available at work. Further, the constituent components such as the cylindrical member  11 , the shell  12 , and the nut  13  are separate prior to assembly. That is, the assembly process may be a time consuming and labor intensive one. Thus, the need for improvement still exists. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is an object of the present invention to provide a coaxial cable connector having an integral housing such that the manufacturing processes can be simplified and a tool is not necessary in mounting a coaxial cable therein. 
   To achieve the above and other objects, the present invention provides a connector comprising an integral, hollow, cylindrical housing comprising a forward, hollow, cylindrical member having a diameter slightly smaller than that of the housing, the cylindrical member having internal threads, an intermediate hexagonal member, a rear member including an inner recess having a first diameter and a mouth having a second diameter larger than the first diameter, and a reduced diameter internal member having a shell projected toward the recess for forming an annular cavity between the shell and the recess; and a hollow resilient member confined in the mouth; whereby inserting one end of a coaxial cable into the shell through the resilient member and the recess will project a central conductor of the cable from one end of the cylindrical member, cause the shell to penetrate a junction between an insulating medium and an outside conductor of the cable, receive an insulating medium of the cable in the shell, bend the outside conductor to cover an end portion of an outermost insulating sleeve of the cable, and urge the resilient member against the insulating sleeve for securing the resilient member to the cable; and securing the cylindrical member to an external element will rotate the housing about the resilient member and the cable. 
   In one aspect of the present invention, the resilient member comprises a toothed section bent inwardly such that snapping the resilient member onto a shoulder between the recess and the mouth and bending the mouth inwardly will form an annular flange proximate the toothed section for confining the same. 
   In another aspect of the present invention, the resilient member has a section of C and comprises an intermediate cylindrical member having a plurality of parallel, concave members interconnected both ends, and an inwardly bent toothed section at the other end, and wherein the outside conductor is elastically urged by the concave members and the toothed section is elastically urged against the insulating sleeve. 
   The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a sectional view of a conventional coaxial cable connector; 
       FIGS. 2A and 2B  are perspective and sectional views of a coaxial cable connector according to the invention respectively; 
       FIG. 3  is a view similar to  FIG. 2B  with the resilient member being removed; 
       FIG. 4  is a front view of the resilient member; 
       FIG. 5  is a sectional view of the connector of  FIG. 2A  with a cable fastened therein; 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of another preferred embodiment of resilient member according to the invention; and 
       FIG. 7  is a sectional view of the connector of  FIG. 6  with a cable fastened therein. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Referring to  FIGS. 2  to  5 , there is shown a coaxial cable connector  20  constructed in accordance with the invention comprising an integral, hollow, cylindrical housing  21  including a forward, hollow, cylindrical member  22  having a diameter slightly smaller than that of the housing  21 , internal threads  25  formed on an inner wall of the cylindrical member  22  for threadedly securing to an element, a hexagonal member  23  formed on an intermediate portion of the housing  21  such that a tool (e.g., pliers) can grasp thereon, a rear member  24  including an inner recess  26  having a smaller diameter and a mouth  27  having a larger diameter, a shoulder  29  between the recess  26  and the mouth  27 , and a hollow, cylindrical shell  211  projected from an inner edge of an internal member  214  of the housing  21  a small distance toward the recess  26  so as to form an annular cavity  212  between the shell  211  and the recess  26 . 
   The invention further comprises an annular resilient member  30  including an outer section  31  and an inner bent, toothed section  32 . For mounting the resilient member  30  at the other end of the housing  21 , snap the resilient member  30  onto the shoulder  29 . Next, bend the mouth  27  inwardly by means of a tool to form an annular flange  28  proximate the outer section  31  for confining the resilient member  30  in the mouth  27 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 5 , for mounting a cable in the connector, insert one end of the cable into the bore  213  of the shell  211  through the toothed section  32  and the recess  26  until the central conductor  40  slightly projects from one end of the cylindrical member  22  and the shell  211  penetrates the junction between the insulating medium  41  and the braided outside conductor  42  a sufficient distance. As such, the insulating medium  41  is tightly received in the shell  211 , the outside conductor  42  is bent to cover an end portion of the outermost insulating sleeve  43  in the cavity  212  and the recess  26 , and the toothed section  32  is elastically urged against the outer surface of the insulating sleeve  43 . As a result, the resilient member  30  and the cable are secured together. Further, the housing  21  is adapted to rotate about the resilient member  30  and the cable when the threads  25  are securing to an element. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , another preferred embodiment of resilient member  50  according to the invention is shown. The resilient member  50  is disposed in the mouth  27  and is a hollow, cylindrical member having a lengthwise gap, a plurality of parallel, concave members  51  interconnected both ends thereof, and an inwardly bent toothed section  52  at the other end thereof. The outside conductor  42  is elastically urged by contacts  53  of the concave members  51  and the toothed section  52  is elastically urged against the outer surface of the insulating sleeve  43 . As a result, the resilient member  50  and the cable are fastened together. Also, the housing  21  is adapted to rotate about the resilient member  50  and the cable when the connector is securing to an element. 
   While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.