Abstract:
A coaxial cable for connecting a coaxial transmission line cable to an antenna which provides a rugged construction and provides a seal from moisture.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 9/408,860 filed Sep. 30, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,858. This application claim benefit to provisional application 60/102,466 filed Sep. 30, 1998. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates to a new rugged cable connector means for connecting transmission line cables to antennas and, in particular, to a unitary connector means which can be inexpensively manufactured, and yet reduce radio frequency losses through the connections. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In the industry of radio frequency equipment, antennas are connected to transmission line cables by connectors known as SO-239 and PL-259 screw machine connectors. These screw machine connectors are expensive to produce and are difficult to assemble. Additionally, the interconnecting male - female components are subject to radio frequency losses due to corrosion in harsh environments. One early type of transmission line connection described in the Blonder U.S. Pat. No. 3,001,169 patent was comprised of many small components which had to be individually assembled and which increased the points of contact at which corrosion or radio frequency disturbances could occur. Another attempt to prevent corrosion includes the Emery U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,277, which is an earlier invention by the present inventor, which describes embedding a contact plate in a plastic body to seal the cable connections to the contact plate and a machine screw which also isolates the contact plate from the atmosphere when attached to an antenna. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally comprises a coaxial cable connector comprising a plurality of components. An internally threaded shell body receives a plastic stepped washer inserted through one end of the shell body. The plastic stepped washer matingly engages a distal end of the threaded shell body. An extended externally threaded member having a coaxial opening is positioned in the threaded shell body. A first end of the extended threaded member passes through an opening in the plastic stepped washer and matingly engages the stepped washer. The extended threaded member does not come into contact with the threaded shell body. An insulating flat washer which conforms to the interior diameter of the threaded opening of the shell body is positioned adjacent a second end of the extended threaded member. The flat washer acts as an insulator and as a mechanical seal. The flat washer defines an axial opening extending therethrough. 
     A tubular threaded conductor body having an axially extending opening is positioned in the threaded body. The opening of the tubular threaded body is internally threaded and has a first end which receives an internal washer. The tubular threaded body has at least one, and preferably a plurality of, radially extending soldering windows coaxially positioned in the shell body. It is to be understood that the soldering of any coaxial cable wire extending through the tubular threaded conductor body is accomplished prior to the coaxial insertion of the tubular threaded conductor body into the opening defined in the threaded shell body. At least an internal wire of the coaxial cable extends through the coaxial openings in the internal washer of the tubular threaded conductor body, the flat washer, the threaded shell body, the stepped washer and the extended threaded member. 
     A tubular threaded strain relief member is coaxially positioned on the coaxial cable prior to the coaxial cable being inserted through the coaxial cable connector. The tubular threaded strain relief member can be threaded to the tubular threaded conductor body to provide both compression and connection of the outer wires of the coaxial cable to the tubular threaded body. 
     One object of the present invention is to produce a coaxial cable connector which is not susceptible to corrosion damage due to incomplete or leaky seals between the components of the connector. 
     Another object of this invention is to reduce the number of component parts by producing a single unitary connector, thereby reducing manufacturing costs and reducing the assembly time. Additionally, another object of this invention is to reduce radio frequency losses that typically occur between components of a cable connector by producing a unitary connector. 
    
    
     Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a review of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a coaxial cable connector. 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded view partially cross-sectional view of the components comprising a coaxial cable connector. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A coaxial connector  10  comprises a hexagonly headed shell body  12  which has an internal threaded passageway  14 . The threaded shell body  12  defines a inner shoulder or flange  16 . The threaded shell body  12  has an axial extending opening  18  adjacent the shoulder  16  which extends through a hexagon head portion  19 . The opening  18  is in communication with the internal threaded passageway  14 . The outer shell body protects the coaxial connector from a harsh external environment and also acts as an electrical ground. 
     An insulating step washer  20  having a neck  22  and a shoulder  24  is positioned in the shell body  12 . The step washer  20  defines a coaxial opening  26 . The step washer  20  is matingly positioned within the threaded passageway  14  of the shell body  12  such that the shoulder  24  of the step washer  20  matingly engages the shoulder  16  of the shell body  12 . The neck  22  of the washer  20  extends through the opening  18  of the threaded shell body  12 . The neck  22  of the step washer  20  can extend beyond a planar surface of the hexagonal head portion  19 . 
     An extended threaded member  30  has an exterior threaded shank  32  and a flange  34  that extends from one end of the threaded shank  32 . 
     The flange  34  has an external diameter which is less than an internal diameter defined by the threaded passageway  14  of the shell body  12 . 
     The extended threaded member  30  defines a first coaxial opening  36  which extends from the shoulder  34  part way into the interior of the extended threaded member  30 . The first coaxial opening  36  has a first diameter. The first coaxial opening  36  is in communication with a second coaxial opening  38  which starts at the end of the extended threaded member  30  and extends into the interior of the extended threaded member  30 . The second coaxial opening  38  has a second diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the first coaxial opening  36 . 
     The shank  32  of the extended threaded member  30  is coaxially positioned within the opening  26  of the step washer  20  such that the threaded shank  32  generally extends in a direction away from the hexagon head portion  19  of the threaded shell body  12 . The step washer  20  provides insulation between the extended threaded member  30  and the outer shell body  12 . A flat insulating washer  40  having a coaxial opening  42  extending therethrough is coaxially positioned within the threaded shell body  12 . The opening  42  of the flat washer  40  can have the same diameter as the first coaxial opening  36  of the extended threaded member  30 . 
     An outer tubular conductor body  50  has a tubular section  52  having an internal threaded region  53  and an external threaded fitting section  54 . The external threaded fitting section  54  has a diameter that is substantially the same as the diameter of the tubular section  52 . The tubular section  52  defines at least two opposed sides  51  which preferably are in a parallel relationship. The sides  51  are adjacent a first end  61  of the conductor body  50 . The sides  51  readily allow the conductor body  50  to be tightened into the threaded passageway  14  of the shell body  12 . A plurality of threads  55  are positioned on the outer perimeter of the threaded fitting section  54 . The conductor body  50  further has a cylindrical body  56  which extends from the threaded fitting section  54  in a direction away from the tubular section  52 . The cylindrical body  56  defines at least one, and preferably a plurality, of radially extending windows or openings  57 . The openings  57  are positioned in a radially spaced relationship around the cylindrical body  56  and extend through the cylindrical body  56 . The conductor body  50  further has a positioning flange  58  that is spaced apart from threaded fitting section  54  and the first end  61 . The positioning flange  58  defines a coaxial opening  59  having a shoulder  62 . An insulating interior washer  60  is coaxially positioned adjacent the shoulder  62  which defines the opening  59 . The insulating interior washer  60  defines an axially extending opening  64 . The positioning flange  58  can have a plurality of external axially extending ridges  66  on the external circumference of the positioning flange  58 . 
     A channel  68  extends axially through the outer conductor body  50 . The channel  68  is defined by the internal threaded region  53  in the tubular section  52 . The channel  68  terminates at the opening  64  in the insulating washer  60  which is in the opening  59  in the positioning flange  58 . It is to be noted that the flat washer  40  also provides insulation between the extended threaded member  30  and an outer conductor body  50 . 
     Before assembly, a coaxial wire  80  is at least partially stripped of insulation and inserted through the opening  64  in the insulating washer  60  in the outer conductor body  50 . The wire  80  has external insulation  82 , external wires  84  positioned under the external insulation  82 , inner insulation  86  positioned under the external wires  84 , and internal wires  88  positioned in the middle of the internal insulation  86 . 
     The internal wires  88  extend through the first coaxial opening  36  of the extended threaded member  30 . The inner insulation  84  of the wire  80  generally terminates adjacent the second coaxial opening  38  of the extended threaded member  30 . 
     The external wires  84  are exposed and can be soldered to the outer conductor body  50  through the openings or windows  57  of the outer conductor body  50 . 
     The outer conductor body  50  is coaxially positioned in the shell body  12  such that the positioning flange  58  of the conductor body  50  comes into mating engagement with the flat washer  40  as the threads  55  on the threaded fitting section  54  engage the threaded passageway  14  of the shell body  12 . 
     The coaxial cable connector  10  can further include a strain relief member  70  which has a tubular member  72 . and a bolt head  76  positioned on one end of the tubular member  72 . A coaxial opening  78  extends through the tubular member  72  and the bolt head  76 . External threads  74  are positioned on the tubular member  72  adjacent the bolt head  76 . The strain relief member  70  is positioned on the wire  80  prior to the soldering of the exterior wires  84  to the outer conductor body  50 . 
     The external threads  74  matingly engage the threaded region  53  of the tubular section  52  of the outer conductor body  50 . The tubular member  72  contacts the external wires  84  and compresses the wires  84  against the cylindrical body  56  of the outer conductor body  50  to aid in making a good electrical connection. 
     The tubular threaded strain relief member  70  provides a compression fit of the external wires  84  against the outer conductor body  50 . In addition, the tubular threaded strain relief member  70  provides strain relief between the outer conductor body  50  and the coaxial transmission wire  80 . 
     As the various portions of the coaxial cable connector are threaded together, the individual components are compressed to ensure strength as well as to provide a seal from moisture. 
     The above detailed description of the present invention is given for explanatory purposes. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the whole of the foregoing description is to be construed in an illustrative and not a limitative sense, the scope of the invention being defined solely by the appended claims.