Patent ID: 7513795

Claim:
A compressible F-connector adapted to be electrically and mechanically attached to the prepared end of a coaxial cable for thereafter establishing an electrical connection to an appropriate threaded socket, the coaxial cable comprising a center conductor surrounded by insulation that is coaxially surrounded by an outer conductive braid and an outermost insulating jacket, said F-connector comprising: a nut adapted to be threadably coupled to said socket; an elongated, hollow post having a flanged end mechanically coupled to said nut and a reduced diameter trailing end adapted to be inserted into said prepared cable end around the center conductor insulation and coaxially beneath said outer conductive braid; a hollow tubular body coaxially disposed over said post, the body having a front end disposed adjacent said nut and a rear end, said body comprising an external travel limiting stop ring and an integral, elongated tubular shank disposed between said stop ring and said rear end, said shank comprising a smooth, cylindrical outer surface that is free of obstructions extending from said stop ring to said rear end, and the body having an internal passageway with a diameter greater than the diameter of said post such that an annular void is formed between said post and said body; wherein external tactile regions are provided on said stop ring that are sensed by touch to aid in the manual assembly and positioning of the connector both before and after assembly; a tubular end cap comprising an open end and a terminal end, the end cap comprising a smooth hollow interior, and the end cap adapted to be slidably coupled to said shank and variably positioned as desired by a user, the end cap comprising an interior passageway through which coaxial cable may pass and means for establishing an internal jam point for confining the prepared cable within the connector; said tubular end cap comprising an external ring groove defined adjacent said terminal end and wherein a resilient O-ring is seated within said ring groove to complement the tactile regions by stimulating the sense of touch of an installer; and, wherein an annular void exists between said post and said body in which the coaxial cable outer conductive braid is restrained between said post and said body and electrically conductively contacted by said post; and, wherein the end cap is frictionally attached by compressively axially deflecting said end cap towards said nut such that the end cap will lock at any position along the cylindrical outer surface of said shank without assuming a predetermined detented position, and wherein the coaxial cable end is axially restrained after end cap compression within said connector substantially at said jam point, with an uninsulated portion of the cable center conductor extending through said nut thereby forming the male part of the resulting electrical connection.