Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. application Ser. No. 13/903,348 filed May 28, 2013, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/254,238 filed Oct. 20, 2008, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,449,324 issued May 28, 2013, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/657,868, filed Jan. 25, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,458,849 issued Dec. 2, 2008, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/848,497, filed May 18, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,192,308 issued Mar. 20, 2007, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/359,498 filed Feb. 6, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,767,247 issued Jul. 27, 2004, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/852,343 filed May 9, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,530,807 issued Mar. 11, 2003, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/215,299 filed Jun. 30, 2000, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/202,972 filed May 10, 2000. The applications are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to connectors for terminating coaxial cable. More particularly, the present invention relates to a coaxial cable connector having a locking sleeve which is detachably coupled to the connector body. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    It has long been known to use connectors to terminate coaxial cable so as to connect a cable to various electronic devices such as televisions, radios and the like. Conventional coaxial cables typically include a center conductor surrounded by an insulator. A braided or foil conductive shield is disposed over the insulator. An outer insulative jacket surrounds the shield. In order to prepare the coaxial cable for termination, the outer jacket is stripped back exposing an extent of the conductive shield which is folded back over the jacket. A portion of the insulator extends outwardly from the jacket and an extent of the center conductor extends outwardly from insulator. Such a prepared cable may be terminated in a conventional coaxial connector. 
         [0004]    Coaxial connectors of this type include a connector body having an inner cylindrical post which is inserted between the insulator and the conductive shield. A locking sleeve is provided to secure the cable within the body of the coaxial connector. The locking sleeve, which is typically formed of a resilient plastic, is securable to the connector body to secure the coaxial connector thereto. As coaxial connectors of this type require a two-piece construction, including the body and the sleeve, often during shipping, handling and installation, the parts may become lost or misplaced. 
         [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,675 addresses this problem by providing a coaxial connector where the locking sleeve is frangibly tethered to the connector body. Prior to installation, the locking sleeve is frangibly removed from the connector body whereupon the locking sleeve is inserted onto the cable and the cable is inserted into the connector body for securement thereto. While the connector of the &#39;675 patent reduces the risk of mishandling or loss of the connector components during shipment, upon installation the locking sleeve must still be removed from the connector body and attached to the cable separately. Thus, there is still a risk of mishandling or loss of components during installation. 
         [0006]    This problem is further addressed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,470,257 where a coaxial connector is provided with a locking sleeve being inseparably coupled to a connector body. Cable termination using the connector of the &#39;257 patent requires that the prepared coaxial cable be inserted axially through both the locking sleeve and connector body. Thereafter, the locking sleeve can be axially advanced so as to secure the cable in the connector body. 
         [0007]    While in many installations, this form of cable termination is acceptable, it has been found that insertion of the prepared cable through both the locking sleeve and the connector body may be difficult in certain situations. As the cable installer typically works outdoors in an elevated or underground environment, it may become difficult to “blind” insert the prepared cable through the locking sleeve and into proper position around the cylindrical post of the connector body. In these situations, it would be desirable to permit the removal of the locking sleeve from the connector body so that the cable could be directly inserted into the connector body. 
         [0008]    Therefore, there is a need to overcome, or otherwise lessen the effects of, the disadvantages and the shortcomings described above. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0009]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a coaxial cable connector for terminating a coaxial cable. 
         [0010]    It is a further object of the present invention to provide a coaxial cable connector having a connector body and a locking sleeve where the locking sleeve secures the cable within the connector body. 
         [0011]    It is a further object of the present invention to provide a coaxial cable connector having a connector body and a locking sleeve in detachable, re-attachable snap engagement with the connector body to permit direct insertion of the cable through the locking sleeve and the connector body. Alternatively, where circumstances require, the present invention permits removal of the locking sleeve from the connector body for subsequent separate reattachment. 
         [0012]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of terminating a coaxial cable. In the efficient attainment of these and other objects, the present invention provides a coaxial cable connector. The connector of the present invention includes a connector body having a cable receiving end and an opposed connection end. A locking sleeve is provided in detachable, re-attachable snap engagement with the insertion end of the connector body for securing the cable in the connector body. The locking sleeve is movable from a first position loosely retaining the cable in the connector body to a second position locking said cable to the connector body. 
         [0013]    In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the locking sleeve is in resilient detachable, re-attachable snap engagement with the connector body. The resilient detachable, re-attachable engagement is provided by cooperative detent structure between a portion of the sleeve insertable into the connector body and a portion of the connector body which receives the sleeve. This detent structure includes a rib and groove arrangement which provides for the detachable coupling of the sleeve to the connector body. 
         [0014]    In a further preferred embodiment, the detachable engagement of the sleeve to the connector body may include one or more slots extending through the end of the sleeve which is inserted into the connector body. The slots facilitate resilient detachment and reattachment of the sleeve from the connector body. 
         [0015]    In its method aspect, the present invention provides for the termination of a coaxial connector with a connector. The method provides for the detaching of a locking sleeve from a connector body. The sleeve is then positioned over the cable. The cable is then inserted into the end of the connector. The sleeve is then reattached to the end of the connector body to secure the cable thereto. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]      FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective showing of the coaxial connector of the present invention including a connector body and a detachably coupled locking sleeve. 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is a longitudinal sectional showing of the connector of  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 3  shows the connector of  FIG. 1  with the sleeve detachably coupled to the connector body. 
           [0018]      FIGS. 4-6  are enlarged sectional showings of the engagement between the connector body and the locking sleeve. 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  is an exploded sectional showing of the termination of a prepared coaxial cable with the connector of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0020]    The present invention is directed to connectors for terminating coaxial cable. Coaxial connectors of this type are shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,675 issued May 30, 1989, which is incorporated by reference herein for all purposes. 
         [0021]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , the coaxial cable connector  10  of the present invention is shown. Connector  10  includes two major components, a connector body  12  and a locking sleeve  14  attachably coupled to body  12 . Body  12  is an elongate generally cylindrical conductive member typically formed of metal, preferably brass. Body  12  includes an annular collar  16  for accommodating a coaxial cable, an annular nut  18  rotatably coupled to collar  16  for providing mechanical attachment of the connector to an external device. Interposed between collar  16  and nut  18  is an annular post  20 . A resilient sealing 0-ring  22  may be positioned between collar  16 , and nut  18  at the rotatable juncture thereof to provide a seal thereat. Collar  16  includes a cable receiving end  24  for insertably receiving an inserted coaxial cable. Nut  18  includes an internally threaded end extent  26  permitting screw threaded attachment of body  12  to the external device. Cable receiving end  24  and internally threaded end extension  26  define the opposed ends of connector body  12 . Annular post  20  includes a base portion  28  which provides for securement of post  20  between nut  18  and collar  16  and an annular tubular extension  30  extending into collar  18 . As will be described in further detail hereinbelow and as is conventionally known, the extension  30  of post  20  and the collar  16  define an annular chamber  32  for accommodating the jacket and shield of the inserted coaxial cable. 
         [0022]    Locking sleeve  14  is a generally cylindrical member formed of resilient material preferably a synthetic plastic such as an acetate resin. Locking sleeve  14  includes a flared rearward end  34  through which a cable may be inserted. Opposite rearward end  34  is a forward end  36  which is insertable into receiving end  24  of collar  16 . As will be described in further detail hereinbelow, the forward end  36  of locking sleeve  14  and the receiving end  24  of collar  16  include cooperative detent structure which allows for the detachable, re-attachable connection of locking sleeve  14  to body  12 . Furthermore, connector  10  is designed such that locking sleeve  14  is axially moveable along arrow A of  FIG. 3 , towards nut  18  from a first position shown in  FIG. 4 , which loosely retains the cable within connector body  12  through an intermediate position shown in  FIG. 5 , to a more forward second position shown in  FIG. 6 , which secures the cable within connector body  12 . 
         [0023]    The connector  10  of the present invention is constructed so as to be supplied in the assembled condition shown in  FIG. 3 . In such assembled condition, and as will be described in further detail hereinbelow, a coaxial cable may be inserted through the rearward end  34  of locking sleeve  14  and through connector body  12 . The locking sleeve may be moved from the first position loosely retaining the cable to the second position which is axially forward thereby locking the cable to the connector body. It is, however, contemplated that the locking sleeve  14  may be detached from connector body  12  and in a manner which will be described in further detail hereinbelow, so as to allow the coaxial cable to be inserted directly into receiving end  24  of connector body  12 . Thereafter, the locking sleeve  14  which has been placed around the cable may be reattached to receiving end  24  of body  12  where it can be moved from the first position to the second position locking the cable to the connector body. The cooperating detent structure mentioned above is employed to provide such detachment and reattachment of locking sleeve  14  to connector body  12 . With additional reference to  FIGS. 4-6 , the cooperating detent structure is shown. 
         [0024]    Receiving end  24  of collar  16  of connector body  12  includes a radially inwardly directed annular rib  40  extending adjacent the distal end thereof. Rib  40  is defined by a forwardly facing perpendicular wall  42  and a rearwardly facing chamfered wall  44 . The cooperating detent structure of the present invention further includes the forward end  36  of locking sleeve  14  formed to have a radially outwardly opening annular groove  46  adjacent a distal end thereof. Groove  46  is constructed so as to receive rib  40  of collar  16 . Groove  40  is defined by a pair of spaced apart radially outwardly directed rings  48  and  50 . Ring  48  which is axially forward of ring  50  is defined by opposed oppositely chamfered walls  48   a  and  48   b.  Similarly, ring  50  which is axially rearward, is defined by a pair of opposed oppositely chamfered walls  50   a  and  50   b.  As may be appreciated, the forward end  36  of locking sleeve  14  may be inserted into the receiving end  24  of collar  16 . Upon insertion, the forward chamfered wall  48   a  of ring  48  bears against chamfered wall  44  of collar  16 . Due to the resilient nature of material forming locking sleeve  14 , the ring  48  will ride over rib  40  and the rib  40  will become lockingly resident within groove  46 . This defines the first position of locking sleeve  14 . 
         [0025]    While the locking sleeve is accommodated in collar  16  by engagement between the rib  40  in groove  46 , locking sleeve  40  may be detachably removed from locking sleeve  14 . Such detachable removal is facilitated by the resiliency of the plastic material forming locking sleeve  40  and relative thickness of the sleeve wall thereat. Furthermore, ring  48  includes rearward chamfered wall  48   b  which permits the wall to ride against perpendicular wall  42  of sleeve  16  upon rearward movement of locking sleeve  14 . Such construction of the forward end  36  of sleeve  14  together with the formation of chamfered wall  48   b  and the resiliency and the thinness of the plastic material, allows the locking sleeve to be detachably coupled from the collar  16 . 
         [0026]    Furthermore, as particularly shown in FIGS.  1  and  4 - 6 , the forward end  36  of the locking sleeve may include one or more axially extending slots  52  therethrough. The slots  52  are optionally included to enhance the resilient deflectability of the forward end  36  of locking sleeve  14 . Where used, slots may be provided in any number desired to provide the degree of flexibility required to removably detach locking sleeve  14  from collar  16  without making the locking sleeve so deflectable that it inadvertently detaches from collar  16  during normal handing and shipment. Furthermore, the length of slots  52  may be selected to enhance the flexibility of forward end  36 . As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , a longer slot  52  may be provided as compared with a shorter slot shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0027]    It is further contemplated that while the locking sleeve is designed to be detachably coupled from collar  16  by moving sleeve  14  in a rearward direction with respect to collar  16 , a slight transverse force in a direction of arrow B may be of assistance in detaching locking sleeve  14  from collar  16 . 
         [0028]    As more fully shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the cooperative detent structure further includes a radially outwardly extending end ring  54  adjacent rearward end  34  of sleeve  14 . Upon continued coaxial movement along arrow A, ring  54  engages and rides over rib  40  of collar  16  to define the second position which locks cable to connector body  12 . 
         [0029]    Having described the components of connector  10  in detail, the use of connector  10  in terminating a coaxial cable may now be described with respect to  FIG. 4-7 . Coaxial cable  60  includes an elongate inner conductor  62  formed of copper or similar conductive material. Extending around inner conductor  62  is a conductor insulator  64  formed of a suitably insulative plastic. A metallic shield  66  is positioned in surrounding relationship around insulator  64 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , shield  66  is a metallic braid, however, other conductive materials such as metallic foil may also be employed. Covering shield  66  is an outer insulative jacket  68 . 
         [0030]    Cable  60  is prepared in conventional fashion for termination, by stripping back jacket  68  exposing an extent of shield  66 . A portion of insulator  64  extends therefrom with an extent of conductor  62  extending from insulator  64 . The preparation process includes folding back an end extent of shield  66  about jacket  68 . As shown in exploded view in  FIG. 7 , cable  60  may be inserted into connector  10  with the locking sleeve  14  coupled to collar  16  of body  12  as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . In this technique, the prepared cable  60  is inserted through rearward end  34  of sleeve  14  and into the receiving end  24  of collar  16 . Extension  30  of post  20  of body  12  is inserted between the insulator  64  in the metallic shield  66  such that the shield and the jacket  68  reside within the annular region  32  defined between post  20  and collar  16 . In this position, the locking sleeve is coupled to collar  16  in the first position shown in  FIG. 4 . In such first position, sufficient clearance is provided between sleeve  14  and collar  16  so that extension  30  may easily be interposed between insulator  64  and shield  66 . 
         [0031]    Once the cable  60  is properly inserted, the locking sleeve  14  may be moved from the first position shown in  FIG. 4 , to an intermediate position shown in  FIG. 5 , where the locking sleeve is moved axially forward so that the rearward ring  50  rides over rib  40  so as to reside forward of perpendicular wall  42 . Such movement is facilitated by the chamfered wall  44  of receiving end  24  of collar  16  and the forward chamfered wall  50   a  of ring  50 . In this second position, the jacket  68  and shield  66  of cable  60  begins to become compressively clamped within annular region  32  between post  20  and collar  16 . The sleeve  14  is further axially advanced along arrow A from the intermediate position shown in  FIG. 5 , to a second position shown in  FIG. 6 . Such second position is achieved as the end ring  54  resiliently rides over rib  40  of collar  16 . In that regard, end ring  54  has a forwardly chamfered front wall  54   a  for engagement with chamfered wall  44  of collar  16  to facilitate such resilient movement. Further, the rear wall  54   b  of ring  54  is perpendicular so as to engage perpendicular wall  42  of rib  40  to maintain sleeve  14  in the second position with respect to collar  16 . A suitable tool may be used to effect movement of locking sleeve  14  from its first position to its second position securing cable  60  to connector body  12 . 
         [0032]    It is contemplated that the engagement between insulative jacket  68  and the connector body  12  establishes a sealed engagement thereat. In order to further facilitate the seal, locking sleeve  14  may optionally support a sealing 0-ring  55  which provides a seal with the chamfered wall  44  of collar  16  in the second position. 
         [0033]    As may be appreciated, proper insertion of cable  60  into connector body  12  requires that the cable be inserted in such a manner that the extension  30  of post  20  becomes resident between insulator  64  and shield  66 . In certain installation settings, the installer may not have clear and convenient access when terminating cable  60 . Moreover, insertion may be rendered difficult by poor cable preparation, which may result in a frayed end. Therefore, it may be difficult for the installer to blindly insert the cable  60  through the locking sleeve  14  and into connector body  12 . In such situations, the present invention contemplates the ability to detachably remove locking sleeve  14  from connector body  12  so that the cable may be directly inserted to receiving end  24  of collar  16 . In these situations, locking sleeve  14  is detachably removed from collar  16  in a manner facilitated as above described. The locking sleeve is then slipped over cable  60  and moved to a convenient position along the cable length. The end of cable  60  may then be inserted directly into the rearward end  34  of collar  16  to easily assure that extension  30  of post  20  is inserted between insulator  64  and shield  66 . Thereafter, the locking sleeve  14  may be brought up along the cable and the forward end  36  of locking sleeve  14  may be inserted into the rearward end  34  of collar  16 . The chamfered wall  48   a  of ring  48  together with the chamfered wall  44  of collar  16 , and optionally the slots  52 , facilitates insertion of the locking sleeve into collar  16  so that rib becomes resident within groove  46  as shown in  FIG. 4  defining the first position. Thereafter, as described above, the locking sleeve may be moved from the first position shown in  FIG. 4  to a second position shown in  FIG. 6  where the end ring  54  becomes resident forward of perpendicular wall  42  thereby locking cable  60  in connector body  12 . 
         [0034]    Various changes to the foregoing described and shown structures will now be evident to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the particularly disclosed scope of the invention is set forth in the following claims.

Technology Category: 5