RF connector for an RF module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10490941-B2
Application number	US-201815872342-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 16, 2018
Priority date	Jan 16, 2018
Publication date	Nov 26, 2019
Grant date	Nov 26, 2019

Abstract

An RF module includes a housing including connector cavities and having a rear wall with lands adjacent openings. The RF module includes RF connectors received in the connector cavities each having a conductive shell and a dielectric body positioning a center contact in the shell. The RF connector has a spring surrounding the shell between front and rear flanges and a rear retainer having a front rim. The RF connector is received in the opening such that the front rim engages the rear wall to retain the RF connector in the corresponding opening. The RF connector is spring loaded in the connector cavity to allow the RF connector to float in the connector cavity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An RF module comprising:
a housing having walls defining connector cavities, the walls comprising a rear wall having a plurality of openings therethrough, the connector cavities being open opposite the rear wall to receive electrical connectors;
RF connectors received in the connector cavities, the RF connectors being terminated to corresponding cables, each RF connector having a conductive shell, a center contact and a dielectric body positioning the center contact in the shell, the shell having a front flange and a rear flange, the RF connector having a spring surrounding the shell between the front flange and the rear flange, the RF connector having a rear retainer at the rear flange, the rear retainer having a front rim, the RF connector being received in the corresponding opening such that the front flange is located forward of the rear wall in the connector cavity and the rear flange is located rearward of the rear wall, the RF connector being received in the corresponding opening such that the front rim of the rear flange engages the rear wall to retain the RF connector in the corresponding opening, the RF connector being spring loaded in the connector cavity to allow the RF connector to float in the connector cavity.

2. The RF module of claim 1 , wherein each opening includes a cutout and a land adjacent the cutout of the rear wall, the rear retainer having a lobe on the front rim, the lobe being received in the cutout, the rear retainer being rotated relative to the housing to offset the lobe from the cutout such that the front rim engages the rear wall.

3. The RF module of claim 2 , wherein the spring biases the front rim against the rear wall to axially hold the rear retainer relative to the rear wall by a spring force.

4. The RF module of claim 1 , wherein the rear retainer is twist-locked to the rear wall and is configured to be twist-unlocked from the rear wall.

5. The RF module of claim 1 , wherein the RF connector further comprises a compression spring coupling the rear retainer to the rear wall, the compression spring being compressible to release the rear retainer from the rear wall to remove the RF connector from the housing.

6. The RF module of claim 5 , wherein the compression spring is a wave spring positioned between a first washer and a second washer, the wave spring being compressible to release the front rim from the rear wall.

7. The RF module of claim 1 , wherein the shell includes a key and the rear retainer includes a keyway receiving the key, the key being movable in the keyway to allow axial movement of the shell relative to the rear retainer, the key engaging the rear retainer to restrict rotational movement of the shell relative to the rear retainer.

8. The RF module of claim 1 , wherein the rear retainer is configured to be released from the rear wall from an engaged position to a clearance position by axially shifting the rear retainer forward to separate the front rim from the rear wall and by rotatably shifting the rear retainer relative to the rear wall.

9. The RF module of claim 1 , wherein the shell is rotated with the rear retainer between a clearance position and an engaged position, the front rim engaging the rear wall to couple the rear retainer to the rear wall in the engaged position, the front rim being disengaged from the rear wall to uncouple the rear retainer from the rear wall and allow removal of the RF connector from the housing in the clearance position.

10. The RF module of claim 1 , wherein the front flanges include outer edges facing side walls of the connector cavities and configured to engage the side walls to center the RF connectors in the corresponding connector cavities for mating with the corresponding electrical connectors.

11. The RF module of claim 1 , wherein the rear retainer includes extensions at a rear of the rear retainer, the extensions being received in corresponding pockets in the rear flange, the extensions having channels configured to receive a removal tool.

12. The RF module of claim 1 , wherein the RF connector includes the shell and the spring are rear loaded into the corresponding connector cavity through the rear wall and are configured to be unloaded from the housing through the rear wall.

13. The RF module of claim 1 , wherein the RF connector is configured to be released from behind the rear wall.

14. The RF module of claim 1 , wherein the RF connector is configured to be released by a removal tool received in the connector cavity through a front of the housing.

15. An RF connector comprising:
a shell extending between a mating end and a cable end, the shell having a front shell and a rear shell, the front shell having a front flange, the rear shell having a rear flange, the shell having a shell cavity, the rear shell configured to be terminated to a coaxial cable, the front shell configured to be mated with an electrical connector;
a center contact received in the shell cavity, the center contact being terminated to the coaxial cable, the center contact having a mating end configured to be mated with the electrical connector;
a dielectric body received in the shell cavity, the dielectric body holding the center contact;
a spring surrounding the shell and positioned between the front flange and the rear flange, the spring being spring loaded in a connector cavity of a housing to allow the RF connector to float in the connector cavity; and
a rear retainer coupled to the rear shell proximate to the rear flange, the rear retainer being axially movable relative to the rear flange, the rear retainer being rotatably fixed relative to the rear flange, the rear retainer having a front rim, the spring being spring biased against the front rim, wherein the front flange is configured to be received in the connector cavity of the housing such that the front rim engages a rear wall of the housing to axially position the rear retainer relative to the housing.

16. The RF connector of claim 15 , wherein each opening includes a cutout and a land adjacent the cutout of the rear wall, the rear retainer having a lobe on the front rim, the lobe being received in the cutout, the rear retainer being rotated relative to the housing to offset the lobe from the cutout such that the front rim engages the rear wall.

17. The RF connector of claim 15 , wherein the shell includes a key and the rear retainer includes a keyway receiving the key, the key being movable in the keyway to allow axial movement of the shell relative to the rear retainer, the key engaging the rear retainer to restrict rotational movement of the shell relative to the rear retainer.

18. The RF connector of claim 15 , wherein the rear retainer is configured to be released from the rear wall from an engaged position to a clearance position by axially shifting the rear retainer forward to separate the front rim from the rear wall and by rotatably shifting the rear retainer relative to the rear wall.

19. The RF connector of claim 15 , wherein front flange includes an outer edge configured to face a side wall of the connector cavity and configured to engage the side wall to center the RF connectors in the corresponding connector cavity for mating with the corresponding electrical connector.

20. An RF module comprising:
a housing having cavity walls defining connector cavities and a rear wall at a rear of the connector cavities, the rear wall having a plurality of openings therethrough open to corresponding connector cavities, the connector cavities being open opposite the rear wall t

Assignees

• Te Connectivity Corp

Inventors

• Ruffini Nicholas Paul
• Miller Keith Edwin
• Springston Ii Eric Douglas
• Annis Kyle Gary

Classifications

• H01R13/6315 Primary

  allowing relative movement between coupling parts, e.g. floating connection (for coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, H01R12/91 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01R24/40 Primary

  specially adapted for high frequency · CPC title

• H01R13/642

  by position or shape of contact members · CPC title

• H01R13/502

  composed of different pieces (H01R13/514 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01R13/426

  Securing by a separate resilient retaining piece supported by base or case, e.g. collar {or metal contact-retention clip} · CPC title