Connector assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9537231-B2
Application number	US-201414539713-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 12, 2014
Priority date	Nov 12, 2014
Publication date	Jan 3, 2017
Grant date	Jan 3, 2017

Abstract

A connector assembly includes a center contact configured to be terminated to a center conductor of a cable. A dielectric holds the center contact. An outer contact surrounds the dielectric and the center contact. The outer contact has a mating segment extending from a mating end, a terminating segment extending from a cable end, and a middle segment between the mating and terminating segments. The terminating segment is configured to be terminated to a braid of the cable. The middle segment has a diameter that is less than the respective diameters of the mating and terminating segments. A cavity insert surrounds the middle segment of the outer contact. The cavity insert includes a receiving shell and a closing shell that are joined together at an interface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A connector assembly comprising:
a center contact configured to be terminated to a center conductor of a cable;
a dielectric holding the center contact;
an outer contact surrounding the dielectric and the center contact, the outer contact having a mating segment extending from a mating end, a terminating segment extending from a cable end, and a middle segment between the mating and terminating segments, the terminating segment configured to be terminated to a braid of the cable, the middle segment having a diameter that is less than respective diameters of the mating and terminating segments, the outer contact including a first shoulder separating the middle segment from the mating segment and a second shoulder separating the middle segment from the terminating segment; and
a cavity insert surrounding the middle segment of the outer contact, the cavity insert including a receiving shell and a closing shell that are joined together at an interface to define the cavity insert, the cavity insert including a front flared end, a rear flared end, and an intermediate segment between the front and rear flared end segments, the cavity insert defining a channel therethrough, the channel along the intermediate segment having a diameter that is less than respective diameters of the channel along the front and rear flared end, wherein the first shoulder of the outer contact aligns with and engages the front flared end and the second shoulder aligns with and engages the rear flared end to secure an axial position of the outer contact relative to the cavity insert.

2. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the receiving shell and the closing shell are ultrasonically welded together at the interface.

3. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cavity insert is barrel-shaped, the receiving shell forming a portion of a perimeter of the cavity insert and the closing shell forming a remaining portion of the perimeter of the cavity insert.

4. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the diameter of the channel of the cavity insert along the intermediate segment is less than the respective diameters of the mating and terminating segments of the outer contact such that the outer contact cannot be loaded axially into the channel of the cavity insert when the receiving shell and the closing shell are joined together.

5. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the center contact, the dielectric, the outer contact, and the cavity insert define a subassembly, the connector assembly further comprising an outer housing having a cavity receiving the subassembly, the cavity insert including at least one flange that is locked into the outer housing to hold the axial position of the subassembly within the cavity.

6. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the receiving shell of the cavity insert includes a first end and an opposite second end and the closing shell includes a first end and an opposite second end, the first end of the receiving shell joined to the first end of the closing shell at a first seam and the second end of the receiving shell joined to the second end of the closing shell at a second seam.

7. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the outer contact includes a securing feature and the cavity insert includes a complementary securing feature engaging the securing feature of the outer contact to hold the axial position of the outer contact with respect to the cavity insert.

8. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the mating end of the outer contact includes a ring, the mating segment having a plurality of contact beams disposed between the ring and the middle segment and a plurality of protrusions extending radially inward from the mating segment, the contact beams and protrusions being configured to engage an outer contact of a mating connector assembly.

9. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the receiving shell of the cavity insert has a keying feature and the closing shell has a complementary keying feature, the respective keying features mating to align the closing and receiving shells around the outer contact.

10. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cavity insert includes a cut region located at the interface between the receiving shell and the closing shell, the cut region indicative of a rail that is trimmed from the cavity insert.

11. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the outer contact defines a cavity extending therethrough between the mating end and the cable end, the dielectric and the center contact being held in the cavity along at least the mating segment and the middle segment of the outer contact.

12. A connector assembly comprising:
a center contact configured to be terminated to a center conductor of a cable;
a dielectric holding the center contact;
an outer contact surrounding the dielectric and the center contact, the outer contact having a mating segment extending from a mating end, a terminating segment extending from a cable end, and a middle segment between the mating and terminating segments, the terminating segment configured to be terminated to a braid of the cable, the middle segment having a diameter that is less than respective diameters of the mating and terminating segments, the outer contact including a first shoulder separating the middle segment from the mating segment and a second shoulder separating the middle segment from the terminating segment; and
a cavity insert assembly that includes a receiving shell, a closing shell, and a bridge that connects the receiving shell to the closing shell, the receiving shell, closing shell, and the bridge being co-molded as part of a unitary cavity insert body, the receiving shell defining a channel that is configured to receive the middle segment of the outer contact therein, the receiving shell including a front flared end, a rear flared end, and an intermediate segment between the front and rear flared end segments, the channel along the intermediate segment having a diameter that is less than respective diameters of the channel along the front and rear flared end, wherein the first shoulder of the outer contact aligns with and engages the front flared end and the second shoulder aligns with and engages the rear flared end to secure an axial position of the outer contact relative to the receiving shell.

13. The connector assembly of claim 12 , wherein the bridge forms a living hinge that allows the closing shell to be folded onto the receiving shell, the closing shell defining a channel that mirrors the channel of the receiving shell, the receiving shell and the closing shell together surrounding a full perimeter of the middle segment of the outer contact when the closing shell is folded onto the receiving shell.

14. The connector assembly of claim 13 , wherein a first end of the closing shell is configured to be joined to a first end of the receiving shell and a second end of the closing shell is configured to be joined to a second end of the receiving shell to form an assembled cavity insert.

15. The connector assembly of claim 14 , wherein the receiving shell and the closing shell are ultrasonically welded together to form an assembled cavity insert.

16. The connector assembly of claim 12 , wherein the receiving shell and the closing shell of the cavity insert assembly are oriented along a cavity insert axis, the cavity insert assembly further including a rail that extends from the receiving shell at an angle transverse to the cavity insert axis and a rail that extends from the closing shell at an angle transverse to the cavity insert axis, the bridge conne

Assignees

• Tyco Electronics Corp

Inventors

• Hall John Wesley
• Duesterhoeft Scott Stephen

Classifications

• H01R43/0207

  Ultrasonic-, H.F.-, cold- or impact welding · CPC title

• H01R13/521

  Sealing between contact members and housing, e.g. sealing insert · CPC title

• H01R13/434

  by separate resilient locking means on contact member, e.g. retainer collar or ring around contact member · CPC title

• H01R9/0518 Primary

  Connection to outer conductor by crimping or by crimping ferrule · CPC title

• H01R24/40

  specially adapted for high frequency · CPC title