Interface between coaxial cable and connector and method for forming same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9768522-B2
Application number	US-201615346803-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 9, 2016
Priority date	Nov 10, 2015
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

A method of forming a joint between a coaxial cable and, a coaxial connector includes the steps of: preparing a cable having an inner conductor, a dielectric, a corrugated outer conductor surrounding the dielectric layer, and a jacket such that an end of the inner conductor is exposed, an end of the outer conductor is exposed arid is flattened to form a ring devoid of corrugations, and a portion of the dielectric layer is cored out to form a solder chamber between the inner conductor and the ring of the outer conductor; preparing an assembly comprising a coaxial connector comprising an inner contact, a dielectric spacer, and an outer conductor body having a tail, with a solder preform encircling the tail; inserting the tail and solder preform into the solder chamber; and melting the solder preform to create a joint between the ring and the tail.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A method of forming a joint between a coaxial cable and a coaxial connector, comprising the steps of:
preparing a cable having an inner conductor, a dielectric layer surrounding the inner conductor, a corrugated outer conductor surrounding the dielectric layer, and a jacket surrounding the outer conductor such that an end of the inner conductor is exposed, an end of the outer conductor is exposed and is flattened to form a ring devoid of corrugations, and a portion of the end of the dielectric layer is cored out to form a solder chamber between the inner conductor and the ring of the outer conductor;
preparing an assembly comprising a coaxial connector and a solder preform, the coaxial connector comprising an inner contact, a dielectric spacer, and an outer conductor body having a tail, the solder preform encircling the tail;
inserting the tail and solder preform into the solder chamber; and
melting the solder preform to create a joint between the ring of the outer conductor and the tail of the outer conductor body.

2. The method defined in claim 1 , wherein the solder chamber extends radially between the ring of the outer conductor and the inner conductor.

3. The method defined in claim 1 , wherein the solder chamber extends radially between the ring of the outer conductor and a portion of the dielectric layer.

4. The method defined in claim 1 , wherein the ring has a diameter that is equal to or greater than a diameter of a crest of corrugations of the outer conductor.

5. The method defined in claim 1 , wherein the coaxial connector is mounted on a pedestal during the melting step.

6. The method defined in claim 1 , wherein the solder preform has a thickness of between about 0.015 and 0.030 inches.

7. The method defined in claim 1 , wherein the solder chamber has a thickness of between about 0.015 and 0.030 inches.

8. A coaxial cable-connector interface, comprising:
a coaxial cable having an inner conductor, a dielectric layer surrounding the inner conductor, a corrugated outer conductor surrounding the dielectric layer, and a jacket surrounding the outer conductor, wherein an end of the outer conductor is exposed and is flattened to form a ring devoid of corrugations, and a portion of the end of the dielectric layer is cored out to form a solder chamber between the inner conductor and the ring of the outer conductor; and
a coaxial connector comprising an inner contact, a dielectric spacer, and an outer conductor body having a tail;
wherein the tail is inserted into the solder chamber, and wherein a solder joint interconnects the tail and the ring of the outer conductor.

9. The interface defined in claim 8 , wherein the solder chamber extends radially between the ring of the outer conductor and the inner conductor.

10. The interface defined in claim 8 , wherein the solder chamber extends radially between the ring of the outer conductor and a portion of the dielectric layer.

11. The interface defined in claim 8 , wherein the ring has a diameter that is equal to or greater than a diameter of a crest of corrugations of the outer conductor.

12. The interface defined in claim 8 , wherein the solder joint interconnects an inner surface of the ring of the outer conductor of the cable and the tail.

13. The interface defined in claim 8 , wherein the solder joint has a thickness of between about 0.015 and 0.030 inches.

14. A coaxial connector assembly, comprising:
a coaxial connector comprising an inner contact, an outer conductor body, and a dielectric spacer interposed between the inner contact and the outer conductor body;
wherein the outer conductor body has a main sleeve, a forwardly-extending mating ring configured to mate with a mating connector and a rearwardly-extending tail, the tail having an outer diameter that is less than an outer diameter of the main sleeve; and
a solder preform that circumferentially surrounds the tail of the outer conductor body.

15. The assembly defined in claim 14 , wherein the solder preform has a thickness of between about 0.015 and 0.030 inches.

16. The assembly defined in claim 14 , in combination with a coaxial cable having an inner conductor, a dielectric layer surrounding the inner conductor, a corrugated outer conductor surrounding the dielectric layer, and a jacket surrounding the outer conductor, wherein an end of the outer conductor is exposed and is flattened to form a ring devoid of corrugations, and a portion of the end of the dielectric layer is cored out to form a solder chamber between the inner conductor and the ring of the outer conductor in which the solder preform resides.

17. The combination defined in claim 16 , wherein the solder chamber extends radially between the ring of the outer conductor and the inner conductor.

18. The combination defined in claim 16 , wherein the solder chamber extends radially between the ring of the outer conductor and a portion of the dielectric layer.

19. The combination defined in claim 16 , wherein the ring has a diameter that is equal to or greater than a diameter of a crest of corrugations of the outer conductor.

Assignees

• Commscope Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Harwath Frank A
• Paynter Jeffrey D
• Fleming James P
• Smentek David J

Classifications

• H01R4/024 Primary

  comprising preapplied solder · CPC title

• H01R24/40

  specially adapted for high frequency · CPC title

• H01R24/564

  Corrugated cables · CPC title

• H01R43/0207

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

• H01R43/28

  for wire processing before connecting to contact members, not provided for in groups H01R43/02 - H01R43/26 · CPC title