US-12627084-B2 - Coaxial connector with grounding and retention

Abstract

A cable connector including: a body; a nose having a forward nose portion, a rearward nose portion that is configured to be coupled with the body, and a recessed nose portion; a coupler configured to be coupled with the forward nose portion; a conductor configured to be supported in the body and the nose portion; and a biasing portion configured to be received in the recessed nose portion. The coupler is configured to be rotatably coupled to the nose; and the biasing portion is configured to biasingly provide an electrical ground path between the nose and the coupler so as to improve an electrically conductive connection between an outer conductor of a coaxial cable and the coupler when the coupler is not connected to an interface port, when the coupler is loosely coupled to the interface port, and when the coupler is fully tightened to the interface port.

Inventors

• Jordan CAVINESS

Assignees

• PPC BROADBAND, INC.

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20230203

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A coaxial cable connector comprising: a connector body having a rearward cable receiving end and a forward end opposite the rearward cable receiving end; a nose portion having a rearward end and a forward end, wherein the rearward end is configured to be coupled with the forward end of the connector body; a coupler configured to be coupled with the forward end of the nose portion; a post disposed within at least a portion of the connector body and the nose portion; a first wave shaped biasing portion configured to be received by at least a portion of a receiving groove in an outer surface at the forward end of the nose portion; a second wave shaped biasing portion that is configured to be received in the receiving groove; wherein the coupler is configured to be rotatably coupled to the nose portion; wherein the coupler has an inward radial protrusion configured to extend radially inwardly, and the inward radial protrusion has a forward radial wall and a rearward radial wall; wherein the first wave shaped biasing portion has a front radial side and a rear radial side and is configured to form less than a complete circle; wherein the first wave shaped biasing portion is configured to have an undulating shape when not axially compressed such that the front and rear radial sides of the first wave shaped biasing portion are not planar surfaces; wherein the front and rear radial sides of the first wave shaped biasing portion are parallel; wherein the first wave shaped biasing portion is configured to have an inner diameter that is less than an outer diameter of the receiving groove when the first wave shaped biasing portion is not mounted in the receiving groove; wherein the first wave shaped biasing portion is configured such that a portion of the front radial side of the first wave shaped biasing portion contacts the rearward radial wall of the inward radial protrusion while simultaneously a portion of the rear radial side of the first wave shaped biasing portion contacts a rearward radial wall of the receiving groove so as to retain the coupler on the connector body; and wherein the first wave shaped biasing portion is configured to provide an electrical ground path between the nose portion and the coupler so as to improve an electrically conductive connection between an outer conductor of a coaxial cable and the coupler when the coupler is not connected to an interface port, when the coupler is loosely coupled to the interface port, and when the coupler is fully tightened to the interface port; wherein the second wave shaped biasing portion includes a front radial side and a rear radial side and is configured to form less than a complete circle; wherein the second wave shaped biasing portion is configured to have an undulating shape when at rest such that the front and rear radial sides of the second wave shaped biasing portion are not planar surfaces; wherein the front and rear radial sides of the second wave shaped biasing portion are parallel; wherein the second wave shaped biasing portion is configured to have an inner diameter that is less than the outer diameter of the receiving groove when the second wave shaped biasing portion is not mounted in the receiving groove; and wherein the second wave shaped biasing portion is configured such that a portion of the rear radial side of the second wave shaped biasing portion contacts the forward radial wall of the inward radial protrusion while simultaneously a portion of the front radial side of the second wave shaped biasing portion contacts a forward radial wall of the receiving groove so as to retain the coupler on the connector body.
2. 2 . The coaxial cable connector of claim 1 , wherein the first wave shaped biasing portion comprises a first wave spring, and the second wave shaped biasing portion comprises a second wave spring.
3. 3 . The coaxial cable connector of claim 1 , wherein the second wave shaped biasing portion is configured to provide an electrical ground path between the nose portion and the coupler so as to improve an electrically conductive connection between an outer conductor of a coaxial cable and the coupler when the coupler is not connected to an interface port, when the coupler is loosely coupled to the interface port, and when the coupler is fully tightened to the interface port.
4. 4 . A coaxial cable connector comprising: a body portion having a rearward cable receiving body portion and a forward body portion opposite the rearward cable receiving body portion; a nose portion having a rearward nose portion configured to be coupled with the forward body portion and a forward nose portion that includes an outer nose surface that is configured to form a recessed nose portion; a coupler portion configured to be coupled with the forward nose portion; a conductor portion that is configured to be supported in at least a portion the connector body portion and the nose portion; a first biasing portion configured to be received in the recessed nose portion; a second biasing portion configured to be received in the recessed nose portion; wherein the coupler portion is configured to be rotatably coupled to the nose portion; wherein the coupler portion includes an inward radially protruding coupler portion that is configured to protrude radially inwardly; wherein the first biasing portion is configured to have an undulating shape when not axially compressed; wherein the first biasing portion includes a first front biasing portion that is configured to contact the protrusion portion during operation of the connector and a first rear biasing portion that is configured to contact the recess during operation of the connector; wherein the first biasing portion is configured to provide an electrical ground path between the nose portion and the coupler portion so as to improve an electrically conductive connection between an outer conductor of a coaxial cable and the coupler portion when the coupler portion is not connected to an interface port, when the coupler portion is loosely coupled to the interface port, and when the coupler portion is fully tightened to the interface port; and wherein the second biasing portion includes a second front biasing portion and a second rear biasing portion, and the second biasing portion is configured to form an undulating shape when not axially compressed, and wherein the second rear biasing portion is configured to contact the protrusion portion while the second front biasing portion contacts the recessed nose portion so as to retain the coupler portion on the body portion.
5. 5 . The coaxial cable connector of claim 4 , wherein the first biasing portion comprises a first wave spring and is configured to have an inner diameter that is configured to be less than an outer diameter of the recessed nose portion when the biasing portion is not mounted in the recessed nose portion.
6. 6 . The coaxial cable connector of claim 4 , wherein the first front biasing portion and the first rear biasing portion are configured to extend parallel to each other during operation of the first biasing portion.
7. 7 . The coaxial cable connector of claim 4 , wherein the protrusion portion includes a rearward radial wall protrusion portion and the first front biasing portion is configured to contact the rearward radial wall protrusion portion so as to retain the coupler portion on the body portion during operation of the connector.
8. 8 . The coaxial cable connector of claim 4 , wherein the first biasing portion includes a front radial biasing side portion and a rear radial biasing side portion, and wherein the first biasing portion is configured to form less than a complete circle.
9. 9 . The coaxial cable connector of claim 8 , wherein the front radial biasing side portion and the rear radial biasing side portion of the biasing portion comprise non-planar surfaces.
10. 10 . The coaxial cable connector of claim 4 , wherein the recessed nose portion comprises a groove.
11. 11 . The coaxial cable connector of claim 4 , wherein the conductor portion comprises a post.
12. 12 . The coaxial cable connector of claim 4 , wherein the first biasing portion comprises a first wave spring.
13. 13 . The coaxial cable connector of claim 12 , wherein the second biasing portion comprises a wave spring.
14. 14 . The coaxial cable connector of claim 4 , wherein the second biasing portion is configured to biasingly provide an electrical ground path between the nose portion and the coupler portion so as to improve an electrically conductive connection between an outer conductor of a coaxial cable and the coupler portion when the coupler portion is not connected to the interface port, when the coupler portion is loosely coupled to the interface port, and when the coupler portion is fully tightened to the interface port.
15. 15 . The coaxial cable connector of claim 4 , wherein the front biasing portion is configured to contact the protrusion portion during operation of the connector and the rear biasing portion is configured to simultaneously contact the recess during operation of the connector.
16. 16 . A coaxial cable connector comprising: a body portion; a nose portion configured to be coupled with the body portion; an outer nose surface in the nose portion that is configured to form a recessed nose portion; a coupler portion configured to be coupled with the nose portion and having an inward radially protruding coupler portion that is configured to protrude radially inwardly; a first biasing portion configured to be received in the recessed nose portion; a second biasing portion configured to be received in the recessed nose portion; wherein the first biasing portion includes a first front biasing portion that is configured to contact the protruding coupler portion during operation of the connector and a first rear biasing portion that is configured to contact the recess during operation of the connector; wherein the first biasing portion is configured to provide an electrical ground path between the nose portion and the protruding coupler portion so as to improve an electrically conductive connection between an outer conductor of a coaxial cable and the coupler portion when the coupler portion is not connected to an interface port, when the coupler portion is loosely coupled to the interface port, and when the coupler portion is fully tightened to the interface port; wherein the second biasing portion includes a second front biasing portion and a second rear biasing portion, and the second biasing portion is configured to form an undulating shape when not axially compressed, and wherein the second rear biasing portion is configured to contact the protruding coupler portion while the second front biasing portion contacts the recessed nose portion so as to retain the coupler portion on the body portion; wherein the second biasing portion includes a front radial side and a rear radial side; wherein the front and rear radial sides of the second biasing portion are parallel; and wherein the second biasing portion is configured such that a portion of the rear radial side of the second biasing portion contacts the forward radial wall of the protruding coupler portion while simultaneously a portion of the front radial side of the second biasing portion contacts a forward radial wall of the recessed nose portion so as to retain the coupler on the connector body.
17. 17 . The coaxial cable connector of claim 16 , wherein the first biasing portion is configured to have an undulating shape when not axially compressed.
18. 18 . The coaxial cable connector of claim 16 , wherein the second biasing portion is configured to form less than a complete circle.
19. 19 . The coaxial cable connector of claim 16 , wherein the second biasing portion is configured to have an undulating shape when at rest such that the front and rear radial sides of the second biasing portion are not planar surfaces.
20. 20 . The coaxial cable connector of claim 16 , wherein the second biasing portion is configured to have an inner diameter that is less than the outer diameter of the recessed nose portion when the second biasing portion is not mounted in the recessed nose portion.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/306,166 filed Feb. 3, 2022, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. BACKGROUND The present invention relates generally to connectors for terminating coaxial cable. More particularly, the present invention relates to axially compressible connectors for coaxial cables that provides a secure ground connection and retains a coupler to a post. Coaxial cables are commonly used in the cable television industry to carry cable TV signals to television sets in homes, businesses, and other locations. Exemplary flexible coaxial cables include a solid wire core or inner conductor, typically of copper or copper-clad aluminum, surrounded by a flexible tubular outer conductor. The outer conductor is also usually made of woven copper or aluminum. Dielectric material or insulation separates the inner and outer conductors. The outer conductor is covered with a cable jacket or sheath of plastic to provide protection against corrosion and weathering. The ability of a connector to make a solid ground connection to the outer conductor of a device is required to achieve long term performance as well as facilitate proper signal transmission through the connector with minimal loss or disruption of the signal. It may be desirable to provide a connector that provides a secure contact between outer conductors in drop connectors and in coaxial connections to devices such as cable TV boxes, modems, and the like. Threaded swivel cable connectors have been employed to provide a way to connect a cable to an interface port or other device without introducing a twist into the cable. These and other connectors can provide an electrically conductive connection between the outer conductor of the coaxial cable and a coupler of the connector. However, this electrically conductive connection can be compromised by a poor contact between a housing of the coupler and other parts of the connector. It may be desirable to provide a connector that overcomes one or more of the aforementioned disadvantages of connectors. That is, it may be desirable to provide a connector having a wave shaped biasing portion that is configured to provide an electrical ground path between the nose portion and the coupler so as to improve an electrically conductive connection between an outer conductor of a coaxial cable and the coupler when the coupler is not connected to an interface port, when the coupler is loosely coupled to the interface port, and when the coupler is fully tightened to the interface port. SUMMARY In embodiments, a wave shaped biasing portion is configured to provide an electrical ground path between a nose portion and a coupler so as to improve an electrically conductive connection between an outer conductor of a coaxial cable and the coupler when the coupler is not connected to an interface port, when the coupler is loosely coupled to the interface port, and when the coupler is fully tightened to the interface port. Embodiments of the disclosure include a coaxial cable connector including: a connector body having a rearward cable receiving end and a forward end opposite the rearward cable receiving end; a nose portion having a rearward end and a forward end, wherein the rearward end is configured to be coupled with the forward end of the connector body; a coupler configured to be coupled with the forward end of the nose portion; a post disposed within at least a portion of the connector body and the nose portion; and a wave shaped biasing portion configured to be received by at least a portion of a receiving groove in an outer surface at the forward end of the nose portion. In embodiments, the coupler is configured to be rotatably coupled to the nose portion. In embodiments, the coupler has an inward radial protrusion configured to extend radially inwardly, and the inward radial protrusion has a forward radial wall and a rearward radial wall. In embodiments, the wave shaped biasing portion has a front radial side and a rear radial side and is configured to form less than a complete circle. In embodiments, the wave shaped biasing portion is configured to have an undulating shape when not axially compressed such that the front and rear radial sides of the first wave spring are not planar surfaces. In embodiments, the front and rear radial sides of the wave shaped biasing portion are parallel. In embodiments, the wave shaped biasing portion is configured to have an inner diameter that is less than an outer diameter of the receiving groove when the wave shaped biasing portion is not mounted in the receiving groove. In embodiments, wherein the wave shaped biasing portion is configured to provide an electrical ground path between the nose portion and the coupler so as to improve an electrically conductive connection between an outer conductor of a coaxial cable and the coupler when the coupler is not co