EP0271490B1 - Aerial plug socket - Google Patents

Abstract

An aerial plug socket for high-frequency ranges has a metal base, which carries the coaxial plug elements for plugging-in the connection cables, and clamping devices arranged on the base, on the one hand for the inner conductor, and on the other for the outer conductor of each coaxial cable leading into the socket. The clamping system, in the case of the outer conductor, consists of a metal clamping arm pivotally arranged in front of the inner conductor clamping device, one clamping surface of the arm lying against the outer conductor and a metal clamping support facing the opposite clamping surface, whereby the clamping surface and clamping support hold the outer conductor in the operating position and grip it tightly. The clamping arm (15) is pivotally arranged around an axis (19) which seen from the insertion direction lies behind the inner conductor-clamping device (6, 13), and transversely to the connection cable longitudinal axis (19). The arm (15) is furthermore mounted on the base carrier (1) in lateral slideways (17) so as to move perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the connection cable, its upward movement being limited by stops, and it can be screwed into the operating position against the outer conductor.

Description

The invention relates to an antenna socket for high frequency ranges according to the preamble of claim 1.

Antenna sockets previously on the market transmit frequencies up to approx. 860 MHz in compliance with the requirements imposed on the HF-tightness and consequently on the connection technology of the coaxial cables for both the inner conductor and the outer conductor. Increasingly, it is now desired to make antenna sockets suitable for very high frequencies in order to be able to transmit signals received from satellites after conversion and processing in the frequency range above 860 MHz, especially in cable television systems. The transmission and decoupling of these very high frequencies places special demands with regard to HF tightness and, in connection therewith, to the connection technology of the Coaxial cable.

In an antenna socket already in use with the features of the preamble of claim 1, the pivoting metal clamping arm acting in the manner of a clamp is only pivotable about an axis running parallel to the longitudinal axis of the coaxial cable to be inserted. The clamping surface and the clamping surface are smooth throughout. It has been shown that with the aid of such a clamping device for the outer conductor of the coaxial cable, the requirements with regard to HF tightness and the mechanics, in particular also with regard to strain relief, cannot be met. This applies in particular to the attachment and electrical connection of cables of different diameters.

The invention has for its object to make an antenna socket according to the preamble of claim 1 with respect to HF-tightness and thus the connection technology suitable for very high frequencies and in particular for frequencies up to about 1.8 GHz.

This object is achieved according to the invention in particular by the fact that the clamping arm can be pivoted about an axis lying in the insertion direction behind the inner conductor clamping device, extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of the connecting cable, and can be moved upward in lateral guides with limited stops perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the connecting cable on the base support and in the operating position against the outer conductor is screwable. This ensures that cables with different diameters can always be held over the entire area with complete electrical contact and can also be completely relieved of strain. In contrast to the known cells described in which Different diameters of the coaxial cables to be fastened can only be exerted on the outer conductor of the cable with part of the clamping surfaces and the clamping support, and the clamping arm adapts to the different diameters of the outer cable conductors according to the invention due to the pivoting and vertical displacement. that a complete contact and complete pressure is always ensured in mechanical terms on the full clamping surface. Thus, a safe electrical contact and a safe strain relief is achieved even for the very high frequencies.

A particularly expedient design, which is also easy to handle, is achieved by the features of claim 2. The guides can be easily formed and fastened to the basic carrier, and the clamping arm with its pivot pins can be simply inserted and a stop limitation can be made by simply deforming the upper slot ends.

A particularly favorable design both in terms of contacting and in terms of strain relief, even with the most varied cable diameters, is achieved by the ribbing according to claim 3. The effect of the clamping ribs is further enhanced by the design of the rib heights according to claim 4. With the same force development when the clamping arm is screwed on, the pressing pressure on the outer conductor and also on the insulating cable sheath which is also detected becomes stronger because of the reduced contact area due to the ribbing, that is to say a line contact . The strain relief is thus decisively improved. In conjunction with the vertical displaceability of the clamping arm, an extraordinarily safe contact and fixing of the cable that adapts to all diameters is achieved overall.

An improvement in the shielding effect, in particular with regard to the very high frequencies to be transmitted, is achieved with the measure according to claim 5. This shielding effect is significantly improved by the side shielding walls in accordance with the measure according to claim 6. The measure according to claim 7 in turn leads to a safe ground contact and thus to an even greater shielding effect of the clamping arm in connection with the shielding walls inside the box.

The measures according to claim 8 ensure that the swivel mechanism for the swivel arm only acts when the clamping arm has been pulled up to the limit stop within the lateral guides. The metal tongue acts like a spring tongue and thus leads to an automatic locking in the pivoting position of the clamping arm, so that the clamping arm cannot fall down unintentionally when the coaxial cable to be connected is installed.

In the case of an antenna socket for the simultaneous connection of two parallel coaxial cables, using the features described and characterized above, the measure according to claim 9 entails an extraordinarily simple design with the described safe contacting, strain relief and shielding.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the connection of the inner conductors of the coaxial cables to be connected is also decisively improved with regard to the described requirements for the very high frequencies. This is the case with an antenna socket in which each clamping device for the inner conductor consists of an abutment made of insulating material held on the base support with a connection contact leading to the inside of the socket and a pressing element a in the operating position against the inserted inner conductor and pressing this against the terminal contact pressure piece made of insulating material achieved by the measures according to claim 10. With this configuration of the clamping device for the inner conductor, it is possible to achieve a mechanical and electrically safe contacting option which can get by with extremely small and short electrically conductive and thus RF energy-emitting components. An extremely compact design of the clamping device for the inner conductor is achieved, in which only the inner conductor of the cable to be connected and the short wire end resting on the abutment, and thus extremely small and short electrically conductive components, are present.

The measure according to claim 11 ensures that when the pressure element is tightened, the inner cable conductor is deformed on the transverse wire end and thus an increase in the safety of the mechanical and electrical system of the inner conductor is achieved. This security can be increased by the measure according to claim 12, whereby an increased deformation of the inner conductor is achieved on the wire end.

The features and measures characterized in claims 13 to 16 serve for the further configuration of the clamping device for the inner conductor according to the invention with regard to compactness, reliable guidance and reliable contacting and holding. All parts used are simply designed and securely arranged and guided together.

• Fig. 1 eine schaubildliche, explosionsartig auseinandergezogene Darstellung einer Antennensteckdose nach der Erfindung,
• Fig. 2 eine schaubildliche Ansicht der Antennensteckdose mit hochgeschwenktem Klemmarm,
• Fig. 3 eine schaubildliche Darstellung entsprechend Fig. 2 mit in Betriebslage geschwenktem und festgeschraubtem Klemmarm und
• Fig. 4 eine schaubildliche Detailansicht aus der erfindungsgemäßen Klemmvorrichtung für den Innenleiter des anzuschließenden Koaxialkabels.

Features, further advantages and details of the invention are explained with reference to an embodiment of the invention with reference to the drawing. Show it:

• 1 is a diagrammatic, exploded exploded view of an antenna socket according to the invention,
• 2 is a perspective view of the antenna socket with the clamp arm pivoted up,
• Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic representation corresponding to FIG. 2 with the clamp arm pivoted and screwed into the operating position and
• Fig. 4 is a detailed perspective view of the clamping device according to the invention for the inner conductor of the coaxial cable to be connected.

The antenna socket initially has, in the usual way, a metal base support 1, which is also referred to as a chassis. The usual coaxial plug-in elements 2 (plug or socket) for the plug connection of connecting cables are arranged on this base support. On the underside is the usual circuit board 3, which carries the desired electrical components. Furthermore, the antenna socket is closed below by the closure parts 4, which need not be explained in more detail here.

The antenna socket shown here is designed as a double socket in the usual way. The embodiment of the invention described below therefore always relates to the training for the connection of two coaxial cables.

The clamping device according to the invention for the inner conductor of the coaxial cable to be inserted laterally into the antenna socket is first described below.

In recesses 5 in the metal base support two receptacles 6 made of insulating material are passed, which are held on a cross member 7 made of insulating material below the base support. An abutment is formed in a recess 8 of each receiving piece 6, as can be seen more clearly in a schematic illustration at 9 in FIG. 4. On this abutment 9, a wire end is placed transversely to the inner conductor 10 (FIG. 4) of the coaxial cable to be connected, the further course of which is led downwards to the respective connection to the electrical components of the printed circuit board. The wire end 10 thus projects into the recess 8 transversely to the direction of insertion of the inner cable. Each receptacle 6 is block-shaped from insulating material with lateral guide walls, as shown in FIG. 1, and whose function will be described below. The connecting end of the wire end 10 forming the connection contact, which leads into the socket, runs in a slot in a guide wall of the receiving piece 6, in the exemplary embodiment in the guide wall on the left in each case.

The clamping device for the inner conductor also consists of a pressure element which consists of a guide piece 13 which can be tightened by a screw 12 in the direction of the abutment 9 and which is displaceably guided on and in the receiving piece 6 and which carries a pressure piece 14. The pressure piece 14 consists of insulating material. The rest of the guide piece 13 is either made of plastic or, if the strength requires it, of a firmer material than the pressure piece, in particular of metal. Each pressure piece 14, as can be seen when the parts in FIG. 1 are viewed together, is displaceably guided in the associated recess 8 of the receiving piece 6 surrounding the abutment 9. Fig. 4 shows the guide piece 13 with its pressure piece 14 and the screw 12 on an enlarged scale, with respect to the abutment or receiving piece only with the parts used for explanation.

The recesses 8 are open in the direction of the coaxial cable to be inserted, the inner conductor to be inserted. 4 shows in detail, the surface of the abutment 9 is inclined transversely to the wire end 10, namely roof-shaped, profiled. Complementary to this, the associated pressure surface of the pressure piece 14 is profiled. If the pressure piece 14 is thus tightened against the abutment 9 with the inner conductor 10a inserted with the aid of the screw 12 and via the guide piece 13, the inner conductor 10a deforms in accordance with the upper profile running with the wire end 10 resting thereon and is thus securely contacted and mechanically fixed securely.

The clamping device for the outer conductor is designed in the following manner in the antenna socket according to the invention: A clamping arm 15 can be pivoted above the base support 1 about an axis lying in the direction of insertion behind the inner conductor clamping device and extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of the connecting cable and vertically limited in lateral guides upwards slidably mounted to the connecting cable longitudinal axis and screwable in the operating position against the outer conductor of the coaxial cable, designated 16 in FIG. 4. The lateral guides consist of vertical slotted guide rails 17, as can best be seen from FIGS. 2 and 3. A lateral pivot pin 19 of the clamping arm 15 engages in the slots 16 of the guide rails 17. The slots 18 are narrowed at the top to limit the stop, for example by angling a web as shown at 20 in FIG. 3. It can thus be seen that the clamping arm 15 is displaceable in the guide slots 18 perpendicular to the plane of the base support and also via the pivot pin 19 is pivotable.

As can be seen in particular from FIG. 2, the clamping surface of the clamping arm 15 is ribbed transversely to the longitudinal direction of the connecting cable by ribs 21 rounded in its longitudinal direction. The rib sleeves are increasingly formed in the direction of insertion. Furthermore, the ribs moving on the metal outer conductor of the coaxial cable are provided with a larger contact surface than the subsequent ribs, which lie on the insulating jacket of the cable, as can be clearly seen from FIG. 2. On the metal base support 1, the clamping surface with the ribs 21 of the clamping arm 15 is assigned a clamping support 22, which is also ribbed transversely to the longitudinal direction of the connecting cable, as shown in FIG. 2 in particular by the ribs 23 which show the increasing rib height and width the bearing surfaces are designed according to the ribs 21 on the clamping arm 15.

On the rear side of the clamping arm 15 in the insertion direction, a metal tongue 24 is arranged on the base support between the lateral guide rails 17, which cooperates with a projection 25 provided on the clamping arm edge in such a way that the clamping arm can be pivoted in the position pulled up against the guide stop 20 according to FIG. 2 and can be locked automatically in the raised position. Fig. 2 shows this position.

The clamping arm 15 has, in its area surrounding the inner conductor clamping device, downward-facing side walls 26. On the longitudinal sides of the clamping arm 15, screen walls 27 are arranged in this area, that is to say at least in the area of the side cheeks 26, on the base support 1, which are additionally each covered with contact springs 28, here in the manner of cage springs, which thus act against the side cheeks 26 of the clamp arm 15 in its in Fig. 3 shown operating position firmly and resiliently.

With the help of the captive nut 29 held in the clamping arm 15, the clamping arm can be firmly screwed onto the screw pin 30 in the clamping and operating position.

2 clearly shows the clamping devices for the inner conductor in the operating position, in which case the pressure piece 14 presses the inner conductor 10a onto the wire end 10 and the abutment 9.

Claims (16)

1. Antenna outlet device for high frequency bands having a metal base-frame carrying the coaxial plug elements accepting the plugs of coaxial connect cables and having, in the same metal base, clamping facilities for the connection of the central conductor for one part and the outer conductor for the other part of each of the coaxial cables to be inserted into the outlet device, and where the clamping facility for the outer conductor consists of a clamping arm mounted on a hinge to the metal base, located before the clamping facility for the inner conductor looking at the coaxial cable to be inserted which with its clamping side presses onto the coaxial cable's outher conductor and a metal contact surface located on the metal base opposite the clamp arm, which elements, clamping arm and contact surface, closing upon the outer conductor hold it in place in its working position, characterized by the fact that the clamping arm (15) is fixed to the metal base (1) pivoting about an axis (19) located behind the clamp facility for the central conductor (6, 13), looking in the direction of inserting the cable, and at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the cable as well as in lateral guides (17) vertically movable with respect to the longitudinal axis of the coaxial cable with an upper limit-point, which can be screwed down pressing onto the outer conductor in its working position.
2. Antenna outlet device as per claim 1, characterized by the fact that the lateral guides consist of vertically slotted (16) guide rails (17) whose slots (16) give support to lateral tags (19) on the clamp arm (15) and whose slots narrow toward the upper limit-point (20).
3. Antenna outlet device according to claim 1 or 2 characterized by the fact that the clamping side (21) of the clamping arm (15) and the contact surface (21,23) are provided with crosswise ribs with respect to the longitudinal direction of the coaxial cable.
4. Antenna outlet device according to claim 3 characterized by the fact that the height of the ribs (21, 32) increases in the direction of inserting the cable.
5. Antenna outlet device according to one of the claims 1 to 4 characterized by the fact that the clamping arm (15) at least in the region surrounding the clamping facility for the central conductor is provided with downward pointing jaws.
6. Antenna outlet device according to claims 1 to 5 characterized by the fact that the base-frame (15) has metal screening partitions (27) following the sides of the clamp arm (15).
7. Antenna outlet device according to claim 6 characterized by the fact that the surfaces of the screening partitions (27) showing towards the clamp arm are lined with contact springs, especially cage-type springs.
8. Antenna outlet device according to one of the claims 1 to 7 characterized by the fact that looking in the direction of inserting the cable the base-frame (1) has a metal tongue (24) located back of the clamping arm (15) between the lateral guides (17) cooperating with a projection (25) on the edge of the clamp arm (15) in that way that the clamp arm (15) when pulled up against the limit-point (20) of the guides allows for perpendicular movement, and in the moved-up position snaps into place by itself.
9. Antenna outlet device according to one of the claims 1 to 8 for the joint connection of two parallel coaxial cables, characterized by the fact that the outer conductors of both cables are held in place by just one clamp arm (15) on its pivoting and shift guides and with its lateral screening partitions (27) and a single contact surface (22) with grooved sections assigned to each outer conductor (21, 23).
10. Antenna outlet device according to one of the claims 1 to 9 where each clamping facility for the central conductor consists of a base-frame-mounted counter-bearing made of insulating material with a terminal contact leading inside the antenna outlet device and a pressure element having a hold-down tag made of insulating material which grips the central conductor once inserted and in working position pressing it against the terminal contact characterized by the fact that the terminal contact (9) consists of a wire end (10) applied to the counter-bearing and that the pressure element consists of a guide element (13) which can be tightened down against the counter-bearing (9) by means of a screw (12) and held in the counter-bearing in a movable condition which pressure element carrying the hold-down tag (14), and that the hold-down tag (14) is held in a movable condition within a recess (8) in a receptacle (6) made of insulating material surrounding the counter-bearing (9) which recess opening on one side in order to accept the central conductor, its bottom end being shaped to form the counter-bearing.
11. Antenna outlet device according to claim 10 characterized by the fact that the wire end (10) forming the terminal contact is applied to the counter-bearing (9) at right angles to the longitudinal axis (10a) of the central conductor.
12. Antenna outlet device according to claim 11 characterized by the fact that the surface of the counter-bearing (9) has a sloping section running at right angles to the wire end (10) and that the opposite pressure surface of the hold-down tag (14) is sectioned correspondingly.
13. Antenna outlet device according to claim 12 characterized by the fact that the receptacle (6) of the counter-bearing (9) is formed to have lateral guide walls and that the pressure element (13) touches with at least one of its side jaws at least one of the guide walls of the receptacle (6) in a movable condition.
14. Antenna outlet device according to one of the claims 10 to 13 characterized by the fact that the end of the wire (10) forming the terminal contact which leads inside the device is run along a slot (11) in one of the guide walls of the receptacle (6).
15. Antenna outlet device according to one of the claims 10 to 14 characterized by the fact that the guide element (13) of the pressure element is made of a more rugged material than the hold-down tag (14), especially metal the counter-bearing (9) being fixed to its bottom end.
16. Antenna outlet device according to one of the claims 10 to 15 characterized by the fact that each receptacle (6) and each counter-bearing (9) are held on a cross-bar (7) in the base-frame (1).

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