Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
  • H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
  • H01R13/62—Means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts or for holding them in engagement
  • H01R13/629—Additional means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts, e.g. aligning or guiding means, levers, gas pressure electrical locking indicators, manufacturing tolerances
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
  • H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
  • H01R13/62—Means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts or for holding them in engagement
  • H01R13/639—Additional means for holding or locking coupling parts together, after engagement, e.g. separate keylock, retainer strap
  • H01R13/6395—Additional means for holding or locking coupling parts together, after engagement, e.g. separate keylock, retainer strap for wall or panel outlets

Definitions

• This invention relates to electrical cable connectors. More particularly, the invention relates to a flat inner conductor coaxial connector with improved passive intermodulation distortion (PIM) electrical performance and mechanical interconnection characteristics.
• PIM passive intermodulation distortion
• Coaxial cable connectors are used, for example, in communication systems requiring a high level of precision and reliability.
• rotational forces may be applied to the installed connector, for example as the attached coaxial cable is routed toward the next interconnection, maneuvered into position and/or curved for alignment with cable supports and/or retaining hangers. Rotation of the coaxial cable and coaxial connector with respect to each other may damage the connector, the cable and/or the integrity of the cable/connector inter-connection. Further, once installed, twisting, bending and/or vibration applied to the interconnection over time may degrade the connector to cable interconnection and/or introduce PIM.
• PIM is a form of electrical interference/signal transmission degradation that may occur with less than symmetrical interconnections and/or as electro-mechanical interconnections shift or degrade over time, for example due to mechanical stress, vibration, thermal cycling, oxidation formation and/or material
• PIM is an important interconnection quality characteristic, as PIM from a single low quality interconnection may degrade the electrical performance of an entire RF system.
• Prior coaxial cables typically have a coaxial configuration with a circular outer conductor evenly spaced away from a circular inner conductor by a dielectric support such as polyethylene foam or the like.
• the electrical properties of the dielectric support and spacing between the inner and outer conductor define a characteristic impedance of the coaxial cable. Circumferential uniformity of the spacing between the inner and outer conductor prevents introduction of impedance discontinuities into the coaxial cable that would otherwise degrade electrical performance.
• a stripline is a flat conductor sandwiched between parallel interconnected ground planes.
• Striplines have the advantage of being non-dispersive and may be utilized for transmitting high frequency RF signals.
• Striplines may be cost- effectively generated using printed circuit board technology or the like. However, striplines may be expensive to manufacture in longer lengths/larger dimensions.
• the conductor sandwich is generally not self-supporting and/or aligning, compared to a coaxial cable, and as such may require significant additional support/reinforcing structure.
• Figure 1 is a schematic isometric view of an exemplary cable, with layers of the conductors, dielectric spacer and outer jacket stripped back.
• Figure 2 is a schematic end view of the cable of Figure 1 .
• Figure 3 is a schematic isometric view demonstrating a bend radius of the cable of Figure 1 .
• Figure 4 is a schematic isometric view of an alternative cable, with layers of the conductors, dielectric spacer and outer jacket stripped back.
• Figure 5 is a schematic end view of an alternative embodiment cable utilizing varied outer conductor spacing to modify operating current distribution within the cable.
• Figure 6 is a schematic isometric view of an exemplary cable and connector, the male and female connector bodies coupled together.
• Figure 7 is a schematic isometric view of the cable and connector of Figure 6, the male and female connector bodies aligned for insertion.
• Figure 8 is a schematic isometric alternative angle view of the cable and connector of Figure 7.
• Figure 9 is a schematic end view of the cable and connector of Figure 6, from the cable end.
• Figure 10 is a schematic side view of the cable and connector of Figure 6.
• Figure 1 1 is a schematic cross-section view, taken along line A-A of Figure 9.
• Figure 12 is a schematic cross-section view, taken along line C-C of Figure 10.
• Figure 13 is a schematic isometric angled top view of an alignment insert.
• Figure 14 is a schematic isometric angled bottom view of an alignment insert.
• Figure 15 is a schematic isometric angled end view of an alignment receptacle.
• Figure 16 is a schematic isometric view of an alignment insert seated within an alignment receptacle.
• Figure 17 is a schematic isometric view of the alignment insert and alignment receptacle of Figure 16, in an exploded view showing a bottom of the alignment insert with an inner conductor seated within the conductor seat.
• Figure 18 is a schematic side view of a cable and connector interconnection utilizing a low band alignment insert.
• Figure 19 is a schematic side view of a cable and connector interconnection utilizing a middle band alignment insert.
• Figure 20 is a schematic side view of a cable and connector interconnection utilizing a high band alignment insert.
• Figure 21 is a schematic isometric view of another embodiment, aligned for insertion, with a schematic demonstration of the outer conductor dielectric spacer.
• Figure 22 is a schematic isometric view of another embodiment, aligned for insertion, with a schematic demonstration of the outer conductor dielectric spacer and a lock ring dielectric spacer.
• Figure 23 is a schematic partial cut-away side view of the embodiment of Figure 22, in an interconnected position.
• the inventors have recognized that the prior accepted coaxial cable design paradigm of concentric circular cross section design geometries results in unnecessarily large coaxial cables with reduced bend radius, excess metal material costs and/or significant additional manufacturing process requirements.
• the inventors have further recognized that the application of a flat inner conductor, compared to conventional circular inner conductor configurations, enables precision tunable capacitive coupling for the reduction and/or elimination of PIM from inner conductor connector interface interconnections. Further, application of an outer conductor dielectric spacer also between the
• interconnections of the outer conductor connector interface can result in a fully capacitively coupled connection interface which may entirely eliminate the possibility of PIM generation from the connector interface.
• FIG. 1 -3 An exemplary stripline RF transmission cable 1 is demonstrated in Figures 1 -3.
• the inner conductor 5 of the cable 1 extending between a pair of inner conductor edges 3, is a generally flat metallic strip.
• a top section 10 and a bottom section 15 of the outer conductor 25 may be aligned parallel to the inner conductor 5 with widths generally equal to the inner conductor width.
• the top and bottom sections 10, 15 transition at each side into convex edge sections 20.
• the circumference of the inner conductor 5 is entirely sealed within an outer conductor 25 comprising the top section 10, bottom section 15 and edge sections 20.
• the dimensions/curvature of the edge sections 20 may be selected, for example, for ease of manufacture.
• the edge sections 20 and any transition thereto from the top and bottom sections 10, 15 is generally smooth, without sharp angles or edges.
• the edge sections 20 may be provided as circular arcs with an arc radius R, with respect to each side of the inner conductor 5, equivalent to the spacing between each of the top and bottom sections 10, 15 and the inner conductor 5, resulting in a generally equal spacing between any point on the circumference of the inner conductor 5 and the nearest point of the outer conductor 25, minimizing outer conductor material
• the desired spacing between the inner conductor 5 and the outer conductor 25 may be obtained with high levels of precision via application of a uniformly dimensioned spacer structure with dielectric properties, referred to as the dielectric layer 30, and then surrounding the dielectric layer 30 with the outer conductor 25.
• the cable 1 may be provided in essentially unlimited continuous lengths with a uniform cross section at any point along the cable 1 .
• the inner conductor 5 metallic strip may be formed as solid rolled metal material such as copper, aluminum, steel or the like.
• the inner conductor 5 may be provided as copper coated aluminum or copper coated steel.
• the inner conductor 5 may be provided as a substrate 40 such as a polymer and/or fiber strip that is metal coated or metalized, for example as shown in Figure 4.
• a substrate 40 such as a polymer and/or fiber strip that is metal coated or metalized, for example as shown in Figure 4.
• the dielectric layer 30 may be applied as a continuous wall of plastic dielectric material around the outer surface of the inner conductor 5. Additionally, expanded blends of high and/or low density polyethylene, solid or foamed, may be applied as the dielectric layer 30.
• the outer conductor 25 is electrically continuous, entirely surrounding the circumference of the dielectric layer 30 to eliminate radiation and/or entry of interfering electrical signals.
• the outer conductor 25 may be a solid material such as aluminum or copper material sealed around the dielectric layer as a contiguous portion by seam welding or the like. Alternatively, helical wrapped and/or overlapping folded configurations utilizing, for example, metal foil and/or braided type outer conductor 25 may also be utilized.
• a protective jacket 35 of polymer materials such as polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane and/or rubbers may be applied to the outer diameter of the outer conductor.
• the electric field strength and corresponding current density may also be balanced by adjusting the distance between the outer conductor 25 and the mid-section 7 of the inner conductor 5.
• the outer conductor 25 may be provided spaced farther away from each inner conductor edge 3 than from the mid-section 7 of the inner conductor 5, creating a generally hourglass-shaped cross-section.
• the distance between the outer conductor 25 and the mid-section 7 of the inner conductor 5 may be less than, for example, 0.7 of a distance between the inner conductor edges 3 and the outer conductor 25 (at the edge sections 20).
• a capacitively coupled flat conductor connector 43 for terminating a flat inner conductor stripline RF transmission cable 1 is demonstrated in Figures 6-12.
• capacitive coupling By applying capacitive coupling at the connection interface, the potential for PIM generation with respect to the inner conductor 5 may be eliminated.
• cable end 41 and connector end 42 are applied herein as identifiers for respective ends of both the connector and also of discrete elements of the connector described herein, to identify same and their respective interconnecting surfaces according to their alignment along a longitudinal axis of the connector between an connector end 42 and a cable end 41 of each of the male and female connector bodies 50, 65.
• the connector end 42 of the male connector 50 is coupled to the connector end 42 of the female connector 65.
• a "molecular bond" as utilized herein is defined as an interconnection in which the bonding interface between two elements utilizes exchange, intermingling, fusion or the like of material from each of two elements bonded together.
• the exchange, intermingling, fusion or the like of material from each of two elements generates an interface layer where the comingled materials combine into a composite material comprising material from each of the two elements being bonded together.
• a molecular bond may be generated by application of heat sufficient to melt the bonding surfaces of each of two elements to be bonded together, such that the interface layer becomes molten and the two melted surfaces exchange material with one another. Then, the two elements are retained stationary with respect to one another, until the molten interface layer cools enough to solidify.
• the resulting interconnection is contiguous across the interface layer, eliminating interconnection quality and/or degradation issues such as material creep, oxidation, galvanic corrosion, moisture infiltration and/or interconnection surface shift.
• the inner conductor 5 extends through the bore 45 for capacitive coupling with a mating conductor 55, such as an inner conductor trace on a printed circuit board 60, supported by a female connector body 65. Because the inner conductor 5 and mating conductor 55 are generally flat, the capacitive coupling between the inner conductor 5 and the mating conductor 55 is between two planar surfaces. Thereby, alignment and spacing to obtain the desired level of capacitive coupling may be obtained by adjusting the overlap and/or offset between the capacitive coupled surfaces. As best shown in Figures 7 and 8, the offset between the inner conductor 5 and the mating conductor 55 may be selected by insertion of a dielectric spacer 70 therebetween, for example adhered to the mating conductor 55.
• the dielectric spacer 70 may be any dielectric material with desired thickness, strength and/or abrasion resistance characteristics, such as a yttria-stabilized zirconia ceramic material. Such materials are commercially available, for example, in sheets with high precision thicknesses as thin as 0.002".
• the surface area between the capacitively coupled surfaces is determined by the amount of longitudinal overlap applied between the two.
• the overlap may be adjusted to tune the capacitive coupling for a desired frequency band of the RF signals to be transmitted along the cable 1 .
• Precision alignment of the inner conductor 5 and the mating conductor 55 may be facilitated by an alignment insert 75, for example as shown in Figures 13 and 14, coupled to the male connector body 50, and an alignment receptacle 77, for example as shown in Figure 15, coupled to the female connector body 65, which key with one another longitudinally along a ramp surface 79 on a connector end 42 of the alignment insert 75 that seats against an angled groove 81 of the alignment receptacle 77.
• longitudinal advancement of the alignment insert 75 into the alignment receptacle 77 drives the inner conductor 5 and the mating conductor 55 laterally toward one another until they bottom against one another, separated by the dielectric spacer, for example as shown in Figures 1 1 and 12.
• the alignment between the alignment insert 75 and the alignment receptacle 77 may be further enhanced by applying the ramp surface 79 and angled groove 81 to both sides of the alignment insert 75 and alignment receptacle 77, as best shown in Figure 16.
• the alignment insert 75 may be reinforced by application of a support spline 83 extending normal to the ramp surface 79. Further, the support spline 83 may be configured as a further ramp element that engages a center portion 85 of the alignment receptacle 79 as the alignment insert 75 and alignment receptacle 77 approach their full engagement position, as best shown in Figures 1 1 and 16.
• the fit of the inner conductor 5 within the alignment insert 75 may be further controlled by application of a conductor seat 87 formed as a trough on the alignment insert 75, the trough provided with a specific length corresponding to the desired overlap between the inner conductor 5 and the mating conductor 55.
• the conductor seat 87 may also be used as a guide for cable end preparation. By test fitting the alignment insert 75 against the male connector body 50 with the inner conductor 5 extending over the conductor seat 87, the connector end 42 of the conductor seat 87 demonstrates the required trim point along the inner conductor 5 for correct fit of the inner conductor 5 into the conductor seat 87 and thereby the length of the inner conductor 5 necessary to obtain the desired overlap.
• transverse trough 89 proximate the connector end 42 of the conductor seat 87, as best shown in Figure 14, reduces the requirements for applying a precise trim cut to the inner conductor 5 by providing a cavity for folding the tip of the inner conductor 5 away from the mating conductor 55, as shown in Figures 1 1 and 12, rendering this portion essentially inoperative with respect to overlap. Because the position of the transverse trough 89 may be formed with high precision during manufacture of the alignment insert 75, for example by injection molding, the desired length of the inner conductor 5 overlapping the mating conductor 55 is obtained even if a low precision trim cut is applied as the excess extent of the inner conductor 5 is then folded away from the dielectric spacer 70 into the transverse trough 89.
• the bend of the inner conductor 5 into the transverse trough 89 provides a smooth leading inner conductor edge to reduce the potential for damage to the dielectric spacer 70 as the alignment insert 75 with inner conductor 5 is inserted into the alignment receptacle 77, across the dielectric spacer 70.
• the alignment insert 75 may be removably coupled to the male connector body 50 via an attachment feature 91 provided in a mounting face 93 normal to a longitudinal axis of the alignment insert 75, the mounting face 93 provided with an inner conductor slot 95 dimensioned to receive the inner conductor 5 therethrough.
• the attachment feature may be, for example, at least one protrusion 97 which mates with a corresponding coupling aperture 99 of the male connector body 50.
• the alignment receptacle 77 may be permanently coupled to the female connector body 65 by swaging a sidewall of an annular swage groove 109 of the female connector body 65 against an outer diameter of the alignment receptacle 77, for example as shown in Figures 1 1 and 12.
• the capacitive coupling may be quickly precision tuned for a range of different frequency bands by selection between a plurality of alignment inserts 75, each of the alignment inserts 75 provided with conductor seats 87 of varied longitudinal length, for example as shown in Figures 18-20.
• a coupling arrangement between the male connector body 50 and the female connector body 65 securely retains the alignment insert 75 and alignment receptacle 77 together.
• the coupling may be applied in a quick connect configuration, for example as described in US Utility Patent Application Publication No. : 2012-0129375, titled Tabbed Connector Interface” published 24 May 2012, hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, wherein the connector end 42 of the male connector body 50 is provided with a male outer conductor coupling surface 100, here provided as the conical outer diameter of a seat surface 101 at the connector end 42.
• the seat surface 101 is dimensioned to seat against a female outer conductor coupling surface 102, here provided as an annular groove 103 of the female connector body 65, the annular groove 103 open to the connector end 42.
• the male connector body 50 is provided with a lock ring 105 adapted to engage base tabs 107 of the female connector body 65 to retain the seat surface 101 against the annular groove 103.
• an outer conductor dielectric spacer 1 1 1 may be applied to the outer conductor
• the outer conductor dielectric spacer 1 1 1 may be applied, for example as shown in Figures 21 and 22, with respect to the outer conductor 25 by coating connection surfaces of the connector end 42 of the male connector body 50 (the seat surface 101 ) or female connector body 65
• the outer conductor dielectric spacer 1 1 1 may be applied covering the base tabs 107.
• the outer conductor dielectric spacer 1 1 1 may be provided, for example, as a ceramic or polymer dielectric material.
• the ability to apply extremely thin dielectric coatings may reduce the surface area requirement of the separated conductor surfaces, enabling the overall dimensions of the connection interface to be reduced.
• capacitive coupling may be applied to connection interfaces with conventional threaded lock ring configurations.
• a variation of the outer conductor elements of a standard DIN connector interface applies telescopic mating between the seat surface 101 and the annular groove 103, wherein the outer conductor dielectric spacer 1 1 1 is applied to the male outer conductor seat surface 100, here provided as a seat surface 101 on an inner diameter of the connector end 42 of the male connector body 50 and the inner sidewall of the annular groove 103 of the female connector body 65.
• the lock ring 105 has been demonstrated formed from a dielectric material, for example a fiber-reinforced polymer. Therefore, the lock ring 105 does not create a galvanic electro-mechanical coupling between the male connector body 50 and the female connector body 65.
• a lock ring dielectric spacer 1 15 may be applied, between seating surfaces of the lock ring 105 and the male connector body 50 to electrically isolate the lock ring 105 from the male connector body 50, for example as shown in Figures 22 and 23.
• the cable 1 and capacitive coupling connector 43 provide numerous advantages over a conventional circular cross section coaxial cable and connector embodiments.
• the flat inner conductor 5 configuration enables a direct transition to planar elements, such as traces on printed circuit boards and/or antennas.
• the capacitive coupling connector 43 may eliminate PIM with respect to the inner and outer conductors 5, 25 and is easily assembled for operation with a range of different frequency bands via simple exchange of the alignment insert 75.

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• 2012
  • 2012-11-10 IN IN3132DEN2014 patent/IN2014DN03132A/en unknown
  • 2012-11-10 WO PCT/US2012/064573 patent/WO2013071205A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2012-11-10 CN CN201280053468.6A patent/CN103907246A/zh active Pending
  • 2012-11-10 EP EP12848267.6A patent/EP2777099A1/en not_active Withdrawn

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