JP5027864B2 - Shield integrated RF connector - Google Patents

Description

  The field of the invention relates to RF connectors.

  High frequency (RF) connectors are most often referred to simply as RF connectors, which are often used to connect coaxial cables while providing some degree of shielding. Recently, these connectors and coaxial cables have been used for FM / AM radio, satellite-based communication systems such as OnStarTM, keyless vehicle entry systems such as navigation systems compatible with global positioning systems, collision avoidance systems, and other communication devices. With the arrival, the use in automotive applications has increased significantly.

  Since the use of connectors for automotive applications has become extremely common, standards such as the Fakra standard and the -45 dB Uscar-17 standard have been established. Other standards such as low contact resistance were also created. Today's terminal connectors that meet these standards include a snap-fit plastic outer housing combination that includes costly cold-drawn tubular RF terminals. Less expensive stamped RF terminals only provide partial shielding up to 2 GHz. For the 3 GHz or 4 GHz frequencies that are newly desired, many terminal connectors have leakage problems.

  Furthermore, in one car having many of the above features, more than 40 RFFakra connectors are attached to the vehicle. In addition, many of these automotive communication devices operate at increasingly higher frequencies and currently operate at about 3 GHz or higher. Also, today's connectors need to be seated correctly in order to provide adequate shielding, i.e., bad deployment will cause severe RF leakage. Thus, today's RF connectors have strict manufacturing tolerances to ensure that they are seated correctly, which increases the cost of each connector.

  What is needed is a stamped terminal connector that meets all known standards, has improved shielding for frequencies above 3 GHz, and allows greater manufacturing tolerances for terminals and connector housings. It is an inexpensive RF connector.

  According to one aspect of the invention, an RF connector assembly includes a first connector housing having a first end configured to receive and house a terminal end for a first coaxial cable in a connectable manner. A second connector housing with a separate first end configured to connectably receive and house a complementary second terminal end for a second coaxial cable; Yes. The first and second connector housings are further constructed so that their respective second ends are connected to each other. The terminal end portion and the complementary second terminal end portion are made in a complementary structure so as to engage with each other when the connector housings are connected to each other. The first connector housing receives a tubular shield attached around and connected to each terminal end. The tubular shield is a set of resilient, radially inwardly extending contact fingers for connection around the complementary second terminal end when the second connector housing is connected to the first connector housing. have.

  The tubular shield preferably has a second set of contact fingers that project radially inwardly to connect around the terminal ends in the first connector housing. The first and second sets of contact fingers that elastically project radially inward are spaced axially spaced from each other proximate to opposite ends of the tubular shield. Each set of contact fingers preferably projects inwardly from the respective end of the shield.

  The shield of one embodiment has an axially extending seam. In another embodiment, the seam is provided with an overlapping tab that extends along the length of the shield. In another embodiment, the seam is provided with complementary interlocking tabs and notches that prevent the seam from opening. According to another aspect of the present invention, the tubular shield for the RF terminal connector assembly is elastic and has a radius for connection to each connection end of the complementary terminals for the first and second coaxial cables. Contact fingers projecting inwardly in the direction are provided at each end.

  Reference is now made to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 4 is a partially exploded perspective view of an RF coaxial cable terminal and connector housing assembly. FIG. 6 is a perspective end view of a first housing member with a tubular shield attached therein. It is a perspective view of a tubular shield. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a fully assembled RF coaxial cable terminal and housing member. It is a fragmentary perspective view of 2nd Embodiment of a tubular shield. It is a perspective view of 3rd Embodiment of a tubular shield. It is a graph which shows the radiation | emission interference wave versus rotation angle measured from the distance of 1 m of the female part terminal with respect to the male part terminal which operate | moves by electric power 1W and 3 GHz.

  Referring now to FIG. 1, the RF connection 10 includes a male terminal assembly 12 that is connected through one end 13 of a male plastic housing 14. The female terminal assembly 16 is connected through one end 17 of the female plastic housing 18. The male and female plastic housings 14 and 18 have their respective second ends 21 and 23 with the tabs 20, the release latch 22, and the operation latch handle 25 of the male and female housings 14 and 18, respectively. It is made into a structure that is snapped together so as to be releasable.

  As shown more clearly in FIG. 2, the male plastic housing 14 has a tubular shield member 24 attached to the second end 21. The second end has a cylindrical cavity 26 that closely receives the tubular shield 24 by press fitting. The end portion 21 of the cavity portion 26 has a narrowed diameter, and the shield 24 is compressed in the radial direction and is fitted into the narrowed end portion 21, and passes through the narrowed end portion 21. Then, it may be elastically bent to return to a large diameter and come into contact with the cavity 26.

  As shown more clearly in FIG. 3, the shield 24 is a tube having a seam 27 extending along the longitudinal axis. First and second sets 30 and 32 of fingers 28 having elasticity and projecting radially inward are provided at opposite ends 33 of the tubular shield 24. The tubular shield may be made of steel or other conductive RF shielding material, for example, electrodeposited with another metal. The shield can be made by stamping a sheet of material to form a flat finger and then rounding the finger generally to create a tubular shape of the shield so that the fingers project radially inward. The finger 28 has an arcuate shape so that a certain elastic flexibility is obtained when the tubular terminal is engaged therein.

  Referring now to FIG. 4, when the RF connection is fully assembled, the two coaxial cables 40 and 42, each having its own coaxial cable core 44 and outer coaxial cable shield 46, are connected and the center pin 48 is centered. The inner conductor 50 is engaged. Further, the male outer terminal 52 of the assembly 12 is connected to the outer female terminal 54 of the assembly 16 via a contact arm 56 installed on the female terminal 54. A ferrule 55 is conventionally crimped around the terminal 52, the male part of the ferrule so that the terminal assembly 12 is held in the housing 14 but relative rotation of the housing 14 relative to the terminal assembly 12 is allowed. A locking tab 34 engages a circular slot 36 in the housing 14. With the shield 24 held in the housing 14, the terminal 12 is attached by a weak contact force with the terminal 12 and a close press-fitting through the narrowed end 21. A similar ferrule 57 is conventionally crimped around the female terminal 54 which also extends through the end 17 of the female housing 18 so that the terminal assembly 16 is held in the housing 18 except that the housing 18 has a similar tab 38 that engages the circular slot 40 so that relative rotation with respect to the terminal assembly 16 is allowed. The ferrules 55 and 57 are further crimped around the outer coaxial shield portion 46 (not shown) in a conventional manner.

  The male ferrule 55 extends through the end 13 and engages a first set 30 of fingers 28 that elastically project radially inward. The finger is elastically pressed outward with a slight contact force. The housings 14, 18 are then connected together via tab and latch mechanisms 20, 22. Two terminal assemblies 12 and 16 engage each other. Terminal assemblies 12 and 16 are further adapted to rotate relative to each other. Terminal 57 further engages shield 24 and is connected to a second set of fingers 28. The second set of fingers 28 is also elastically deflected outwardly to provide a weak contact force. The shoulder 31 of the housing 14 holds the shield 24 in place while the terminal assembly 12 is attached. When attached, the tubular shield 24 extends across the connection between the two terminals 52 and 54.

  In this manner, RF leakage from the gap 58 between the male and female portions is further reduced and shielded by the tubular shield 24, if any. This reduction is provided for any relative angle of the seams 70, 72 of the two ferrules 52, 54.

  When the two housings 14, 18 are disconnected from each other, the two terminal assemblies 12 and 16 are also disconnected. The shield 29 resists the traction force of the terminal within the housing 14 thanks to the weak contact force of the contact fingers 28, the tight press-fit of the shield into the housing 14, and the locking interference of the narrowed end 21. And held in the housing 14.

  FIG. 5 shows a modified tubular shield 124 where the seam 127 is further closed by overlapping the inner tab 160 and the outer tab 162. This overlapping tab structure further reduces RF leakage.

  FIG. 6 shows a third embodiment of the tubular shield 224, in which the locking tab 260 engages the interlocking notch 262 across the seam 227, further bringing the seam 227 to the closed position. You can see that it is firmly fixed. These locking tabs similarly further reduce RF leakage.

  The graph shown in FIG. 7 shows the effectiveness of the shield in all three embodiments compared to an RF Fakra connector made in a similar structure that does not use a tubular shield. Measurements were taken 1 meter away from the assembled housing when operated at a power of 1 Watt and 3 GHz. From the graph, when operated at 3 GHz, for all three embodiments, the decibel value at all relative rotational angles of the two terminals 12 and 16 is -20 dB or more for a terminal connection without a tubular shield. It can be seen that a significant reduction is obtained from the range of -50 dB to the more effective range of -60 dB to -90 dB.

  As will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art, the present invention is expected to have a wide range of practicality and applicability. Many embodiments and adaptations of the invention besides those described above, as well as many variations, modifications, and equivalent arrangements, can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. It will be clear from the description or will be reasonably recalled. Accordingly, while the present invention has been described in detail herein in connection with preferred embodiments thereof, the present disclosure is intended to be illustrative of the invention and is only an example and is intended to be a complete description of the invention. It should be understood that this was done solely for the purpose of providing a feasible disclosure. The above disclosure is not intended to limit the present invention or otherwise exclude any such other embodiments, adaptations, variations, modifications, and equivalent arrangements. It should be understood that the invention is limited only by the following claims and their equivalents.

  Embodiments in which exclusive ownership or privilege is claimed are defined as in the claims.

10 RF connection 12 Male terminal assembly 13, 17 One end 14 Male plastic housing 16 Female terminal assembly 18 Female plastic housing 20 Tab 21, 23 Second end 22 Release latch 24, 124, 224 Tubular shield 25 Operation latch handle 26 Cylindrical cavity 28 Contact finger 30 First set of contact fingers 31 Shoulder 32 Second set of contact fingers 33 Opposite ends 34, 38 Locking tabs 36, 40 Circular slots 40 , 42 Coaxial cable 44 Coaxial cable core 46 Outer coaxial cable shield 48 Center pin 50 Center inner conductor 52 Male outer terminal 54 Female terminal, outer female terminal 55, 57 Ferrule 56 Contact arm 58 Gap between male part and female part 70 , 72, 127, 227 joint 160 Inner tab 162 Outer tab 260 Locking tab 262 Interlocking notch

Claims (7)

In RF connector assembly,
A first connector housing having a first end configured to connectably receive a terminal end for a first coaxial cable;
A second connector housing having a first end configured to connectably receive a complementary terminal end for a second coaxial cable;
The terminal end and the complementary terminal end are made in a complementary structure so as to engage with each other,
The first and second connector housings are each constructed in a structure in which the respective second ends are connected to each other;
The first connector housing receives a tubular shield attached to and connected to the respective terminal ends;
The tubular shield projects radially inwardly with elasticity for electrical connection around the complementary terminal ends when the second connector housing is connected to the first connector housing. An RF connector assembly having a set of contact fingers. The tubular shield further comprising a second set of elastically radially extending contact fingers for connection around the terminal end within the first connector housing. The RF connector assembly according to 1. The first and second sets of resiliently radially inwardly projecting contact fingers disposed axially spaced from each other proximate to opposite ends of the tubular shield. The RF connector assembly according to claim 2, further comprising: Each set of contact fingers projecting inwardly from each end of the shield;
The RF connector assembly of claim 3, further comprising the shield having an axially extending seam. The RF connector assembly of claim 4, further comprising the seam provided with an overlapping tab extending along the length of the shield. The RF connector assembly according to claim 4, further comprising the seam provided with complementary interlocking tabs and notches to prevent the seam from opening. In a tubular shield for an RF terminal connector assembly,
The tubular shield has elastic and radially extending contact fingers for connection to the respective connection ends of complementary terminals of the first and second coaxial cables at each end of the shield. A tubular shield that has a set of

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