Connector assembly with lever and shroud

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is related to a connector assembly having a lever, the connector assembly configured to house a coaxial connection wherein the coaxial cables are approach each other along a common axis.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Connector assemblies are currently known and used. Connector assemblies connect terminal ends of a cable or an electrical wire together so as to supply an electric signal from a source to a component. Connector assemblies include a male housing configured to be seated within a female housing.

Some connector assemblies include a lever configured to guide the male housing into the female housing and lock the male housing to the female housing. However, the actuation of the lever causes the male housing to approach the female housing at an angle. Thus, the connection between terminal ends of a cable may be compromised by the misalignment of one terminal end of a cable with respect to another terminal end of a cable.

Accordingly, it remains desirable to have a connector assembly, wherein the male housing unit is seated within the female housing unit at an angle, configured to guide the approach of one terminal end of a cable to the other terminal end of a cable along a common axis so as to help prevent the terminal ends of the cables from being misaligned.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A connector assembly for housing a coaxial connection and a terminal connection. The connector assembly includes a male housing, a female housing and a lever mechanically coupling the male housing to the female housing so as to guide the male housing into the female housing at an angle.

The male housing includes a first support. The first support is configured to fixedly hold a first coaxial cable end. The female housing is configured to receive the male housing. The female housing includes a second support. The second support is configured to fixedly hold a second coaxial cable end.

The connector assembly further includes a shroud disposed on a distal end of the second support. The shroud is configured to slidably engage an outer surface of the first support so as to guide the first coaxial cable end along an axis towards the second coaxial cable end.

Accordingly, the sliding engagement between the shroud and the first support overcome the angled approach as the male housing is seated into the female housing by actuation of the lever. Thus, the first coaxial cable end is axially aligned with the second coaxial cable end so as to help prevent the first coaxial cable end from being misaligned with the second coaxial cable end when the male housing is seated into the female housing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The embodiments set forth in the drawings are illustrative and exemplary in nature and not intended to limit the subject matter defined by the claims. The following detailed description of the illustrative embodiments can be better understood when read in conjunction with the following drawings where like structure is indicated with like reference numerals and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the connector assembly assembled;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the male housing;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the female housing;

FIG. 4 is an isolated view showing the first support of the male housing;

FIG. 5 is an isolated view showing the second support and shroud of the female housing; and

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 taken along lines 6-6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A connector assembly for housing a coaxial connection and a terminal connection is provided. The connector assembly includes a male housing, a female housing and a lever mechanically coupling the male housing to the female housing so as to guide the male housing into the female housing at an angle.

The male housing includes a first support configured to fixedly hold the first coaxial cable end. The female housing includes a second support configured to fixedly hold the second coaxial cable end. The connector assembly is configured to guide the first coaxial cable end along an axis towards the second coaxial cable end. Accordingly, the sliding engagement between the shroud and the first support overcome the angled approach as the male housing is seated into the female housing by actuation of the lever. Thus, the first coaxial cable end is axially aligned with the second coaxial cable end so as to help prevent the first coaxial cable end from being misaligned with the second coaxial cable end when the male housing is seated into the female housing.

With reference now to FIGS. 1 and 6 an illustrative view of a connector assembly 10 is provided. The connector assembly 10 is configured to house a coaxial connection 100 and a terminal connection 200. The connector assembly 10 includes a male housing 12 configured to be seated within a female housing 14 wherein a coaxial connection 100 and a terminal connection 200 formed between ends 16, 18 of first and second coaxial cables 110, 120 and the ends of the first and second terminal wires 210, 220. The connector assembly 10 includes a lever 20. The lever 20 mechanically couples the male housing 12 to the female housing 14. The lever 20 is further configured to guide the male housing 12 into the female housing 14 at an angle.

With reference now to FIGS. 2 and 4, an illustrative view of the male housing 12 is provided. The male housing 12 is a generally rectangular shaped member defined by a pair of first side walls 22a, 22b, a pair of first end walls 24a, 24b, a first top wall 26 and a first bottom wall 28. The male housing 12 may be formed of a resilient and durable material such as a polypropylene.

The male housing 12 may include a plurality of first terminal cavities 30 configured to hold the terminal ends (not shown) of respective wires forming the terminal connection 200. The male housing 12 further includes a first support 32. The first support 32 is disposed on the first bottom wall 28 of the male housing 12 and is configured to fixedly hold a first coaxial cable end 16.

With reference now to FIGS. 3 and 5, an illustrative view of the female housing 14 is provided. The female housing 14 is a generally rectangular shaped member having a pair of second side walls 34, a pair of second end walls 36a, 36b and a second bottom wall 38 so as to define a cavity 40 and a top opening 42. The female housing 14 may be formed of a resilient and durable material such as a polypropylene. The female housing 14 may further include a plurality of second terminal cavities 44 corresponding to a respective one of the first terminal cavities 30 of the male housing 12 so as to form a terminal connection 200 when the male housing 12 is seated within the female housing 14.

The female housing 14 is configured to receive the male housing 12, as shown in FIG. 1. With reference again to FIG. 3, the female housing 14 includes a second support 46. The second support 46 is disposed on the second bottom wall 38. The second support 46 is configured to fixedly hold a second coaxial cable end 18. The female housing 14 includes a first pin 48a and a second pin 48b disposed on opposing inner surfaces of a respective second side wall 34a, 34b. It should be appreciated that even though only the first pin 48a is visible in FIG. 3, the second pin 48b is directly across from the first pin 48a and is nearly identical in physical dimensions.

With reference again to FIGS. 3, 5 and 6, the connector assembly 10 further includes a shroud 50. The shroud 50 is disposed on a distal end of the second support 46. The shroud 50 is configured to slidably engage an outer surface of the first support 32 so as to guide the first coaxial cable end 16 along an axis towards the second coaxial cable end 18, wherein the sliding engagement between the shroud 50 and the first support 32 overcome the angled approach as the male housing 12 is seated into the female housing 14 by actuation of the lever 20.

With reference again to FIG. 2, the lever 20 is illustratively shown rotatably mounted to the male housing 12. The lever 20 includes a wheel 52a/52b having a groove 54 disposed on the outer surface of the wheel 52a/52b. The groove 54 follows an arcuate path and includes a groove opening 54a. The groove opening 54a is configured to receive a pin disposed on the inner surface of the second side wall of the female housing 14.

FIG. 2 shows the lever 20 having a first wheel 52a opposite a second wheel 52b. Although only the outer surface of first wheel 52a is shown, it should be appreciated that the outer surface of the second wheel 52b is identical to the outer surface of the first wheel 52a, and thus a description of the first wheel 52a is sufficient to describe the second wheel 52b.

The first wheel 52a and second wheel 52b are rotatably disposed to a pivot pin 56 which may extend through the width of the male housing 12. The first and second wheels 52a, 52b are rotatably disposed on the outer surface of respective first side walls 22a, 22b of the male housing 12.

The first and second wheels 52a, 52b are further configured to slide along a shoulder 58 (shown in FIG. 3) disposed on respective inner wall surfaces of the second side walls 34a, 34b of the female housing 14. The shoulders 58 define a ledge following an arcuate path so as to facilitate rotation of the first and second wheels 52a, 52b.

The lever 20 includes a handle 20a. The handle 20a includes a cross-member 20b and a pair of stems 20c, 20d interconnecting the sides of the cross-member 20b to a respective first and second wheels 52a, 52b. The handle may further include an actuator 20e configured to release the lever 20 from a locked position.

The handle 20a interconnects the first wheel 52a to the second wheel 52b so as to rotate the first and second wheels 52a, 52b simultaneously. The actuator 20e may be pulled so as to free the first and second wheels 52a, 52b so as to allow the user to push the lever 20 down, wherein the first and second pins 48a, 48b disposed on respective inner wall surfaces of the second side wall 34a, 34b are fed into the groove opening 54a and guided along the groove 54 to the end wall 54b of the groove 54. As the first and second pins 48a, 48b travel along respective grooves 54, the male housing 12 closes in on the female housing 14 at an angle.

With reference now to FIGS. 4-6, an illustrative view of the first support 32, second support 46 and the shroud 50 are provided. The first coaxial cable end 16 has an outer surface 16a. The first support 32 has an inner surface 32a, the inner surface 32a of the first support 32 is pressed flush against the outer surface 16a of the first coaxial cable end 16. The first support 32 includes a pair of elongated members 32b, 32c. The elongated members 32b, 32c are spaced apart from the other and have a C-shaped cross-section so as to form a generally cylindrical tube having an open end and a pair of slots 32d. The slots 32d are opposite of each other and extend along an axial length of the first support 32. Each of the pair of elongated members 32b, 32c are configured to engage opposing sides of the first coaxial cable end 16.

The second support 46 is generally a cylindrical tube configured to fittingly hold a neck 18a of the second coaxial cable end 18, wherein a free end 18b of the second coaxial cable end 18 projects axially from the open end of the second support 46. The shroud 50 extends axially from the second support 46 and bounds the free end 18b of the second coaxial cable and 18. The shroud 50 extends beyond the free end 18b of the second coaxial cable end 18 such that the free end 18b of the second coaxial cable end 18 is recessed within the shroud 50.

The shroud 50 may include a pair of lips 50a, 50b, each of the pair of lips 50a, 50b spaced apart from the other. The pair of lips 50a, 50b have a C-shaped cross-section and are generally concentric to a corresponding one of the pair of elongated members 32b, 32c of the first support 32. The pair of lips 50a, 50b are spaced apart from each other so as to slidingly receive the first support 32 between the pair of lips 50a, 50b.

The shroud 50 is configured to guide the first coaxial cable end 16 and the second coaxial cable end 18 towards each other along a common axis so as to prevent the first and second coaxial cable ends 16, 18 from being misaligned with respect to each other. As the male housing 12 is seated within the female housing 14, the shroud 50 receives the first support 32. In particular, the inner surface of the shroud 50 slidingly receives the outer surface of the first support 32 so as to move the first coaxial cable end 16 towards the second coaxial cable end 18 along an axis. Thus, misalignment between the first and second coaxial cable ends 16, 18 is prevented despite the fact that the male housing 12 is seated within the female housing 14 at an angle.

While particular embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it should be understood that various other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed subject matter. Moreover, although various aspects of the claimed subject matter have been described herein, such aspects need not be utilized in combination.