Ganged Coaxial Connector Assembly for Floating Alignment and Cable Replacement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ganged coaxial connector assemblies face challenges with alignment of individual mating connectors, leading to inconsistent electrical contact and potential issues with passive intermodulation (PIM). Additionally, when one cable becomes faulty, the entire assembly often needs to be replaced, rather than just the faulty component.
Innovation Solution
The proposed ganged connector assembly includes a shell with cavities, rear bodies encircling the coaxial connectors, and retainer rings with specific locking features. These features allow for rotation of the rear bodies between locked and unlocked positions, enabling secure connection and easy removal of individual connectors and cables without affecting the rest of the assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If ganged coaxial connectors are designed with fixed rigid mounting, then structural stability is improved, but alignment consistency and electrical contact reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by enabling individual connectors within the ganged assembly to move relative to the common shell. Each connector is mounted on a movable carrier that can adjust its position independently, allowing the rigid overall structure to accommodate dynamic alignment adjustments. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining structural stability at the assembly level while permitting positional flexibility at the individual connector level to ensure consistent electrical contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the ganged connector assembly into independent movable carriers, each holding an individual connector. These carriers are mounted on the common shell and can move independently to adjust alignment. This segmentation allows each connector to be positioned optimally for electrical contact while maintaining the overall structural integrity of the ganged assembly, thus resolving the contradiction between structural stability and electrical contact reliability.
2Ease of manufacture
If ganged connector assembly is designed as integrated unit, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but repairability and component replacement deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the ganged connector assembly into modular components: a common shell, individual movable carriers, and replaceable connector-cable assemblies. Each carrier can be independently removed and replaced, allowing faulty connectors or cables to be swapped without replacing the entire assembly. This maintains manufacturing simplicity through standardized interfaces while dramatically improving repairability and component replacement ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables discarding and recovering of individual connector-cable assemblies while retaining the common shell and functional carriers. When a cable or connector fails, only that specific component needs to be replaced rather than the entire ganged assembly. This principle improves ease of repair and reduces waste while maintaining the integrity and reusability of the main assembly structure.
3Ease of operation
If blind mate connector design is used, then ease of connection is improved, but alignment precision and connection reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines blind mate ease of connection with dynamic alignment adjustment by mounting each connector on a movable carrier. The connectors can float and adjust their positions dynamically during the mating process, accommodating misalignment while maintaining reliable electrical contact. This resolves the contradiction by providing the simplicity of blind mate connection with the reliability of precise alignment through dynamic adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements self-service alignment through spring-loaded carriers that automatically adjust connector positions during mating. The springs provide floating action that compensates for alignment variations, allowing the connector assembly to self-correct positioning errors without requiring external adjustment mechanisms. This maintains ease of connection while ensuring connection reliability through automatic alignment compensation.
Data Source
AI summary
A ganged connector assembly includes: a plurality of coaxial connectors, each of the coaxial connectors connected with a respective coaxial cable extending rearwardly therefrom, each of the coaxial connectors including an inner contact and an outer body that is electrically separated from the inner contact; a shell having a plurality of cavities; and a plurality of rear bodies, each of the rear bodies encircling a respective outer body, each of the rear bodies mounted in a respective cavity of the shell. Each of the rear bodies includes a first locking feature. A second locking feature is located in each of the cavities and is fixed relative to the shell. The first and second locking features are configured such that rotation of a first of the plurality of rear bodies relative to the shell moves the first rear body between locked and unlocked positions, wherein in the locked position a respective first connector and respective first cable are secured with the shell within a respective cavity, and in the unlocked position the first connector and first cable can be removed from the shell without removing the remaining connectors and cables.