In using electronic devices such as cable boxes and cable modems, it is sometimes desired to connect such devices to televisions, digital video disc playback devices, digital video recorders, personal computers, or other sources of electronic signals. Typically, a coaxial cable supplied by a cable service company penetrates a wall in the user's premises and is distributed to one or more locations within the home through the use of additional coaxial cable segments typically referred to as jumper cables. The jumper cable is terminated near the location of the television, cable box, cable modem or digital phone. Each end of a jumper has a coaxial cable connector installed thereon. A common interface for the coaxial cable connector is an internally threaded rotatable nut. The connector threads onto an externally threaded port on the cable box, cable modem, or other device. Other devices may be connected to the cable box or cable modem using similarly configured coaxial cable jumpers and connectors.
Conventional coaxial cable typically contains a centrally located electrical conductor surrounded by and spaced inwardly from an outer cylindrical braided conductor or sheath. The center and braid conductors are separated by a foil and an insulator core, with the braid being encased within a protective outer jacket.
A first end of a conventional coaxial cable typically includes an inner cylindrical post adapted to be inserted into a suitably prepared end of the cable between the foil and the outer braid conductor, an end portion of the latter having been exposed and folded back over the protective jacket. The center conductor, the insulator core, and the foil thus form a central core portion of the cable received axially in the inner post, whereas the outer braided conductor and protective jacket comprise an outer portion of the cable surrounding the inner post. The conventional coaxial cable end connector further includes a connector body and/or compression member designed to coact with the inner post to securely and sealingly clamp the outer portion of the cable therebetween. The clamping to the jumper cable may be carried out by crimping, swaging or radial compression of connector body or compression sleeve by use of special tools adapted to mate with these components.
The second end of the connector typically includes an internally threaded nut rotatably secured to the connector body. The nut may be secured to a corresponding threaded port on the cable box, television, or other electronic device. The nut may be tightened using an appropriately sized wrench. To establish a reliable connection between the connector and the port, the nut must be threadedly advanced until a flange on the end of the post contacts then end face of the port.
One drawback to this tightening approach is that often space is very limited in the back of the electronic device and there is inadequate room for a wrench. For example, the cable box or television may be located within an entertainment console and access to port on the equipment may be limited. Or, access to a television housed in an entertainment console may be limited because the television may be too large or heavy to be moved.
Another drawback is that the person making the connection may be unaware of the proper method of establishing a reliable connection. In some instances, particularly when a wrench is unavailable, the user may cease hand-tightening after one or two turns. Although such a loose connection may provide adequate video signal, data transmission may be severely hampered or break down completely. Data transmission problems may affect voice over internet protocol (VOIP), for example.