Method and woven cable termination with insulation displaceable connector

• US 4,741,707 A
• Filed: 02/19/1986
• Issued: 05/03/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Woven Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Woven Electronics Corporation
• Inventors: Mondor, E. J. III
• Primary Examiner(s): MCGLYNN, JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US06/830,725
• Time in Patent Office: 804 Days
• Field of Search: 339/97 R, 339/97 P, 339/98, 339/99 R, 174/117 M
• US Class Current: 439/417
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/675 with contacts having at least a slotted plate for penetration of cable insulation, e.g. insulation displacement contacts for round conductor flat cables

Abstract

A method and woven structure for terminating a woven cable are disclosed wherein termination sections B are woven in continuous cabling 10 and spaced apart to define sections of individual woven cable A. In termination section B, ground wires 14 are floated above the plane of the woven cable and outside of the weave pattern. Signal conductors 12 are woven through the cabling with center-lines of adjacent conductors being fixed by the weave pattern. In the method, the ground wires are severed and terminated to a common bus bar 20. Next, an insulation displaceable connector C, of the type typically used with extruded cabling, is inserted in the weave portion 18 whereby the prongs of the insulation displaceable connector pierce and displace the insulation on the signal conductors 12. Bus bar 20 is electrically connected to a pin 24 of the insulation displaceable connector by means of a pigtail or other wire 26. Next, the cabling is folded over a bridge bar 30 of the connector and fixed in place by a strain relief bar 32 in a manner that a compact well-terminated end of woven cable A may be had in a simplified expedient manner in accordance with the invention.

Claims

1. The method of terminating a flat woven multi-conductor electrical transmission cable having a plurality of signal conductors fixed in a first weave pattern which includes a weft element in said cable with a prescribed spacing between the center lines of adjacent conductors and a number of ground conductors woven in said cable wherein the improvement comprises weaving a termination section in which said signal conductors are bound with said warp and weft yarns in a second weave pattern and said ground conductors are unbound with said warp and weft yarns, floating said unbound ground conductors out of said second weave pattern while maintaining said prescribed spacing of said signal conductors fixed in said second weave pattern, terminating said ground conductors to a ground plane, inserting an insulation displaceable connector into said woven cable in a manner that said signal conductors are engaged so that the insulation on said signal conductors is pierced and displaced, and connecting said ground plane to a selected pin of said insulation displaceable connector.

2. A method of producing individual flat woven electrical transmission cables having a plurality of signal conductors and ground conductors arranged in a general juxtaposed manner across said woven cable with a prescribed spacing between adjacent signal conductors fixed by a first weave pattern of said woven cable which includes a weft element, said method being of the type wherein a continuous length of cabling is woven consisting of said woven cable with termination sections formed at described spaced intervals along the length of said continuous cabling to define ends of individual woven cables wherein the method comprises terminating said cable by the steps of:

weaving a termination section in which said signal conductors are bound with said warp and weft yarns in a second weave pattern and said ground conductors are unbound with said warp and weft yarns;

floating said unbound ground conductors above said second weave pattern in said termination sections;

weaving said signal conductors in said second weave pattern through said termination sections in a manner that said prescribed spacing of said signal conductors is generally maintained;

severing said ground conductors across said termination sections;

terminating said ground conductors at a ground means out of the plane of said woven cable;

inserting an insulation displacement connector into said woven cable adjacent said terminated ground conductors in a manner that said insulation of said signal conductors is pierced and displaced by the prongs of said insulation displaceable connector at said center line spacings; and

electrically connecting said ground means to said insulation displaceable connector.

3. The method of claim 2 including weaving a cut-line section adjacent each said termination section consisting of said ground conductors and signal conductors interwoven in said weave pattern.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said ground means includes a bus bar extending transversely of said cable to which said ground conductors are electrically connected.

5. The method of claim 2 including said woven cabling across each said termination section to produce terminated individual woven cable.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein warp and weft yarns are interwoven with said signal and ground conductors in said weave pattern to fix the prescribed spacing between the center lines of said signal conductors.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said ground conductors are terminated by connecting said bus bar to a desired terminal pin socket of said insulation displaceable connector.

8. A method of producing individual flat woven electrical transmission cables having a plurality of conductors ranged generally in a juxtaposed manner across the cable said method being of the type wherein a continuous length of woven cabling is woven in a first weave pattern which includes a weft element with said continuous length of cabling being severed across termination sections of said cabling which correspond to ends of said individual woven cable wherein the improvement comprises terminating each said individual woven electrical transmission cable by inserting an insulation displaceable connector into said woven cable in a manner that the prongs of said insulation displaceable connector pierce the insulation of said signal conductors at said prescribed spacing of their center lines, and severing said individual cables at their termination section to produce individual woven cables.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said termination sections include only electrical signal conductors woven in said cable in which said insulation displaceable is inserted.

10. The method of claim 9 including warp and weft yarns interwoven with said electrical signal conductors fixing said prescribed spacing of said signal conductors in said weave pattern of said woven cable.

11. A flat woven electrical transmission cable having multiple signal and ground conductors arranged generally side-by-side across said cable bound by a weft element and a plurality of warp elements in a first weave pattern wherein the improvement comprises an insulation displaceable connector of the type having pin sockets and having termination prongs which pierce and penetrate said signal conductors in a second weave pattern of said woven cable consisting only of said signal conductors woven with said weft and warp elements without said ground conductors;

said prongs displacing the insulation on said signal conductors and terminating said cable at opposing ends;

ground means connected to said ground conductors of said cable; and

means for connecting said ground means to said insulation displaceable connectors.

12. The woven cable of claim 11 wherein said ground means includes a ground bus bar extending transversely of said woven cable connected to said ground connectors, and said connecting means includes an electrical connection between said bus bar and a selected one of said pin sockets of said insulation displaceable connector at each end of said woven cable.

13. A flat woven electrical transmission cable having a first weave pattern which includes a weft element in which multiple conductors are arranged generally side-by-side across the width of the cable, a number of said conductors being insulated signal conductors woven with a prescribed spacing fixed between the center lines of adjacent conductors by said first weave pattern;

and an insulation displaceable connector of the type having pin sockets for connecting with pin terminals and termination prongs inserted in opposing ends of said woven cable for piercing insulation of said signal conductors in a manner in which said prongs engage said signal conductors at said prescribed center-line spacings to pierce and displace the insulation of said conductors and terminate said signal conductors at opposing ends of said woven cable.

14. The woven cable of claim 13 wherein said woven cable includes a number of ground conductors woven in said weave pattern of said woven cable;

and said ground conductors being terminated by ground means external of said insulation displaceable connector.

15. The cable of claim 14 wherein said ground means includes a bus bar extending transversely of said woven cable, and connector means for electrically connecting said bus bar to a selected one of said pin sockets of insulated displaceable connector for termination to a common ground.

16. A method of terminating a flat woven electrical cable of the type having a plurality of insulated signal conductors arranged generally side-by-side and fixed in the cable means of woven warp and weft elements so that the center-to-center spacing of signal conductors are fixed in a prescribed first weave pattern, said cable including a number of ground conductors woven in said first weave pattern, and the improvement comprises weaving a termination section at each end of said cable which includes said weaving said signal conductors with said warp and weft yarns in a second weave pattern without said ground conductors so that said ground conductors are unbound and floated out of the second weave pattern of said cable with said signal conductors remaining in said second weave pattern of said cable, severing said ground conductors across the width of said woven cable at said termination section to form loose free ground conductors, electrically connecting said ground connectors in common to a ground means, inserting an insulation displaceable connector into said woven cable to pierce the insulated signal conductors fixed in said cable with a prescribed center-to-center spacing;

and connecting said ground measns to said insulation displaceable connector in a manner that said ground wires and signal wires are compactly and conveniently terminated to said connector.

17. The method of claim 16 including weaving a cut-line section adjacent each said termination section consisting of said ground conductors and signal conductors interwoven in said weave pattern.

18. A method of producing individual flat woven electrical transmission cables having multiple insulated ground and insulated signal conductors woven generally side-by-side in a prescribed first weave pattern which includes a weft element of the type wherein continuous length woven cabling is woven in said prescribed weave pattern and severed into individual cable wherein the improvement comprises:

weaving a number of woven transmission cables with said conductors woven in said prescribed first weave pattern;

weaving a termination section consisting of only said signal conductors woven with said warp and weft yarns in a second weave pattern which said ground conductors are floated out of said second weave pattern above the plane of said woven cable;

weaving a cut-line section between adjacent termination sections consisting of said ground and signal conductors woven in said weave pattern;

severing said ground conductors across each said termination section and connecting said ground conductors to a bus bar;

inserting an insulation displaceable connector having pin sockets and termination prongs into each said cutline section in a manner that said termination prongs pierce the insulation on said signal conductors; and

connecting said bus bar to one of said pin sockets of said insulation displaceable connector.