Multi-conductor cable grounding connection and method therefor

• US 5,281,762 A
• Filed: 06/19/1992
• Issued: 01/25/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation (Meggitt PLC)
• Original Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation (Meggitt PLC)
• Inventors: Long, William B., Leggett, Robert G.
• Primary Examiner(s): NIMMO, MORRIS
• Application Number:
  US07/901,063
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: 174/71 C, 174/72 R, 174/72 TR, 174/78, 174/117 F, 174/117 R, 174/36, 439/608, 439/610, 439/497, 439/579, 439/580, 29/857, 29/867
• US Class Current: 174/78
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/598 Each conductor being individually surrounded by shield, e.g. multiple coaxial cables in flat structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/62 connecting to rigid printed circuits or like structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/775 Ground or shield arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/0515 Connection to a rigid planar substrate, e.g. printed circuit board
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49174 Assembling terminal to elongated conductor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49192 with insulation removal

Abstract

A grounding connection and method for use with multi-wire cable (10) of a type having a plurality of individual cables (12) arranged in side-by-side relationship with each cable including an outer insulation sheath (14) extending around a relatively fragile, thin ground shield (16) in turn extended around a dielectric sleeve (18) carrying a fine signal wire (20) includes the provision of a body (22) of conductive plastic molded or cast around the exposed shield to provide a permanent electrical interconnection and commoning of the shield (16) of the multiple cables. A grounding bus (26) is used with the body (22) to interconnect ground circuits to external ground paths of circuit boards or the like. An alternative embodiment includes plastic material having sufficient strength to form fasteners (50) or latches (54) extending the use of the body (22). A thin wall plastic housing (60) may be used as an alternative definition of a cavity into which the material is poured to form the body (22).

Claims

1. A grounding connection including a plurality of cables each comprised of relatively small, fragile elements including a signal conductor carried within a dielectric sleeve and a ground conductor spaced from said signal conductor by the sleeve, the ground conductor being exposed along a segment of its axial length, a body of conductive plastic material surrounding each length of ground conductor in an intimate broad area contact with the surface thereof to electrically interconnect the ground conductors of each of the cables together, the material of the said body having been flowed around the cables within a mold to provide an essentially, regular exterior shape to the body to facilitate handling and use of the connected ends of the cables, and a metal bus bar engaged by said body of conductive plastic material.

2. The connection of claim 1 wherein the said body is of a material sufficiently rigid to define said regular shape and mechanically hold the cables together.

3. The connection of claim 1 wherein the said body is of a semi-rigid material to provide compliance for insertion into a further housing.

4. The connection of claim 1 further including a thin insulating plastic housing having an interior volume and walls to receive the cables and facilitate the flowing of plastic around the ground conductors thereof.

5. The connection of claim 4 wherein the said body is formed of a conductive gel retained by the further housing.

6. A grounding connection including a plurality of cables each comprised of relatively small, fragile elements including a signal conductor carried within a dielectric sleeve and a ground conductor spaced from said signal conductor by the sleeve, the ground conductor being exposed along a segment of its axial length, a body of conductive plastic material surrounding each length of ground conductor in an intimate broad area contact with the surface thereof to electrically interconnect the ground conductors of each of the cables together, the material of the said body having been flowed around the cables within a mold to provide an essentially, regular exterior shape to the body to facilitate handling and use of the connected ends of the cables, and the body includes a latch with attachment surfaces to hold the body relative to a further circuit, connector or the like.

7. In a method of providing a ground interconnection to a plurality of cables of a type having signal conductors surrounded by dielectric sleeves and the sleeves in turn being surrounded by a thin, fragile shield of conductive foil, braid, or the like, the steps comprising:

a;

exposing an axial length of each shield of each cable,

b. inserting a ground bus and multiple cables in a cavity having a wall configuration to surround the shield length,

c. flowing a conductive plastic material to fill said cavity and surround and intimately bond to the ground bus and the shields of said cables providing a solid common grounding contact with the ground bus and to electrically interconnect the said shields of said cables.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said step of exposing the cable shields includes stripping away an outer protective sheath therefrom to define said exposed length.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the said step of inserting the cable in a cavity includes providing a plastic housing defining said cavity.