Composite shield jacket for electrical transmission cable

• US 5,532,429 A
• Filed: 12/22/1994
• Issued: 07/02/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Woven Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Woven Electronics Corporation
• Inventors: Dickerson, Marvella, Piper, Douglas E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nimmo, Morris H.
• Application Number:
  US08/361,938
• Time in Patent Office: 558 Days
• Field of Search: 174/35 C, 174/36, 174/117 F, 174/117 M, 439/98, 439/99, 439/497, 439/610, 156/54
• US Class Current: 174/36
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 7/0861 comprising one or more screens
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/62 connecting to rigid printed circuits or like structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/775 Ground or shield arrangements

Abstract

A composite shield jacket and woven electrical transmission cable assembly is disclosed wherein the shield jacket comprises an outer elastomeric cover and a metalized backing on the interior side of the cover which advantageously may comprise a thin flexible fibrous web formed either by weaving metallic coated fibers or forming a non-woven web from the metallic coated fibers, or by applying a thin metallic layer to the backside of the cover. In any case, a highly durable, flexible shield jacket is provided. When the jacket is applied to a flat transmission cable according to the invention, the side edges of the shield are on opposite sides of the cable so as to overlap the sides of the shield and cover so that exits from the shield are defined on opposing sides of the cable reducing the unwanted escape of interference noises. The flexible shield material is terminated by use of a resilient termination element which clips to the shield cloth and is resiliently retained inside a connector housing for termination to a ground plane of the connector. The invention may be applied to a round or tubular cable as well as a flat.

Claims

1. A composite shield jacket which is flexible and durable for shielding and protecting an electrical transmission cable comprising:

an outer elastomeric cover;

an inner electrically conductive shield cloth for conducting unwanted electrical noises comprising a flexible fibrous web formed from metallic coated fibers providing a highly flexible electrical shield; and

means for securing said elastomeric cover and shield cloth together to form a composite shield jacket having increased structural integrity and flexibility for encasing said electrical transmission cable.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said cable to be shielded is flat and has first and second sides;

and said shield cloth is folded for encasing said first and second sides of said cable to be shielded to provide a first overlap at a first edge of said cable to be shielded so that a first end of said shield cloth is disposed on said first side of said cable when enclosed by said shield cloth, and a second end of said shield cloth is disposed on said second side of said cable to be shielded so that first and second exits are defined between said first and second end of said shield cloth and said first and second sides of said cable A which are located on opposite sides of said cable for minimizing the escape of unwanted electrical noises.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said means for securing said shield cloth and elastomeric cover includes a chemical bonding.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said shield cloth comprises a tab formed on an end of said shield cloth for terminating said shield cloth.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said shield cloth includes a web woven from said metallic coated fibers,

6. The device of claim 1 wherein said shield cloth includes a non-woven web of metallic coated fibers.

7. A composite electrical shield jacket which is flexible and durable for shielding and protecting a flat electrical transmission cable having a plurality of conductors comprising:

an outer elastomeric cover;

an inner flexible electrically conductive shield for conducting unwanted electrical noises;

said conductive shield including a conductive shield cloth for surrounding said flat electrical transmission cable to be shielded to conduct unwanted electrical noise;

said shield cloth including a highly flexible fibrous web for surrounding and enclosing said flat cable to be shielded on first and second sides of said flat cable; and

said fibrous web being formed from one of a woven web and non-woven web composed of metalized fibers providing a highly flexible electrical shield jacket with increased durability.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein said shield includes first and second ends, a first shield side, and a second shield side;

said first side of said shield being disposed on a first side of said cable when surrounding said cable and overlapping said first end of said shield and said second side of said shield being disposed on a second side of said cable when surrounding said cable and being overlapped by said second end of said shield.

9. The device of claim 7 wherein said electrical transmission cable to be shielded is of the type having an electrical connector with a PC board for terminating said conductors of said electrical transmission cable;

and wherein said shield comprises;

a shield cloth formed from metalized fibers;

a cloth tab formed at an end of said shield cloth for terminating said shield cloth to said PC board; and

means a termination device for terminating said cloth tab to said PC board.

10. The assembly of claim 9 wherein said termination device includes:

a conductive termination element;

said termination element including a first contact, and a second contact;

said shield cloth being connected to said first contact of said termination element;

said second contact of said termination element being constructed and arranged to contact said ground plane of said PC board when said cable and element are enclosed within said housing; and

at least one of said contacts being resiliently constructed and arranged so that said one contact is resiliently engaged between said housing and said ground plane with said ground plane terminating said shield cloth.

11. The device of claim 7 including means for securing said shield and elastomeric cover together to form an integral composite shield jacket.

12. A method for producing a composite shield jacket for electrically shielding and protecting a flat electrical transmission cable comprising:

providing elastomeric material to form an outer cover;

providing a conductive shield cloth to form an inner layer for conducting unwanted electrical noises comprising a flexible fibrous web formed from metallic coated fibers providing a highly flexible shield; and

securing said elastomeric material and shield cloth together to form a composite tubular jacket having increased structural integrity.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said transmission cable is flat, and said method includes subjecting said composite tubular jacket to a process to flatten said tubular jacket and form a flat shield jacket having substantially creased edges and increased flexibility.

14. The method of claim 12 including securing said shield cloth and elastomeric material together by bonding to enhance the structural integrity of said shield jacket.

15. The method of claim 12 including flattening said tubular jacket by press heating.

16. The method of claim 12 including forming said shield jacket so that a first end of said shield cloth is disposed on a first side of said transmission cable and a second end of said shield cloth is disposed on a second side of said transmission cable to define first and second exits between said first and second ends of said shield cloth and said first and second sides of said cable which are located on opposite sides of said electrical transmission cable for minimizing the escape of unwanted electrical noises.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein said shield cloth is provided in the form of a web woven from said metallic coated fibers.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein said shield cloth is provided in the form of a non-woven web of metallic coated fibers.