Electrical cable

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10090612-B2
Application number	US-201715399110-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 5, 2017
Priority date	Jan 22, 2016
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

A flat electrical cable is described. The cable includes a plurality of equally spaced substantially parallel electrical conductors lying in a same plane and extending along the length of the cable. Each conductor has a same diameter D. The cable further includes a common unitary electrically insulating layer encapsulating the plurality of conductors. The insulating layer includes a plurality of cover portions where each cover portion is concentric with a corresponding conductor and has a radial thickness t. t/D is in a range from about 0.50 to about 1.25.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flat electrical cable extending longitudinally along a length of the cable and comprising:
a plurality of equally spaced substantially parallel electrical conductors lying in a same plane and extending along the length of the cable, each conductor having a same diameter D;
a common unitary electrically insulating layer encapsulating the plurality of conductors and including:
a plurality of cover portions, each cover portion concentric with a corresponding conductor and having a radial thickness t, t/D in a range from about 0.50 to about 1.25,
wherein the insulating layer further comprises a plurality of land portions, each land portion connecting adjacent cover portions, having a substantially rectangular cross-section in a direction perpendicular to the length of the cable, and having a thickness t 1 and a width w 1 , t 1 /w 1 in a range from about 2.5 to about 15.0.

2. The flat electrical cable of claim 1 , wherein t/D is in a range from about 0.53 to about 1.10.

3. The flat electrical cable of claim 2 , wherein t 1 /w 1 is in a range from about 2.5 to about 13.5.

4. The flat electrical cable of claim 3 , wherein t 1 /w 1 is in a range from about 2.5 to about 5.0.

5. The flat electrical cable of claim 4 , wherein t 1 /w 1 is in a range from about 4.1 to about 5.0.

6. The flat electrical cable of claim 5 , wherein the conductors are arranged at a pitch P, P/w 1 in a range from about 3.1 to about 25.5.

7. The flat electrical cable of claim 6 , wherein P/w 1 is in a range from about 3.1 to about 9.5.

8. The flat electrical cable of claim 7 , wherein P/w 1 is in a range from about 3.1 to about 5.5.

9. The flat electrical cable of claim 3 , wherein t 1 is in a range from about 127 micrometers to about 635 micrometers.

10. The flat electrical cable of claim 1 further comprising first and second electrically conductive shielding films disposed on opposite first and second sides of and adhered to the insulating layer, each shielding film including a flat or contoured middle portion adhered to and covering the insulating layer and an end portion adhered to the other shielding film on each lateral end of the insulating layer.

11. The flat electrical cable of claim 10 , wherein a force required to separate one of the first and second shielding films from the insulating layer along the length of the cable at a 180 degree peel angle is in a range from about 0.5 pounds/inch to about 2.5 pounds/inch.

12. The flat electrical cable of claim 10 further comprising an electrically insulating jacket longitudinally or spirally wrapped around the shielding films, a lateral end of the jacket overlapping and adhered to an opposite lateral end of the jacket.

13. The flat electrical cable of claim 12 , wherein the jacket is adhered to the shielding films.

14. The flat electrical cable of claim 10 further comprising an electrically insulating jacket extruded over and fully surrounding the shielding films.

15. The flat electrical cable of claim 1 further comprising an electrically insulating jacket longitudinally or spirally wrapped around the insulating layer, a lateral end of the jacket overlapping and adhered to an opposite lateral end of the jacket.

16. The flat electrical cable of claim 1 further comprising an electrically insulating jacket extruded over and fully surrounding the insulating layer.

17. The flat electrical cable of claim 16 , wherein the jacket is adhered to the insulating layer.

18. The flat electrical cable of claim 1 , wherein the conductors are arranged at a pitch P, wherein (2t+D)/P is in a range from about 0.60 to about 1.30.

19. The flat electrical cable of claim 18 , wherein (2t+D)/P is in a range from about 0.70 to about 1.15.

20. The flat electrical cable of claim 1 , wherein t is in a range from about 0.127 mm to about 0.325 mm.

21. The flat electrical cable of claim 20 , wherein t is in a range from about 0.140 mm to about 0.325 mm.

22. The flat electrical cable of claim 1 , wherein w 1 is in a range from about 50 micrometers to about 380 micrometers.

23. The flat electrical cable of claim 1 , wherein the conductors are arranged at a pitch P, P in a range from about 0.40 mm to about 1.35 mm.

24. The flat electrical cable of claim 1 , wherein D is in a range from about 0.127 mm to about 0.51 mm.

25. A cable assembly comprising:
a connector comprising:
an insulative housing including a longitudinal body portion having a plurality of contact openings extending therein in an insertion direction;
a plurality of electrical contact terminals supported in the contact openings; and
a cover disposed on the housing and including a longitudinal body portion and first and second cover latches extending from opposing longitudinal ends thereof in the insertion direction and latched onto the housing; and
the cable of claim 1 disposed between the cover and the housing, each contact terminal penetrating the insulating layer and making electrical and physical contact with a corresponding conductor.

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Benedict John W
• Vana Jr James G
• Edwards Rocky D
• Palmer Mark T
• Scherer Richard J
• Neu Steven A
• Tsai Ching-Long

Classifications

• H01B7/0861

  comprising one or more screens · CPC title

• H01R4/2433

  one part of the base being movable to push the cable into the slot · CPC title

• H01R12/78 Primary

  connecting to other flexible printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables or like structures · CPC title

• H01R13/46

  Bases; Cases · CPC title

• H01B9/02 Primary

  with screens or conductive layers, e.g. for avoiding large potential gradients · CPC title