US 4,537,458 A · Conductive shielding housing for flat cable connector · patentgrep

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Abstract

A flat cable connector which receives a flat cable having a conductive sheath is completely enclosed in a metallic casing which electrostatically and electromagnetically shields the electrical conductors within the connector. The casing is formed of stamped metal parts including two end cups and two side plates which are clamped over the edges of the end cups. The side plates have inwardly turned serrated sections which bite into and securely clamp the flat cable as it extends out of the flat cable connector housing. The side plate bottoms hook into slots in the bottoms of the end cups. The tops of the side plates have projections which latch into openings in the tops of the end cups to hold the housing together. In another embodiment, bifurcated clamping pins having tapered legs enter aligned slots on the side plates and end cups in order to hold them together. The flat cable follows a serpentine path within the conductive enclosure and its conductive sheath is pressed into engagement with the interior of the side plates. In other embodiments, a compressible conductive gasket which may be a conductive wire mesh gasket or the bunched-up foil of the cable itself surrounds the flat cable conductor within the metal housing and is compressed into engagement with the interior surfaces of the enclosing metal housing. A metal shroud surrounds the connector bottom and is connected to the side plates and end cups. The distance by which the shroud telescopes into the side plates and end cups is controlled by detents in the side plates.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A conductive shielding enclosure for a generally flattened rectangular multiconductor cable connector having an outer conductive sheath;

said connector having a generally rectangular configuration which has generally flat parallel faces which are joined at their edges by first and second generally parallel sides which has first and second ends;
said connector having a flat shielded multiconductor cable extending from said first end thereof;
said connector having a plurality of contacts;
each of said plurality of contacts connected to a respective one of the conductors of said multiconductor cable;
said shielding enclosure comprising first and second conductive end cups which are adjacent to and which extend across said first and second sides respectively of said connector and first and second conductive side plates which are adjacent to and extend across said first and second faces respectively of said conductors respectively;
said first and second end cups and said first and second side plates extending beyond said one end of said connector;
means connecting said first and second side plates and said first and second end cups together to form a rectangular enclosure which defines a hollow interior region surrounding said cable connector and extending from said one end of said connector;
the multiconductor cable connector being loosely bent within said hollow interior region and pressed by the force of its inherent resiliency to flexibly connect the outer surface of the conductive sheet into electrical engagement with at least a portion of the interior of said generally rectangular configuration enclosure formed by said first and second end cups and said first and second side plates.

5 more elements

A conductive shielding enclosure for a generally flattened rectangular multiconductor cable connector having an outer conductive sheath;

said connector having a generally rectangular configuration which has generally flat parallel faces which are joined at their edges by first and second generally parallel sides which has first and second ends;
said connector having a flat shielded multiconductor cable extending from said first end thereof;
said connector having a plurality of contacts;
each of said plurality of contacts connected to a respective one of the conductors of said multiconductor cable;
said shielding enclosure comprising first and second conductive end cups which are adjacent to and which extend across said first and second sides respectively of said connector and first and second conductive side plates which are adjacent to and extend across said first and second faces respectively of said conductors respectively;
said first and second end cups and said first and second side plates extending beyond said one end of said connector;
means connecting said first and second side plates and said first and second end cups together to form a rectangular enclosure which defines a hollow interior region surrounding said cable connector and extending from said one end of said connector;
the outer surface of the conductive sheath of said multiconductor cable being flexibly connected into electrical engagement with at least a portion of the interior of said generally rectangular configuration enclosure formed by said first and second end cups and said first and second side plates;
the enclosure further including first and second bifurcated key members, the legs of which extend through aligned pairs of slots in said first and second end cups and in said first and second side plates to clamp together said end cups and said side plates to form said rectangular enclosure.

6 more elements

A conductive shielding enclosure for a generally flattened rectangular multiconductor cable connector having an outer conductive sheath;

said connector having a generally rectangular configuration which has generally flat parallel faces which are joined at their edges by first and second generally parallel sides which has first and second ends;
said connector having a flat shielded multiconductor cable extending from said first end thereof;
said connector having a plurality of contacts;
each of said plurality of contacts connected to a respective one of the conductors of said multiconductor cable;
said shielding enclosure comprising first and second conductive end cups which are adjacent to and which extend across said first and second sides respectively of said connector and first and second conductive side plates which are adjacent to and extend across said first and second faces respectively of said conductors respectively;
said first and second end cups and said first and second side plates extending beyond said one end of said connector;
means connecting said first and second side plates and said first and second end cups together to form a rectangular enclosure which defines a hollow interior region surrounding said cable connector and extending from said one end of said connector;
the outer surface of the conductive sheath of said multiconductor cable being flexibly connected into electrical engagement with at least a portion of the interior of said generally rectangular configuration enclosure formed by said first and second end cups and said first and second side plates;
the ends of said first and second side plates containing respective inwardly bent flaps adjacent said first end of said connector;
the edges of said inwardly bent flaps being serrated and mechanically engaging opposite surfaces of said cable connector when said shielding enclosure is completed.

7 more elements

A conductive shielding enclosure for a generally flattened rectangular multiconductor cable connector having an outer conductive sheath;

said connector having a generally rectangular configuration which has generally flat parallel faces which are joined at their edges by first and second generally parallel sides which has first and second ends;
said connector having a flat shielded multiconductor cable extending from said first end thereof;
said connector having a plurality of contacts;
each of said plurality of contacts connected to a respective one of the conductors of said multiconductor cable;
said shielding enclosure comprising first and second conductive end cups which are adjacent to and which extend across said first and second sides respectively of said connector and first and second conductive side plates which are adjacent to and extend across said first and second faces respectively of said conductors respectively;
said first and second end cups and said first and second side plates extending beyond said one end of said connector;
means connecting said first and second side plates and said first and second end cups together to form a rectangular enclosure which defines a hollow interior region surrounding said cable connector and extending from said one end of said connector;
a continuous portion of said cable being doubled and said doubled length being contained within said enclosure with the base of said doubled length connected to said plurality of contacts;
the outer surface of the conductive sheath of said multiconductor cable being flexibly connected into electrical engagement with at least a portion of the interior of said generally rectangular configuration enclosure formed by said first and second end cups and said first and second side plates.

6 more elements

A conductive shielding enclosure for a generally flattened rectangular multiconductor cable connector having an outer conductive sheath;

said connector having a generally rectangular configuration which has generally flat parallel faces which are joined at their edges by first and second generally parallel sides which has first and second ends;
said connector having a flat shielded multiconductor cable extending from said first end thereof;
said connector having a plurality of contacts;
each of said plurality of contacts connected to a respective one of the conductors of said multiconductor cable;
said shielding enclosure comprising first and second conductive end cups which are adjacent to and which extend across said first and second sides respectively of said connector and first and second conductive side plates which are adjacent to and extend across said first and second faces respectively of said conductors respectively;
said first and second end cups and said first and second side plates extending beyond said one end of said connector;
means connecting said first and second side plates and said first and second end cups together to form a rectangular enclosure which defines a hollow interior region surrounding said cable connector and extending from said one end of said connector;
the multiconductor cable connector being loosely bent within said hollow interior region and pressed by the force of its inherent resiliency to flexibly connect the outer surface of the conductive sheet into electrical engagement with at least a portion of the interior of said generally rectangular configuration enclosure formed by said first and second end cups and said first and second side plates, said enclosure further including a conductive shroud mechanically and electrically connected to said enclosure adjacent to said second end of said connector;
said second end of said connector having contact pins extending therefrom;
said shroud enclosing said contact pins, a conductive flange extending across one end of said shroud;
said conductive flange extending across said second end of said connector and around said contact pins and connected to the end of said rectangular enclosure, cooperating detent means being fixed to said shroud and said rectangular enclosure for fixing the position of said shroud releative to said end of said rectangular enclosure between and extended in a recessed position.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.