Shielded Flat Ribbon Cable With Molded Metal Shells

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional shielded flat ribbon cables experience variations in characteristic impedance and low electromagnetic shielding due to soft aluminum-polyethylene laminated tapes, leading to instability in high-frequency properties and complex, costly fabrication of semi-rigid cables.

Innovation Solution

A shielded flat ribbon cable design featuring parallel insulated conductors sandwiched between two molded metal shells with grooves and edge portions, utilizing gap-suppressing means such as solder layers, caulking, rivets, or welding to prevent gaps and ensure consistent electromagnetic shielding.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If aluminum-polyethylene laminated tape is used for the individual shield layer, then the cable is easy to manufacture, but the characteristic impedance varies and high-frequency properties become unstable

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of manufactureVSAvoidhigh-frequency properties stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the material parameter from soft aluminum-polyethylene laminated tape to rigid molded metal shell. This parameter change eliminates the variability in distance between conductors and shield layer, stabilizing characteristic impedance and improving high-frequency properties while maintaining manufacturability through molding processes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses composite material structure by combining molded metal shells with insulated conductors. The metal shell provides rigid electromagnetic shielding with consistent geometry, while the insulation maintains electrical isolation. This composite approach resolves the impedance stability issue.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Device complexity

If aluminum-polyethylene laminated tape is used for bundling shielding layers, then the cable structure is simple, but gaps form between layers and electromagnetic shielding properties deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecable structure complexityVSAvoidelectromagnetic shielding properties

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the physical state parameter of the shielding layer from flexible (laminated tape) to rigid (molded metal shell). This eliminates gaps between shielding layers while maintaining structural simplicity, thereby improving electromagnetic shielding properties without significantly increasing complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If semi-rigid cable with copper pipe is used, then characteristic impedance is stable and transmission loss is suppressed, but fabrication becomes complex and costly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecharacteristic impedance stabilityVSAvoidfabrication ease

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the cable structure into molded metal shells that enclose insulated conductors, replacing the monolithic copper pipe of semi-rigid cables. This segmentation achieves similar impedance stability through precise molding while simplifying fabrication and enabling easier wiring in electronic equipment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a flat ribbon cable structure that copies the electromagnetic shielding functionality of semi-rigid copper pipe cables but adapts it to a flat configuration suitable for ribbon cable applications, achieving comparable performance with different manufacturing advantages.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

4Manufacturing precision

If wired one by one, then precise positioning is achieved, but wiring becomes complicated and productivity decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning precisionVSAvoidwiring productivity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple conductors into a single flat ribbon cable structure with integrated molded metal shells. This combining approach maintains precise positioning of conductors through the molding process while dramatically improving productivity by allowing the entire cable assembly to be handled as one unit rather than wiring individual cables.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS8946556B2Shielded flat ribbon cable and method for fabricating a shielded flat ribbon cable

Publication Date: 2015.02.03 PROTERIAL LTD

AI summary

A shielded flat ribbon cable includes a plurality of insulated conductors being spaced parallel to each other, the insulated conductors each including an inner conductor and an insulation coating the inner conductor; an outer conductor bundling the insulated conductors together, the outer conductor including a first shell and a second shell in association with each other to sandwich the insulated conductors therebetween, each of the first shell and the second shell including a plurality of grooves covering outer surfaces of the insulated conductors, and a plurality of edge portions integral with both sides of the grooves, and gap formation-suppressing means for suppressing formation of gaps between the edge portions of the first shell and the edge portions of the second shell, respectively.