Methods of terminating and connectorizing cables

Claim 1

A method of connectorizing a terminated end of a given length of flat cable having two laterally disposed, overlying/underlying arrays of insulated ribbon-like conductors, with the major plane of each conductor lying within the major plane of the cable, wherein said two arrays are respectively laminated between a common insulative center film and an associated one of two opposite side outer insulative films, and wherein two laterally disposed isolating strips of non-conductive material are respectively positioned on opposite sides of said center film in alignment, and interposed between the latter and the adjacent one of said two arrays of conductors at each predetermined termination site along said cable, as fabricated, said isolating strips being of a material that will not bond to said conductors, said method comprising the steps of: stripping the insulation from the conductors along short, longitudinally disposed end regions thereof at the terminated end of the cable, said stripping step further including the step of peeling at least a substantial longitudinally disposed segment of each otherwise stripped conductor end region in each array from the then co-extensive and contacting one of said isolating strips so as to completely expose each such conductor end segment; angularly twisting at least a forward portion of the respectively stripped conductor end segments a predetermined number of degrees from their original orientation within the cable, and securing the twisted end portions of the conductors to respectively aligned mating elements of an associated connector so as to form an interconnected flat cable-connector assembly.

Claim 2

A method of connectorizing a terminated end of a given length of flat cable having two laterally disposed, overlying/underlying arrays of insulated ribbon-like conductors, with the major plane of each conductor lying within the major plane of the cable, wherein said two arrays are respectively laminated between a common insulative center film and an associated one of two opposite side outer insulative films, and wherein two laterally disposed isolating strips of non-conductive material are respectively positioned on opposite sides of said center film in alignment, and interposed between the latter and the adjacent one of said two arrays of conductors at each predetermined termination site along said cable, as fabricated, said isolating strips being of a material that will not bond to said conductors, said method comprising the steps of: stripping the insulation from the conductors along short, longitudinally disposed end regions thereof at the terminated end of the cable, said stripping step further including the step of peeling at least a substantial longitudinally disposed segment of each otherwise stripped conductor end region in each array from the then co-extensive and contacting one of said isolating strips so as to completely expose each such conductor end segment; angularly twisting at least a forward portion of the respectively stripped conductor end segments a predetermined number of degrees from their original orientation within the cable, and securing the twisted end portions of the conductors to respectively aligned mating elements of an associated connector so as to form an interconnected flat cable-connector assembly.

Claim 10

A method of connectorizing a terminated end of a flat cable of given length having two laterally disposed arrays of rectangularly shaped conductors, wherein said arrays are in overlying/underlying relationship, respectively laminated between a common insulative center film and an associated one of two opposite side outer insulative films, with the major surfaces of the conductors in each array being oriented within the major plane of the fabricated cable, and wherein during the fabrication of the cable a spaced array of insulative isolating strips are positioned and secured on each side of, and extend transversely across, the center film, corresponding isolating strips on opposite sides of the center film being aligned in pairs at each predetermined spaced cable termination point therealong, and of a material that allows the conductors in each array that are then co-extensive and in contact with one of said isolating strips to be readily separated therefrom, for connectorization, said method comprising the steps of: stripping a short end section of each outer film from the terminated end of the cable, so as to expose the outer major surfaces of the conductors in each array along short, longitudinally disposed terminated end regions thereof that are then at least substantially longitudinally co-extensive with an associated one of the pair of isolating strips; peeling at least a substantial segment of the previously partially exposed end region of each conductor in each array from the associated one of said pair of isolating strips; angularly twisting at least a forward portion of each then fully exposed conductor end segment in each array a predetermined number of degrees from the original orientation thereof within the cable, and securing the twisted end portions of the conductors in each array to respectively aligned ones of an array of mating elements of an associated connector so as to form an interconnected flat cable-connector assembly.

Claim 11

A method of connectorizing a terminated end of a flat cable of given length having two laterally disposed arrays of rectangularly shaped conductors, wherein said arrays are in overlying/underlying relationship, respectively laminated between a common insulative center film and an associated one of two opposite side outer insulative films, with the major surfaces of the conductors in each array being oriented within the major plane of the fabricated cable, and wherein during the fabrication of the cable a spaced array of insulative isolating strips are positioned and secured on each side of, and extend transversely across, the center film, corresponding isolating strips on opposite sides of the center film being aligned in pairs at each predetermined spaced cable termination point therealong, and of a material that allows the conductors in each array that are then co-extensive and in contact with one of said isolating strips to be readily separated therefrom, for connectorization, said method comprising the steps of: stripping a short end section of each outer film from the terminated end of the cable, so as to expose the outer major surfaces of the conductors in each array along short, longitudinally disposed terminated end regions thereof that are then at least substantially longitudinally co-extensive with an associated one of the pair of isolating strips; peeling at least a substantial segment of the previously partially exposed end region of each conductor in each array from the associated one of said pair of isolating strips; angularly twisting at least a forward portion of each then fully exposed conductor end segment in each array a predetermined number of degrees from the original orientation thereof within the cable, and securing the twisted end portions of the conductors in each array to respectively aligned ones of an array of mating elements of an associated connector so as to form an interconnected flat cable-connector assembly.

Claim 16

A method of preparing a terminated end of a flat cable of indefinite length for connectorization, wherein the cable has two laterally disposed, overlying, underlying arrays of insulated ribbon-like conductors, with the major plane of each conductor lying within the major plane of the cable, wherein said two arrays are laminated between respectively associated outer insulative films and an insulative common center film, and wherein two laterally disposed isolating strips of non-conductive material are respectively positioned on opposite sides of said center film in alignment, and interposed between the latter and the adjacent one of said two arrays of conductors at each predetermined termination site along said cable, as fabricated, said isolating strips being of a material that will not bond to said conductors, said method comprising the steps of: stripping the insulation from a short, longitudinally disposed end region of each conductor at the terminated end of the cable, said stripping step further including the step of peeling at least a substantial longitudinally disposed segment of each otherwise stripped conductor end region in each array from the then co-extensive and contacting one of said isolating strips so as to completely expose said conductor end segments for subsequent connectorization, and angularly twisting at least a forward portion of each stripped conductor end segment a predetermined number of degrees from the original orientation thereof within the cable so as to facilitate the subsequent connectorization of each conductor end portion to an associated connector.

Claim 17

A method of preparing a terminated end of a flat cable of indefinite length for connectorization, wherein the cable has two laterally disposed, overlying, underlying arrays of insulated ribbon-like conductors, with the major plane of each conductor lying within the major plane of the cable, wherein said two arrays are laminated between respectively associated outer insulative films and an insulative common center film, and wherein two laterally disposed isolating strips of non-conductive material are respectively positioned on opposite sides of said center film in alignment, and interposed between the latter and the adjacent one of said two arrays of conductors at each predetermined termination site along said cable, as fabricated, said isolating strips being of a material that will not bond to said conductors, said method comprising the steps of: stripping the insulation from a short, longitudinally disposed end region of each conductor at the terminated end of the cable, said stripping step further including the step of peeling at least a substantial longitudinally disposed segment of each otherwise stripped conductor end region in each array from the then co-extensive and contacting one of said isolating strips so as to completely expose said conductor end segments for subsequent connectorization, and angularly twisting at least a forward portion of each stripped conductor end segment a predetermined number of degrees from the original orientation thereof within the cable so as to facilitate the subsequent connectorization of each conductor end portion to an associated connector.