GB1390923A - Manufacture of cableforms - Google Patents

Abstract

1390923 Flexible cable ELLIOTT BROS (LONDON) Ltd 15 Nov 1972 [17 Aug 1971] 38523/71 Heading H1A Flexible cable is made by forming conductive strips 2, 3, 4 on a flexible dielectric 1, covering the strip 2 or strips to be used as a signal conductor by dielectric 5, leaving the strips 3, 4 to be used as earth strips exposed, applying, at least initially by chemical plating, a metal screening layer 6 over the whole structure except for termination areas at the cable ends and treating the unplated termination areas to leave some or all of the strips exposed to form termination tabs. By plating on the earth screen a more flexible structure is obtained. Conductors 2, 3, 4, e.g. of copper may be formed on substrate 1 by bonding copper foil to one or both sides of the substrate, e.g. by thermosetting adhesive and etching out the unwanted areas, alternatively strips may be hot rolled or plated through a mask on to the substrate. All the dielectric layers may be of polyethylene terephthalate. Screen 6, e.g. of copper or nickel is preferably formed by an initial chemical plating followed by electroplating to give a thickness of 0-0001 to 0À0005 inches. After plating the assembly may be hot rolled to improve bonding between the screen and its underlying surfaces. The termination tabs may be gold plated. A laquer, e.g. of polyurethane or vinyl may be applied over the screen or a lacquer which has been applied to the screen to protect it against the etchant used to remove the dielectric at the cable ends may be used as permanent protection.