Arrangements of this type are especially required in aircraft, where not only large quantities of electrical equipment with very different information signals and disturbance sensitivities are arranged in a relatively confined space and where the possibility of mutual interaction must be reliably eliminated, but also where such electrical equipment is greatly endangered in its safe operation by the effects of a lightning strike on the electronic apparatus.
An already known method is to equip electrical interconnecting cables in aircraft, especially also complete cable harnesses, with shielding made from metallic conducting materials and to connect the shielding respectively at its ends with the housings of the electrical devices or with specially provided leads to ground.
Generally a tube-shaped overbraiding consisting of individual metal strands is utilized for this purpose which, in the case of current carrying contact plugs, is connected with the metallic plug housing at the cable ends. The connection of this overbraiding with provided charge elimination points frequently occurs also by means of separate tube-type clamp fittings, which surround the braiding at the cable ends and from which a separate charge dissipation line, which is also designated as a "pig tail", leads to the charge elimination point.
A disadvantage of the known shielding arrangement is that the used junction and interconnection elements are not only relatively expensive in their fabrication and have a comparatively high inherent weight, but also that additionally their, installation, meaning the establishment of a mechanically and electrically perfect connection with this shielding overbraiding, requires a considerable time expenditure.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds